Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-05-05

Grcrs
We are commanded to go and
preach the gospel to every creature
hut We are not restricted as to the
mcth"d of going and preaching. We
are To- assemble as church, but
wherc human wisdom must determine.
The one baptism is command of God
but whether in cold or tepid water,
whether in lake, river, pool or bap-
tcstcry. aud whether face forward or
backward, is left to good sense and
circumstances OF time and place.
T. Still further, where Jesus and
the apostles lead, we are to follow
but this only when their example is a
divine precedent, and here question
OF some difficulty will come up, When
are We To regard what Christ and the
apostles did as precedents or rules OF
action for us? Certainly not every
thing, Tor much that they did was pc
culIaT To their Offices, and much grew
ont of local customs and changing
conditions. Jesus made wine for the
least, had no wife and family, accumu-
lated no property and in many other
things was not our example. The 60
ing forth Of the disciples, two and two,
without scrip or purse did not result
from any principle or relation, but
from local necessity and providentisl
care; it does not forbid the modern
mlssionery TO use good business sense
and foresight. Washing the " Saints
feet in a literal sense and the holy
kiss" were in conformity to local Gus
toms. The Christian virtues implied
are permanent but not their peculiar
manifestations.
,. Again: Divine legislation ON q
given subject pre-occupies the ground
and iorbids all human legislation, all
additions and subtractions. The elec-
ton OF II certain man to an office for
bids all other men to exercise the
functions Of that office; the law hav
ing determined how marriage shall be
lcgalized. we are not at liberty to fol
low our own notions in this matter
80 Christ having appointed the apos.
ties. all Others were thereby forbidden
to attempt their office. Christ having
appointed baptism AS the overt act oil
turning "a himself, no one has q right
To put the anxious seat in its place
Surveying our progress in religion
We shall find very gratifying results,
aud
LIST. we have gone far in deter.
mining what is Bible and what is not
IN deciding what are sacred books
what is the canon, which we should
accept and defend. This is the work
~ eminent Christian scholars.
, Great progress has been made in
the development OF the evidences OF
Christianity. Ancient histories have
been looked up, ancient inscriptions
and monuments cxhumed, ancient
geography determined, cities identified
and all external proofs increased and
verified. All science, as never before,
lays its treasures at the feet OF Christ.
). We are making progress in re-
storing Christianity and the church az
given and confirmed by Christ and by
the Holy Spirit.
IA in science We make progress by
going back TO nature, so here we make
progress by going back to Jerusalem,
back to Christ and the Apostles.
We have been taking long strides
in getting back from Romish apostasy
the Bible the only authorative stand.
ard Of appeal; salvation by faith, and
not by the perfect works OF the law
the truth that Jesus 10 the Christ, the
Son Of God, as the foundation OF the
church, and not.poor Peter. And yet
there remains much TO be done in
thia direction; the restoration of the
ancient basis OF union; the full and
more general reproduction of the one
baptism in subject. action and design
the restoration Of the Lords supper to
every Lords day and to all the Lords
children; the replacement of all sec.
tartan names by the one common and
worthy name Of christian, thus hiding
our differences and lifting up the
common faith: the reproduction OF
th" apostolic method OF preaching
aud the pcntccostal procedure in con.
version. for where in all the books OF
Acts shall we find anything like q
modern revival scene at the anxious
seat ia which saints and sinners fran
ticGlly plead with God to do what they
themselves must do. and where there
- more effort TO persuade God to do
what lac is infinitely willing to do,
than 10 turn men from darkness to
light.
This onward movement by going
back also demands that we shall cut
on certain post-apostolic and seeming.
~ pious additions TO the divine sys.
tenn. What authority is there for
Christmas and Easter Sunday? II
W. keep part OF the church calen.
dar,' why not Good Friday and all
the rcstY The right OF "coniirma.
ton and the six months. probation
not having the least scriptural war
rant. must also feel the knife.
There has been great improvement
~ church cdiiication and christian
culture. Tho church has also in.
creased IN numbers, wealth, power
and missionary zeal. Progress in re-
ig'"n ia cause rs we'll as q product
81 all other progress. It's banner il
lifted high IN the van OF the marching
hosts OF civilization, and as il is un.