Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-10-03
VOL. XVII.
FOR SUNDAY READING.

The New and the Old Testament Stand To-
gether, and Only Through the Faith
full Following of their Precepts Can
we Attain Unto Eternal Life.
Eternal life is only made pos
sible to US by the Yicarlous sac
rifce of Christ, and our full. be
lief in the efficacy Of that sacri-
fee for the forgiveness of sin
Such life is not assured to US
by the mere fact of our belief In
the fact and the efficacy OF the
sacrifice, our acknowledgement
of our complete dependence and
helplessness made in the ordi-
nance Ct baptism, or our cru
cifxion of ourselves in the rites
of communion. Great as may be
our faith it must be justified by
our lives, for faith without works
is dead.
We have had too much OF the
preaching of faith as being the
only element OF salvation. There
are members of Christian de
nominations who believe that
baptism alone is the only essen
tial to salvation and who never
approach the com uluniOn table
to take on the passion and sltf-
fering of the Divine Christ.
There are others who, observ-
ing all the forms and ceremonies
of the Church, are apparently
without concern as to making
their walk comport with their
profession. They are OF those
who feel themselves to be saved
by faith alone. They are an ar
my among orthodox 1t is amaz
ing that they should be SO many
in an age OF intellectual activity
which sets demonstration against
belief in every field Of human
thought and energy. How far
the pulpit itself is to blame for
the appetite fer this sort Of IN
tellactual and moral lotus fruit it
is not our purpose to discuss.
Recognition Of law must be the
seed Of the future growth Of the
church if it is to have a future
growth Science. and parlicu-|
larly the scientific development
of the theory Of evolution, is
helping the church forward TO
an acceptance Of this fact. Des-
cartes but touched the ground
into which Darwin dug the deep
and broad foundations Of scien-
tific thought. Spencer and Wal
lace followed without displacing
Darwin, who still remains the
colossal figure III the scientific
thought OF the century. For
those who lean more to specula-
tive thought than to mental
analysis, Emerson has been a
powerful auxiliary of the scien
fists in proving the Infinite In
telligence governing the Uni
verse, not by caprlcious inclina
ton, Or through the force OF
changing opinions, but by the
operation Of law immutaole and
unchanging from the founda-
tions Of the earth. The Chris
tian Church is in harmony with
this law or it is out Of harmony
with Gods plan Of creation.
Accordingly, the New Testa-
ment must be in harmony with
the Law and the prophets if it is
to be considered part Of Reve-
lation. And to be in harmony
with them it must not abrogate
the law which is the corner stone
of the entire system, Nowhere
is the law absent, and nowhere
in the entire sacred record is
there justification of those who
look upon God as a weak and in
decisive being, changing His
purposes and plans at human
suggestion Or supplication. God
is the incarnation Of law. Cal
vary is the evolution Of Sinai.
Christ Himself was the product
of law ordained in the beginning
and made manifest when men
were capable of receiving it.
But Christ does rot nullify or
negative the law. His crucifix
ion would be no atonement if it
could be considered as setting
aside the commandments.
Let anyone read the one hun
dred and forty-third Psalm and
compare it with the Lords Pray
er. The thought is the same.
though much more ornate in the
words of David than in those of
Him who came after him through
the line Of Ruth, blood of his
blood and flesh of his flesh, la
ter and more glorious Prince OF
the House of God.