Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-02

At the First Christian church, last
evening, Rev. C. M. Oliphant delivered
a very excellent sermon upon the
theme, "One church as good as an
other" the text being, Upon this rock
1 will build my church." Matt. 16:13-20.
His remarks were interesting and
thoughtful and were thoroughly appre-
ciated by the congregation In sub
stance, he spoke as follows:
"One church is as good as another.
These words are on the lips of every
body. There are a great many people
who do not like to differ from others
on religious questions. Differences are
not pleasant, but principle is higher
than all other considerations. The
majority of people who use this ex-
preston would not leave their own
church. These people might be com
pared to the man who went into a tailor
shop to purchase a coat and said that
he was not particular as to the color,
only he wanted it black.
"Is a church that denies the divin-
ity of Christ as good as one that be-
lieyes in the divinity of Christ? The
New Testament on almost every page
asserts, implies and proves the divinity
of Jesus. The truth of his divinity is
the foundation of the church which
Christ established. If Christ was not
divine he was not a good man, be-
cause a good man would not claim to
be what he cannot justify. He who
denies the divinity of Christ denies the
whole system and repudiates Gods
word. 1t was the people who denied
the divinity of Christ that said while
He was on the cross: Let Him come
down from the cross and we will be-
lieve Him.
SIS a church that teaches universal
unconditional salvation as good as any
other? The Bible teaches that saliva
ton is conditional. It's conditions are
faith, repentance, obedience in baptism
and a consistent Christian life. Uniyer-
salism is absurd and unjust.
Many churches believe in the cleo
ton of the position of the race and the
rejection of all the rest, irrespective OF
character; that the death of Christ was
for the elect; that the call of the elect
is effectual; also believe in the final
rather than the present perseverance
of the saints. If the position of these
churches is correct then why believe
in Christ?
Why regard man as a free moral
agent? Why is the gospel of Christ
the power of God unto believers?
And why say now is the accepted time?
The position of these churches is out
of harmony with the scriptures. In
these churches are good christian peo-
pie, but their goodness is not due to
this position. Why not be identified
with a church that is free from such
errors?
rs a church that teaches conversion
as a mystery as good as any other?
If conversion is a mysterious thing,
how do you know when you are con-
verted? Dreams are not very reliable
evidence. The scriptures plainly tell
us what conversion is. They do not
make it a mysterious thing, and speak
of it as a turning from sin back to
God.
THE instrument of conversion is
the law of the Lord. Let a man obey
this law and he becomes a child of God.
The unscriptural method is certainly
not as good as the scriptural method.
Are churches that refuse to keep
the ordinances as they are delivered
by Christ and the apostles as good as
any other? The ordinances of bap-
tism and the Lords supper are not
to-day by all religious people observ-
ed as in primitive times, and thus are