Campbell & Hyperism III

The following writing from the biography of Andrew Broaddus, written by Dr. Jeter, is very interesting. In my previous writings in this ongoing series, I have shown how Alexander Campbell, after a few years with the Baptists, began to despise certain elements in the Baptist denomination, one of which was "Hyper Calvinism" or "Hardshellism" with its view of "Spirit Alone Regeneration" and with its wild theories regarding spiritual influences or operations. Against these theories Campbell came out fighting. I am sure that men like Broaddus, Semple, and Peck, were happy to applaud him in these efforts. But, I have also shown, Campbell always had an eye on how he might "play chess" with the various factions (pieces) of the Baptist denomination.

In Campbell's attempt to "win over" the "Hardshells" and the "Hypers" he used tactics to win them over, apart from his attempts to convert them on the "means" question, and one of these ways to to incorporate many of their ideas regarding "missions" and "church work" into his own reformation. Alexander Campbell was one of the leading opponents of the mission movement and curried the favor of the Hypers in the process.

Another tactic came later when he modified a prevelant view on "regeneration" that existed among the Baptists and Presbyterians, that there were "three stages" to the "new birth." I have already alluded to this view in previous writings. Campbell modified this view by making baptism the birth, but still putting the "begetting" prior to the "birth," making it something distinct, the final step in the "regeneration process." This is evident from the following citations from Broaddus's biography.

"Dr. Jeter could not as a faithful biographer, fail to mention the part Elder Broaddus acted in reference to the Reformation advocated by the distinguished Alexander Campbell of Bethany, Va. We quote from the memoir:

"Mr. Broaddus was one of the last to relinquish the hope of reclaiming Mr. Campbell from what he deemed the path of error. Long did he continue to fraternize with him, and endeavor, by kid and faithful arguments, to convince him; but the appearance of the Millennial Harbinger Extra, in which his peculiar and objectionable views were more fully disclosed, put an end to all his hopes. He had been willing to tolerate many differences of opinion on minor points, and the utmost freedom of inquiry and discussion, and to bear with much in the spirit and manner of Mr. Campbell, which he disapproved; but when the gospel schemes of a sinner's justification was set aside, and the influence of the Holy Spirit before baptism was denied, or treated in an equivocal and unsatisfactory manner, he felt that the time of forbearance and fraternization had passed. He owed a duty to truth, to the Baptist denomination, to the christian world, and to himself, and he hesitated not to perform it." (p. 28)

We have ever regarded Elder Broaddus' Examination of Mr. Campell's Extra on Remission of Sins as one of the best specimens of sound argument and courteous discussion we have ever seen. Mr. C. contended for the real, actual remission of sins in baptism. Mr. B. proved conclusively that the real, actual remission of sins takes place when the sinner embraces Jesus Christ by faith, and that there is only a formal remission or washing away of sins in baptism. Mr. C. had said that a man might be "impregnated with the word" and "begotten of the Spirit" — (we suggest to Dr. Jeter that to this extent he admitted the influence of the Spirit before baptism —) but that he could not be "born of the Spirit till born of the water" or baptized. He said that if a person was "born of the water" without being previously "begotten of the Spirit," it was "a still birth!" Many of Mr. Campbell's admirers thought his explanation of the regenerating process superior to any thing that the world had seen or heard, and they began to philophize [sic] on spiritual 'impregnation,' 'begetting,' 'being born,' &c. Well, Elder Broaddus looked into the matter and saw the strange 'medley of figures.' In violation of an analogy established ever since Adam begat Cain, Mr. C. represented the person to be born — the spiritual fetus — as impregnated! And, he said that was a 'still birth' in baptism if there was not a previous 'begetting of the Spirit,' thus exciting the obstetrical wonder of the curious throughout Christendom how there could be any sort of 'birth' without 'begetting!' Mr. B. employed his delicate satire so effectually that Mr. C. in subsequent editions of his Extra, left out several things which are to be found in the first edition. We doubt not Mr. C. is much more Scriptural in his views now than he was then (1830). Indeed in his Lexington Debate we think him just as orthodox on the influence of the Holy Spirit, as Dr. Rice. Perhaps we cannot give impartial judgment; for we confess we are a little impatient in thinking how pertinacious Dr. R. was in his purpose to apply the terms 'conversion' and 'sanctification' to infants when there was no more reference to them in the proposition than to the man in the moon. But enough of this." ("The Life and Writings of Rev. Andrew Broaddus" - Christian Repository, 1852. By Rev. James M. Pendleton - Bowling Green, KY)

Not only are these citations important regarding how Campbell adopted the 3-Stage Model of the "new birth," but how he also, as I showed previously, did not want to disagree with Broaddus and Peck on the question of "spiritual influences" and how regeneration was accomplished, as the Confessions stated, by the "Spirit AND the word," and perhaps was led to "back-track" in his views due to their labors. Still, as I also said, it seems that the followers of Campbell were willing to go to the full extreme, while Campbell was unwilling to attempt to undo the damage he had done, or admit his mistake.

http://www.geocities.com/baptist_documents/broaddus.andrew.html