The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-17
Creighton, Pa, June 10.
SOME THEOLOGICAL POINTS.

''o1- II. p" Locks Gorns with "Pomp sdour'
on Religious Questions.
FRIENDS AND READERS OF THE II. i. c.
BY the mercy ofGod am with you again,
although l am now sitting propped up by
pillows, unable to be up. l have in my
life of suffering known a great deal of
pain, but never more than on last Wednes-
day morning. when neither heart beats or
pulsation were perceptible.
My first wish is to reply to "Pompa-
dour" upon the question: 'Is baptism
necessary to salvation?" He claims that
it is not. 1 affirm that it is. Had it not
been would like him to tell my why
Christ commanded US to be baptized, aud
why He set the example. Why did Hes say
Repent, believe and be baptized, every
one of you confessing your sins and We
shall be saved?" Had baptism not been es-
sential it would have been just as easy to
have left it out and said: Repent and
believe and ye shall be saved"
The first place where God recognized
Christ as His son was at His baptism
Listen, ''Then cometh Jesus from Galilee
to Jordon unto John to be baptized of
him. But John forbade him saying. 4
have need of being baptized of thee; then
contest thou to me- And Jesus, answer
ing said, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it
beccmeth US to fulfill all righteousness'
Then he suffered Him. And Jesus when
He was baptized went up straightway out
of the water, and 10! the heavens were
opened unto Him, and He saw the spirit
of God descending like dove and light
ing upon Him, and To- a voice from heaven
saying This is my beloved Son in whom
1 am well pleased (St. Matthew iii, Is,
ii, 10, Is aud ~
If we wish to receive the blessings o.,
the inheritance that Christ left to us, We
must comply with the conditions OF His
will For example, If a man wishes to
leave his children an estate that has a
mortgage upon it, he says they are to have
il after paying off that mortgage. They
pay the debt and the inheritance is no
longer withheld from them; thus when
we comply with the commands of Christ,
viz. repent, believe. be baptized and arise
TO walk in the newness of life, we have
promise of eternal life beyond this vale OF
tears. No one condition will do; we must
obey all or we have no promise of saliva
ton. When we wish to demonstrate
an algebraic therorem, we can not leave out
q portion and obtain the desired result.
ALSO Wnen NdHlll1n was CscdnSeQ OF i6DrOSY
he was compelled to submit to the condi-
tons. 1t is not the water, my friends,
that cleanseth US from sin, but through
the precious blood of Jesus we are
cleansed of sin by obedience to the CON-
mands of Christ. Jesus SAYS: "If ye love
me. keep my commands"
When Nicodemus came to Jesus by
night and said unto Him, "We know
that thou art a teacher come from God
for no man can doeth the miracles that
thou doest except God be with him."
Jesus answered and said unto him: eek
cept man be born again he cannot see
the kingdom of God" Nicodemus said
unto Him: How can a man be born
again when he is old?" Jesus answered
and said unto him: "Verily, verify. saw
unto thee. except a man be born of water
and of the spirit he cannot enter into the
kingdom OF God. That which Is born of
the flesh is flesh and that which is born
of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that
say unto thee We must be born again.
(Acts ill.,
We must have faith TO obey Gods COM
mand and ask no questions as to why il is
commanded of us.
The minister OF whom you speak repre-
sents no denomination at all and it is I'M
just OF you to bring him up as a specimen,
but We know that it is quite natural for a
personto pick up such cases in preference
to those who are doing q noble work for
Christ. Will you do me the kindness to
give his name and place Of residence.
also the denomination You claim he rep
resents2
This subject has exhausted nv small
store of strength, and have little left to
reply to the slur you put upon the farm
srs. Allow me. however. to say that