W. B. Godbey - Enter His Rest

moderators when they differed in any question of interest to which their attention was called. The umpire was
not a member of either of the churches represented in the debate and was generally a lawyer, judge, or in some
way a very prominent citizen. He called the house to order, called on somebody to pray, and read the proposition
for discussion, stating the attitude of the contestants, as to affirmation and negation. The audiences were
invariably very large and the interest always intense; the debate occupied four hours each day, from ten to
twelve A. M.
and from two to four P. M. Meanwhile the preachers of the contesting churches always preached every night
alternately either with other. As above mentioned, I was driven into these debates by whip and lash and not of
my own choice.
When I was a little child, Alexander Campbell came into that country and preached with great efficiency,
capturing some Baptist churches and dividing others, as he had been a Baptist preacher.
But he had given up their spiritual doctrines and was preaching water regeneration with all his might.
In his “Christian system,” a book which I have read very carefully, he says, “Immersion is regeneration.” He
was a man of great learning and intellect and led the people after him by great multitudes. His people were
exceedingly enthusiastic, preaching baptism for the remission of sins, as their great dogma; and at the same time
pouring condemnation on all who did not fall in with them. Campbell's name selected for his people was
“Disciples,” certainly exceedingly appropriate.
They afterwards adopted the simple name “Christians,” which they used in an exclusive sense, unChristianizing
all that did not join them; in fact, usurping the name which is common to the Lord's people in all the earth, and
hence when used alone incompetent to designate any especial organization.
As my father was a Methodist preacher, I had a good opportunity to get acquainted with these current events;
besides, I was a great meeting-goer myself and a close observer with an extraordinary memory. Therefore you
may rest assured that I am not mistaken in what you read in this book. Their attitude was strictly and invariably
controversial and belligerent. They always preached baptism for the remission of sins, utterly denouncing
everything but immersion. This one scripture, “Repent, and be baptized for the remission of your sins,” (Act
2:38), they constantly used, construing “for” in the sense of “in order to,” and making it the prominent condition
of remission of sins. We say a man was hanged for murder and do not mean that he was hanged in order that he
might commit murder, because he had already committed it. The correct translation of this passage, as you see
in the Revised Version, is “unto the remission of sins;” which water baptism symbolizes, and therefore has
reference to.
N. B. Luke wrote the Gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles, as dictated by Paul.
In the former, (24:47), we have Luke's commission, under which Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost.
“To preach in His name repentance unto the remission of sins to all nations – beginning from Jerusalem.” Here
we see that the commission under which Peter was preaching offers remission of sins to all nations, on condition
of repentance, saying nothing about baptism, which Peter mentions in a hortatory way as a confirmation of their
repentance. The very fact that baptism is not mentioned in Luke 24:47, where we have repentance for the
remission of sins to be preached to all nations, forever settles the question that it is not a condition of remission,
as the Bible does not contradict itself. Salvation is a pure spirituality and not a temporality. It is immaterial, not
material.
Therefore when you make anything which is physical and materialistic a condition of salvation, you run the
subject into idolatry, and sidetrack the efforts of the soul, however earnest, away from Christ, thus defeating the
end in view.
The preaching of the Campbellites from my earliest recollection was constantly belligerent and condemnatory of
all who did not join them and take immersion. They denounced all experimental religion, ridiculing and making
all manner of fun of it; covering it with burlesque, in order to arouse the prejudice of the people against it. I have
attended many a protracted meeting with those people, and certify (for I learned their curriculum till I always
knew what was coming), that they invariably began with a labored effort to prove that there is no such thing as