Dr. Thomas has inserted my article, headed "Dr.Thomas and his followers," which appeared in Volume 2 p.268, in his "Herald of the Kingdom and Age to come." For inserting it, entire, I thank him. When he affirms that I am "personally unacquainted with" his views, he mistakes; I have read enough of them to know their meaning. Dr. Thomas, however, denies the notion which I understood his "followers" to teach, —"baptism into the kingdom." Of course I accept his denial; but then, pray tell us, Dr. Thomas, why you immerse over again true believers? Is it not into a hope of the kingdom? Then I ask you, 1^st, To Give me a text, a command, or an example, to show that any New Testament saint was immersed into the hope of the kingdom, in the apostles’ days? Nowhere do we read of immersion into either the faith or hope of the kingdom: forgive me, therefore, for saying that you appear to me more anxious for people to follow you, than Christ or the Scriptures. I have read your article twice over, but I cannot find that you attempt to set aside Colossians 1: 13, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Paul believed that the Colossians were in the kingdom of Christ, Dr. Thomas does not. There is therefore a great difference between the faith of Paul and Thomas, since the latter denies what Paul affirms. I agree with Paul, and therefore reject, most heartily, whatever contradicts Paul, as Dr. Thomas’s teaching does.

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The above is from Mr. John Bowes’ "Truth Promoter," published at Cheltenham, England, in connection with the sect known there as "Plymouth Brethren." He thanks me for inserting his article against me and my "followers" entire. I am sorry, however, that I cannot return the compliment, his policy affording me no scope for thanksgiving. Do to others as you would they should do to you; which may be fairly rendered, Do to others as you approve their doings to yourself. But this is no article of Mr. Bowe’s creed, if we may judge of his faith by his works. I have inserted his denunciation, or whatever he may call it, "entire," but he has taken special care not to publish my vindication at all! What are we to infer from this? Had I failed to convict him of error, I suspect his patrons would have been treated to a perusal of my entire article with some triumphant demonstrations, according to the taste of Plymouth-Brotherism, from his own pen, showing the shallowness and absurdity of my lucubrations! But he has not done this, from very obvious reasons.

He accepts my denial of the practical dogma of "baptism into the kingdom," so characteristic of the Campbellite creed. Strange would it be if we practised baptism into a kingdom in whose present existence we have no faith! But, says he, "Pray tell us, Dr. Thomas, why do you immerse over again true believers?" Mr. Bowes did not intend me to answer this question when he penned it, or he would have sent me a copy of his paper containing it, which he has not done, for the copy before me came not from him, but from a personal friend in Birmingham. Seeing, however, that after several months it has arrived at last, I will now answer it. The wording of his question does not express the real point at issue between us. It should read, "Why do you immerse over again those whom I, John Bowes, regard as true believers?" To this I reply, Because I, John Thomas, can prove that they do not believe the truth. I do not reimmerse "true believers;" but should, if such an one presented himself for reimmersion, decline to assist him myself, and protest against others going down with him into the water a second time. This is the view of the matter held in common with me and those styled of Mr. Bowes my "followers." Professors who are ignorant of the things spoken by the prophets are not "true believers." They assent to certain theological technicalities about Jesus; but of his kingdom and its glad tidings they are as ignorant as Hottentots. He has promised salvation to Gentiles believing in him as the Son of God, delivered for offences and raised again for justification, who ALSO BELIEVE the gospel of that Kingdom which he is to found in Palestine, and which is to destroy all the thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers of the Babylonish Heavenlies: and to such, and to such only, does he command immersion into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those who deny this kingdom, which is preparing, and has been preparing for the "Blessed of the Father from the foundation of the world," and to which and its glory they are called or invited in its gospel, are not "true believers," whatever their creed may comprehend about the personality of Jesus, restricted to the facts of his first appearing.

The darkness of Mr. Bowes’ mind upon the gospel is discoverable in the question he puts, saying, "I ask you to give me a text, a command, or an example, to show that any New Testament saint was immersed into the hope of the kingdom, in the apostles’ days?" In answer to this, I would say, that every immersion in those days was for the kingdom, and that only. I say "only," because to "possess the kingdom" is to obtain all that its gospel promises; and to fail of obtaining that kingdom, is to lose its glory, honour, incorruptibility, and life. What else could a man be baptised in hope of, seeing that the gospel or glad tidings are emphatically the good news of that kingdom, which is to rule over all the earth? To be baptised for resurrection only, would be a hope short of the gospel hope; for many will "awake from the dust of the earth" who will have no part in the kingdom, but rather inherit "everlasting shame and contempt."

But Mr. Bowes will be satisfied with "an example." Well, we cite the case of the Ephesians as in point. "For the space of three months," says Luke, "Paul spake boldly in the synagogue, disputing, and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God." Mr. Bowes will, no doubt, admit that some were baptised during this three months; for Paul was persuading as well as disputing with success. Mr. Bowes will, perhaps, admit also, that Paul was "testifying the gospel" while he was "preaching the kingdom of God;" but whether he will or not, Luke affirms it. Now, "reason," which was one of Paul’s spiritual weapons, asks of Mr. Bowes, "For what other hope than that of the kingdom could they have been baptised, whom Paul persuaded of the things concerning the kingdom of God?" His preaching of the kingdom, he styles "the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation," in which he made known to them the secret of God’s will, which he had purposed in himself, according to his good pleasure. He told them what this kingdom purposed of God would be, and what it would comprehend.

It should be for an economy of the fulness of the appointed times, eis oikono miantou pleromatos ton kairon. These were times far off from Paul’s day, and which have not quite expired yet; for the 1335 years of Daniel, at the end of which is the resurrection of the Heirs of the Kingdom, are not yet run out by a dozen years. When this appointed time shall have elapsed, the work of establishing the Kingdom’s economy in the land promised to Abraham and Christ, and to all constitutionally in them, will be commenced. He also told them what that royal economy should consist in, namely, a heading up of the all things in the Christ, both the things in the heavens and the things of the earth—Acts 19 & 20; Ephesians 1: 13, 9-10. These things he declares to be "visible and invisible." Some of them in his day were visible, others invisible, but now visible to us; and defines as "thrones, dominions, principalities and powers"—Colossians 1: 16, all of which are to be subjected to him, as declared in Daniel and all the prophets—Daniel 7: 14, 27; Hebrews 2: 8. These are the things which Paul says he preached at Ephesus when he preached the kingdom of God, "saying none other things," as he remarks elsewhere, "than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come."

Now when he preached the same things in Thessalonica as the gospel of salvation, (for there is but "one faith,") he says the people there were "called," or invited to "God’s kingdom and glory," and for whom he prayed that they "might be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which they suffered." Now if immersed people are called to a kingdom, and suffer for a kingdom, or seek through much tribulation to enter a kingdom—Acts 14: 22, is not that kingdom the hope of their calling? And could they be immersed for any other hope than for that hope to which they were called in the gospel of the kingdom? Certainly not. There is, says Paul to the Ephesians, "one hope of the calling." For that "one hope" he immersed those he persuaded; therefore he immersed his converts for the hope of the kingdom of God, and they were what Mr. Bowes styles "New Testament saints." They were immersed in hope of belonging to that glorious company of whom it is testified that "The Saints of the High Ones shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for the Age, even for the Age of the ages"—ad-alma, we-ad alam almaiya.

As to Colossians 1: 13, I have already published at least two expositions of it, showing first, that it is not "hath translated" in the original; and secondly, that the word rendered "translated," relates in the text to a state of mind as opposed to the "power of darkness," or ignorance, a state which Paul had superinduced by opening their eyes to the things of the kingdom, and so turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of the adversary unto God; to effect which, the Lord Jesus had sent him to Colosse—Acts 26: 17-18. But for Mr. Bowes’ illumination, I will repeat that the original word is methistemi the first aorist tense, and not methesteke, in the perfect. The aorist is indefinite as to time, when simply affirming the action. He translates, or metonymically, he causes to pass from one mode of thinking to another, or, he causes to change sides. This, in relation to the kingdom, is God’s doing through an appointed means; for of the heirs of that kingdom it is written, "They shall be all taught of God." God’s teaching had caused certain Colossian Jews and Gentiles to change their intellectual and moral positions; or to change sides. They forsook the synagogue and the idol-temples, renounced the traditions of the rabbis and priests—eis ten basileian, for the kingdom of his beloved Son. This was a past event in relation to them, but an aorist process in relation to God, which is not yet completed, nor will it be until the kingdom comes. Hence, his work of delivering from the power of darkness, and causing men to declare for his kingdom as the result of their eyes being opened, is expressed in the indefinite tense of the Greek verb, which equally indicates what God has done, is doing, and will yet further accomplish in delivering men from Gentile "piety" and philosophy, and turning their minds to the kingdom of his Son.

Paul did not believe that the Colossians, whose eyes he had opened, were in the kingdom of Christ. It is merely Mr. Bowes’ opinion that he so believed. Paul, as a Jew and a Christian, was too well instructed in "the Hope of Israel," in the testimony of Moses and the prophets, and in the doctrine of Jesus, to believe any such foolishness. He understood the nature, or elemental constitution of the kingdom he preached, too well for that. It is reserved for Mr. Bowes and "pious" gentilists of his class, while the times of the Gentiles are closing up because of their faithlessness in God’s kingdom and its gospel—Romans 11; 22, to believe in so palpable an absurdity. Paul pointed to "the fulness of the appointed times," when "the fulness of the Gentiles should be come in," as the epoch of introduction into the kingdom of the millennial rest—the sabbatism of the saints, the priests and rulers of the world, blessed at that time in Abraham and his seed. I wish no one to follow me. Let my readers hear Moses and the prophets, for if they believe not their writings understandingly, they cannot receive the words of Jesus and the apostles in the sense in which they were spoken. This is Mr. Bowes’ misfortune. His head is too full of Plymouth-Brotherism to afford scope for the teachings of God. If he can be exorcised of this, there will be hope in his end. But till that desideratum is accomplished, his policy will continue crooked as Leviathan, and his views vulnerable as Achilles’ heel.

I have published all he has written against me that has come to hand, which is quite gratifying to him, or he would not thank me. Now, one good turn deserves another. Will he not then gratify me in returning the compliment? It may not promote what Plymouth-Brethren call truth, but it will tend to show that their leaders, in contending for "truth," do not eschew the fruit thereof, which is impartiality and justice, though the heavens fall.

EDITOR.

Mott Haven, Westchester, N. Y., August, 1854.

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A sign is a representative of something. When a man signs his name to any writing, his signature is representative of his approval of its contents, and that he will abide by them.

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