The Penn's Grove record., 1891-10-09
METHODIST DOCTRINE and
DISCIPLINE
Can All Men Be savedf

| tile eleventh and last of the Thirteen
| sermons on Methodist Doctrine aDt
Discipline last Sunday evening from
| the following text:
"God our Saviour; who will have
| all men to be saved, aud to come unto
the knowledge of the truth. u Tim.
2:3-4.
Is 1t possible for all men 10 be saved
To escape the just penalty OF tbeii
transgressions? This is not a question
of idle curiosity seeking to pry into the
secrets Of the most high, but n SC
| closely connected with our peace OF
| mind, that a satisfactory answer is rea'
sonably demanded. The Christian
Church of to-day has but little con-
troversy on this subject, but in the past,
| our question has formed a battle ground
for theological giants, and las even
| tent the body of Christ. 1.-THE church
in twain.
The teaching of Methodism has al.
ways been plain and unequivocal on
| this subject. She has boldly taught
| without any mental reservation, from
her pulpits and in her theological
| schools, and standard works that all
i LlCIs GNCil WliClCy tttiou iCCPCSo Va
| person, can be saved, and while we
| have been free, to teach that many are
lost, yet we locate the responsibility for
| that loss in the will, of the individual
and not in any barrier, or circumstance
| erected by the creator.
The doctrine of salvation, condition
| ed upon the exercise of faith and obed-
| fence to Christ, was taught and not dis
puted until the fourth century when
| Augustine, a man with comprehensive
| learning and acute intellect, taught
that God from eternity made a free
and unconditional decree to save a few
| from the great mass of corrupt human.
ity and to these thus elected to saliva.
| ti2n he gives the requisite g that
| they may believe and practice righteous.
ness, but that the great mass of the
race, not elected, are left without the
NEAR of salvation. This doctrine was
| embraced and taught by John Calvin,
of 18th Century, who having embraced
| the doctrines Of the reformation. wrote
| forcibly against the errors of Roman
| ism, and borrowed an vigorously de-
| Tended the doctrine of Augustine con-
corning election and reprobation.
Methodism, however, holds 10 the
| doctrine of Arminius who is described
rs Zone of the most learned men Of n
| learned age.o Finding his teachings
more in harmony with the scripture
and the revealed character of God, our
| Church teaches that God has ordain.
| ed to save through and because of
| Christ, all who will believe and contin-
| ue in faith and obedience to Christ, but
| to condemn the unregenerated and un-
| believing as aliens from Christ. See
| John 1886. This doctrine is now gen.
| orally taught and received throughout
the Protestant Church.
I. We hear occasionally some OBJ.
jections to affirmative answer to our
question.
/. "Some men seem to have a con-
| stitutional difficulty in believing the
scriptural plan of salvation" 1t is
true, faith is necessary to saliva.
| ton, but there is nothing in the Scrip
| lures, that is not supported by evil
denceand rs evidence considered
and weighed, is the natural
method of arriving at conviction, so il
| the evidences of Christianity are stud.
/ led and carefully weighed they will
produce conviction of the truth TO all
| but the willfully stubborn. The hon.
| est enquirer after truth will not remain
| long a sceptic, after he begins to in
| vpstigate the grounds of the claims OF
| Christianity.
2, s'Some men never seem to have a
religious desire or any drawing toward
| religion" This is because they have
totally neglected to cultivate the relig'
ious element. They have cult
waited every other, Dut
have overlooked this. Interest
| in matters to which we have long been
Indifferent is often awakened by study
| and seeing our personal relation there
| to, as in politics, temperance, &c. So
it may be in religion.
8, Our Saviour has said 'smany are
| called but few are chosen" But why
are they not chosenp Because they
would not obey the call of God to re.
| p~eptance. Glow often would l have
| gathered thy children together and ye
would not" Christ would save, they
| would not accept his salvation.
III. The teaching of the scripture
confirms our doctrine.
J.. Liz UuSpCi. WhioH 10 gu JAVA va
salvation, is to be preached TO every
creature. Such an offer would be use.
less, and mockery to those who could
not receive it. Mark 16:15.16.
2. The scriptures teach that Christ
died for all men, not for the "elect'
only. John 3:16-17; 1872; Rom. SIS
2 Cor. 5.14.15; Heb. 10.
8. The Gospel invitations are to all.
who will. lisa. 55:1; John 1878; John
6:37; Rev. 22:17.
A.. The Scriptures declare, that grace
hath been given to all, to repent. John
10; Rom. 2:14-15; Rom. $40; Titus 2;ll'
3. The scriptures declare Gods will
ingness to save all men. Eek. 1928
"a; 2 Peter 80; and Jul text, will
many other like scriptures prove that
mans loss is not caused by God will
holding any grace, or help. II we opeI
our hearts to the truth the light vii
shine therein. If we give the voice o
God right of way, for a season, TIN
difficulties will vanish, and we vii
know that ''by grace are we saved
through faith. aud that not OF oursel
yes but it is the gift Of God" unto al
who will seek him through his sol
Jesus.
The young women of Hammontol
are competitors in raising CHICKENS, AM
the town has more poultry than an.
90 Tu - n..1ln n