Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-04-01
DUNCAN'S GOSPEL LESSONS.
REPLY No. IA.

REPLY No. IA.
Mr.. Duncan finds it much easier
to reply to imaginary arguments and
overthrow fancifui theories than to
deal with realities. In his last re-
ioinder March 18) he sets up a
imam OF straw" of his own making.
with the hope that he will at least be
able to push that over He plainly
intimates that he believes that Pres
byterians '.baptize children to cleanse
away original SIM" Duncan may
think so, but the thoughts and opin-
ions OF q man 50 thoroughly innocent
of any correct knowledge of the con-
fession of faith or of the scriptures
are certainly very unreliable. We
don't believe in baptism for or in
order to the remission of sins" We
have 8 formulated system of the doc
trines we believe to be contained in
Gods word printed and sold without
restriction, and any one who puts
himself forward as a gospel teach
er u should at least inform himself
on the subjects on which he writes
or else take the old lady's advice to
her boy: johnny, when you don't
know anything. don't say anything..'
If MI. Duncan will get a copy of the
Confession of Faith and study it
with the scripture references at the
foot of each page, he will read nor
scripture in n day than he has
probably read in the twelve months
past.
In my reply No. II, I merely
stated the fact that "when the COM
mission Lsw of Baptism) in Matt.
%: 10, 20 was given, there had been
in existence for ages a visible, spirit
ual church of the Lord Jesus, pos
sessing all the characteristics and
diferentid Of the church of the Lord
Jesus of any age-with the infant
children of Gods people as a COM
ponent part of its membership"
Since that reply was written l under
stand hat it has been publicly denied
in Mexico that God ever had a
church on earth prior to the day OF
P~entecost. Since this denial has
been made public it becomes my duty
to go back and establish that which
j quoted as a fact without taking
time to prove it.
Most earnestly do l ask the reader;
attention 10 the proofs that there was
in existence, ages before the incarna'
ton of the Lord, a real, true, spirit
ual, visible church of Christ, just a.
certainly as there is such q church
in the world to-day. In Acts Z: 81
we read of sthe church in the will
derness" and we claim, and propos,
to prove, that that 'church in thu
wilderness" possessed all the charac
teristics and differentia then that ii
possessed by the visible church o.
Christ to-day.
The word rendered church is tn,
Greek ekklesia from ekkaleo, ''to cal
out" and signifies those called on.
from the apostate race of man for tn
service and worship of God. Thi
word ekklesia is used in the Greel
scriptures in I'd Chron. 20: 4, IA il
Psalm %: % from which Heb. 2: l:
is quoted, showing that Psalm %: 2
has reference to the church of Christ
and in Joel 2: 16 with reference t
Exodus 10: 10, 22) and in man
other places in the old Testament
The word congregation is o lati
word that means "those called to
gether." The oracles of God wer
committed 10 this church in the wi
derness. Rome. 8: 2. And th
Apostle Paul thought there was &C
vantage ''much every way" in BEN
connected with that same church.
Now look at the differentia of tn
church In the wilderness. lst. TIL
Lord Jehovah Jesus) was PERSONAL
with that church. All the revelation
that ever came to man from heave
came by Christ. Exodus 3: IA CON
pared with John 8: SO. And /.
Cor 10: 4 says "for they drank {
that spiritual rock that followe
them, and that rock was Christ" Th
Jehovah Of the Old Testament was th
Jesus Christ of the New Testamen,
This will not be denied. I'd. TIL
Holy Spirit with this church c
Christ. See Mum. IL: rs. 20; Ne
hemiah 8: 20; Isaiah 63: z, IL; Q
Chron. 20: Is, IA. Especial atter
ton is called to Numbers IL: 2.
When Moses said would God tina
all the Lords people we're prophets
and that the Lord (Jehoyah Jesus
would put his spirit upon them!'
Let the reader examine carefully O
these passages and Q how muc
like the forms u spsesh found in tn