The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-03-30
PULPIT THEMES.
Gospel Truth as Presented at the Diner

0OSPCl 4E0An EEtoGntG0 ~ inc O1uer-
ent Churches Sunday
The pleasant lecture room of the First
NJ E church was well filled Sunday
morning at the opening service of the
present conference year, and the first
that has been held in the new edifice.
The congregation, which have been
without y church home for SO many
months. seemed TO experience an un-
wontcd degree OF satisfaction At meeting
once more in their own house of wor-
ship, and the services were entered into
with split that was alike gratifying
to pastor an people
The pulpit was occupied by Rev. Mr..
Hanna, who has been assigned to this
charge for the ensuing year, and on this
occasion he very fittiDgly selected for
the theme of his discourse "The
Province of the Pulpit" and the
foreible and able. manner in
which the speaker set forth the duties of
the Christian minister gave evidence of
the fact that he fully appreciates the
high responsibilities ofhis noble calling,
and we feel secure ia the prediction that
he will prove fully adequate to their
best fulfilment The sermon showed
the speaker TO be abreast with the most
advanced lines of thought, and his ex-
pressed views that the pulpit Imsy CON-
mand the whole realm of truth, and that
its ordained mission is to appeal to the
reason no less than to awaken the con-
sciences of men. are such as should be
entertained by ali servants of the Mas
ter in this progressive age. He thinks
that sermons should strike and stick,
and that the unsearchable riches of
Christ should be presented to the people
IN such an intelligent manner ast
list their attention, arouse their conyIc-
tions and be potent to remodel their
lives. He discriminate between
dignity and dullness. and while he de-
precates that morbid love of sensation
which has impelled many ministers to
prostitute their high calling to desire for
notoriety, he Is an advocate of that style
of preaching which will tend to bring
out the priceless teachings of the gospel
10 the strongest and most attractive
light, not forgetting that all preaching
is vain unless those who stand on the
watch-towers of Zion adorn their profes-
sion with Cody walk and conversation,
attributes of the Master whose teachings
they proclaim.
In the evening Rev. Hanna preached
upon 1.-THE Province of the Pews," and
his thorough and practical discourse
upon the duties of hearers of the
Word was no less pointed and
replete with excellent thought than
his morning sermon. The new
preacher possesses the power of secur-
ing and holding the closest attention of
his auditors, and those who listen do
not leave the sanctuary without taking
with them some impression of the dis
course which will lnure to their profit.
Mr.. Hanna has been one of the most
to which he belongs, and we regard his
appointment to this charge a source of
special coDgratulatiOn to the M. E. con-
gregation of Emporia, whose interests |
cannot fail to be promoted under the
leadership of such an able preacher and |
Jealous pastor.
AT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Elder Lott, the pastor, took for the sub |
ject of his morning discourse THE Po-
sition of the Christian Church." found |
ed upon the text from l Peter, iii-xv. |
The following is a synopsis of his SER
mon:
According to announcement made |
last Tuesday evening, 1 shall present a |
few points of doctrine, advocated by us
as people. Desiring to be understood, |
we shall state but few points, but try to
make them plain. Our real position on
the principal points in the scheme of
redemption is undisputed.
l. We accept both the Old and New
Testaments as inspired by God. The
moral principles in the Old Testament
are binding on US to-day, but many of
the positive requirements are done
away in Christ, and the New Testament
is the book of authority To teach US how
TO become Christians aud how to live
Christian lives.
g We accept the bible as our rule of
faith and practice We neither add to it
nor subtract from it-feeling that
man cannot improve on Gods book.
3. We accept and use the names found
in the New Testament, feeling that if
they were right when used by the prim-
tive Christians, they are right now.
Christian and disciple were used to des-
| ignate the followers of Christ in the
| apostles, and are sufficient today.
4. We use the government mentioned
| in the New Testament and the names
given TO the officials found therein, such
as Elder, Deacon and Evangelist. We
reject names given by men. A church
| with divine creed is divine insiitu-
ton with human creed is human
| institution.
5. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth
was the Messiah-the son of the living
/ God-and is the only Savior of sinners
| That he was God manifest in thefiesh in
| the days of his humiliation.
| 6. We believe that faith in Christ is
the principle of justification and ordi-
nances the means of spiritual enjoy
ment and acceptance with God; that
salvation is wholly of grace, through
faith and obedience.
Z. We believe that conversion Is be-
gun, carried on, and contaminated by
the Holy Spirit" that this is done
| through the Lrusl as means. Inc
spirit of God is the spirit of truth
| wherever the truth is there is the spirit;
| whatever is said of the work of the
Spirit, independent of the truth, is spec
ulation.
i 8. We believe that the spirit of God
came in its fullness on the day of Pen
tecost, and has never left the church and
the truth.
We believe and teach that if a man
believes with all his heart that Jesus
Christ Is the Son of God and
his Savior, repents of his sins, confesses
with his mouth the faith in his heart
and is buried with the Lord Jesus in
baptism is Christian, regardless of
what men may think or say. More than
this we do not require, because the
Apostles required M more.
10. We baptiZe penitent believers and
no others, because the baptism of this
class of persons is plainly taught in the
Word of God, while the Bible is silent
on the baptism of any other kind. No
man has ever controverted the right to
baptize believers. The controversy IS
concerning the right to baptize nom
believers.
| IL. We immense. All Christians ad-
nit that this is valid baptism. This
was the practice of the primitive church.
All scholars and critics of every age ad-
nit this. The controversy then is not