The following criticism is from the pen of our worthy friend, Silas E. Shepard, who I perceive, is advertised in the list of "Baptist Churches" in this city, published in the New York Chronicle of December 31, 1853, from which I copy it, as "Pastor," that is, Shepherd, of the "Disciples," which name being in the possessive case, signifies The Disciples’ Baptist Church. Thus, the Campbellite church formerly of Green Street, but now of Seventeenth Street, is officially recognised as an orthodox Baptist church, and Dr. Shepard, being its pastor, as a feeder of sheep in a good and wholesome pasture, sufficiently well watered, and free from all noxious weeds that would be likely to endanger the flock or any sheep of other pastures that might happen to stray in thither.

Our friend has two articles in this number of The Chronicle, one on "Repentance," and the other on "Hades." I like that on Repentance better than the criticism on Hades. Yet I cannot accept all he says about repentance. He objects rightly enough to the theological definition of metanoia, which makes it "a godly sorrow for sin;" because Paul says, that "godly sorrow produces repentance," and cannot therefore be repentance itself.

He dissents also from the Campbells, who define repentance as reformation, because it is not in accordance with John, the supposed founder of the Baptist denomination, who said, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance;" so that reformation, which is made up of the "fruits meet for," cannot be metanoia, or repentance.

Rejecting the orthodox and Campbellite views, he reveals his agreement with the Greek Lexicon, which defines metanoia as "a change of mind and purpose." Hence, he renders the saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," by "Change your minds, because the kingdom of the heavens is at hand."

Now, as the result of what had gone before concerning godly sorrow, repentance, and reformation, he tells the reader that "the metaphysical consanguinity of these words is this: —Godly sorrow is the parent of repentance, and repentance is the parent of reformation." Thus, repentance with Dr. Shepard is something between "godly sorrow" and "reformation." Therefore he asks, "What is this which lies between godly sorrow and reformation?" He then answers the question, saying, "It is an item of ‘Christian experience’—a DETERMINATION to forsake sin and obey God. Repentance, or metanoia, has reference to the state of the mind or heart; and more particularly to the mind with regard to purpose or determination." All of which is quite in accordance with the Lexicon.

But Dr. Shepard’s metaphysics do not satisfy my mind upon this subject. Godly sorrow, change of mind and purpose, and reformation-fruits, are all effects produced by some CAUSE operating upon the intellect and affections. That cause, which is one, the Doctor does not reveal to us. He says, indeed, that "John the Baptist had but one gospel for the righteous and the wicked, and that gospel required them all to change their minds." This makes John’s preaching the commander of a change of mind, but not the cause of "godly sorrow" which works out metanoia, or change of mind and purpose; for John preached to the righteous, who needed not to be made the subjects of godly sorrow by the preaching. It is evident that my friend’s "metaphysical consanguinity" is a metaphysical impossibility. He makes godly sorrow the parent of change of mind, instead of change of mind the parent of godly sorrow. It is contrary to the constitution of the human mind for a man to have sorrow of any kind unless his mind have been previously so affected as to change its view of things. So long as a man believes he has done well, he has no sorrow; but convince him that his well-doing is really evil in God’s sight—this change of mind, or view, it is that makes him sorry after a godly sort. Hence, my friend’s consanguinities must suffer reverse, and he must acknowledge that he has mistaken a father for the son. His proposition, then, should be, Change of mind, or of views and feelings, begets godly sorrow, and godly sorrow begets repentance.

Incontrovertibly true. But what is the begetter of the whole family? Let Paul answer the question. Paul, then, what sayest thou? I say that "The goodness of God leadeth thee into repentance"—Romans 2: 4. But where is that goodness set forth? "In the word which is nigh thee—the word of faith which we preach." There can be no godly sorrow without faith in that word, for "without faith it is impossible to please God." The goodness of God, understood and believed Abrahamically, leads men into repentance. This is tantamount to saying that the understanding of the gospel, or word, of the kingdom—Matthew 13: 19, 23—leads men to repentance in the name of Jesus Christ—Acts 2: 38; that is, to a change of views and feelings, which results in their being immersed in his name, that being in him, their correct view of the truth may be counted to them for remission of sins, and their Abrahamic feelings, or disposition, be granted—Acts 11: 18—to them for repentance. When such a changed, or renewed, sinner is baptised into Christ, he is baptised "into repentance;" because repentance, as well as remission of sins, was to be preached "in his name"—Luke 24: 47.

Dr. Shepard says that the gospel John preached required all men to change their minds, as if it were in the power of men to change their minds in obedience to a command! You may as well tell a man to go and love a woman who has no attractions, or is positively disagreeable to him, and expect obedience, as to command a man to repent by virtue of that command. The feelings are not to be captivated in that way. All who come to God are drawn of him; for of his children it is testified, "They shall be all taught of God." "No man can come unto me," said Jesus, "except the Father who hath sent me draw him." It is by teaching that the Father draws men to Jesus; so that "every man that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Jesus"—John 6: 44-45. These principles reveal to us the truth, that it is God who "gives repentance" by leading men into it; as it is written, "Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth;" and every one that is begotten of him by that word comes to be baptised into Jesus for repentance in his name.

There is no gospel-repentance out of Christ. Repentance in his name is "repentance unto life;" while repentance out of his name is the sorrow of the world (the professing world) which works death. There is no repentance out of Christ, no remission of sins or justification out of Christ, no immortality out of Christ, there is nothing worth having out of him; and the only way of getting into him, is to believe with the heart the gospel of the kingdom unto righteousness, and to confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus unto salvation, and to be baptised into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. He that hath done this is "complete in him."

The order then of the "metaphysical consanguinities," as our friend styles them, presented to us in the Word, is, first, the Father, who is "THE WORD," by whom all things were made—John 1:1, 3; secondly, the Word of the truth of the gospel of the kingdom which proceeds from Him, and is submitted to the human mind in the Bible; thirdly, the mind enlightened by its testimonies, and as a consequence its views and feelings changed or transformed into a harmony with the mind of God; fourthly, union to the name of Christ by immersion, in the act of which, styled by Peter "in the obeying of the truth," the views and feelings assuredly believed and felt are counted to the sinner for repentance and remission of sins, or justification; fifthly, the fruits meet for or evidential of repentance, or of the dwelling of Christ in the heart by faith that works by love. There is no other order than this, harmonising, as it does, both with the Bible and the human mind, as God, the author of the Bible, has constituted it.

The "godly sorrow" which figures in theological systems, springs up like mushrooms after a shower of rain, as the result of pulpit excitation, which every one intelligent in the Word knows has little more to do with the Scriptures than the quotation of the text. God has no hand in producing it; for he leads sinners to repentance by a scriptural exhibition of his goodness, of that promised blessedness in store for the world through Abraham and his seed, and of what he hath already done through his Son Jesus as the earnest of the certainty of the fulfilment of what remains. The "repentance" excited by a camp-meeting or revival furore, or by exhibition of fabulous scenes in heaven, earth, or hell, has no affinity with that repentance which John and Jesus and the apostles were empowered to preach to sinners. They exhorted the people to come to the baptism of repentance, because the majesty of the heavens was nigh. They preached the gospel of the kingdom for seven years before the death of Jesus, to move them to a compliance with this exhortation. Judgment was denounced against the incorrigible, not to bring them to repentance, but because they put the gospel of the kingdom, and the claims of Jesus to its throne, away from them. "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest: take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy, and my burden light." This was the style of preaching to bring men to repentance, and the Lord’s sheep among the people responded to it; for he said, "My sheep hear my voice;" and again, "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." That voice, alas, is but little heard, and less heeded, now-a-days; and therefore, very few come to repentance because the kingdom or the majesty of the heavens is at the door.

But I have been farther led into this subject than I intended at this time. The subject, however, is very important, and but little understood. I hope the Doctor will look deeper into it than I perceive he has yet done. I cannot but think that he will consent to rearrange the "metaphysical consanguinities," and favour the New York Chronicle public with a genealogy of a diviner nature, by which his theological protégés, "godly sorrow, repentance, and reformation," may appear to have some relationship to the covenants of promise which pertain to Abraham and his seed. May repentance unto life be to the Doctor through a timely obedience to the gospel of the kingdom in the name of Jesus. We would "crowd" him upon this point; for without it no man can see the Lord.

EDITOR.

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