The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-10
WHICH SECT TRUEST !?
REV. w. w. EVERTS INSISTS THAT
THE BAPTIsTS PROFESS TRUE
CHRISTIANITY
REVIEWS RECENT SERMONS

One Of the First to Speak in the Re-
cent Series, He Takes Occasion
in His own Pulpit to Tell What
He Thinks About tho Other Scots
and to Name What He Thinks
Weak Points In Their Creeds.
At Woodland Park Baptist church yes
terday morning. the pastor. Rev. w. w.
Everts, reviewed the recent series of
UNCONVENTIONAL defenses delivered at the
Peoples church, which have been printed
in The Globe. Mr.. Evsrts said, In
substance:
I'VE have recently had In st, Paul
churches sermons by representatives Of
the different denominations. This course
shows the popular interest in sectarian-
ism, denominationalism and religious par
ties Religion Is a living issue, These dis
courses are an illustration Of the Amer
lean way Of dealing with all matters. Give
them fair hearing without calling
names. These discourses make evident
that there Is no weakening in the lines
that divide the chief denominations
Each thinks its way Is the best and pro-
poses to go its own way. The bishops
were no more self-assertive than the
ministers.
Each preacher protested breadth,
liberality and catholicity. while lament
ing the narrowness Of the rest Each
preacher extolled the authority Of the
New Testament, and propose this morn
ing to test these discourses by the New
Testament, and hence have chosen the
text, Teaching Them to Observe All
Things Matt. 49, 20
Bishop Stanley tells us that the
same doctrines are taught in all Roman
Catholic churches, but he defles any man
to tell what is taught in Protestant pull
pits. There is no advantage in sameness
Of doctrine If the doctrine itself is errone-
GUS and unscriptural, as much that is
taught in Roman Catholic pulpits Is The
bishop evidently has not inquired very
diligently what is taught in Baptist pull
pits. for he supposes that we allow no
place In the kingdom Of heaven to those
who have not been plunged under water.
as he puts 1t. To be sure, we do not re-
gard Bishop Stanley as baptized Chris
tan; however. If he believes sincerely In
Jesus Christ, we look upon him as
Christian. The bishop departs from the
New Testament frequently. He says that
Christ gave the twelve apostles q head
but there Is Scripture for such an idea
He says unity implies a central power to
enforce it, but he knows that there was
no central power. no one person, to en-
force unity in the days of Paul He says
that Peter Is the rock on which the
church Is founded, but he must know
that the church is founded on the apos-
ties and prophets and not on Peter alone
He says, in apologiZing for bad popes
that the church Is holy in its doctrines
but he must know that holiness in the
New Testament Is applied to life and
conduct as well as to truth and cannot
be applied to person, however holy his
doctrine, If his heart Ia corrupt.
I'm passing to Bishop Gilbert we find
him lapsing from Scripture in the same
way. For instance, he says: We don't
ask about the method of baptism. We
don't make that a requirement, because
God and the Bible never laid it down.
If Jesus and the apostles always use the
same word for baptism. and that word
means immersion, according to the best
dictionaries, it seems plain to me that
God and the Bible require the immersion
Of all believers. He says further, that
he will give up If any one can show any
| break in the succession Of bishops in
lIO past LOW ySdfb ltililk CIldC Cn0T6
was decided break at the start. for
there is no such person as a diocesan
| bishop In the New Testament
THE bishop puts the prayer book next
to the Bible. but I cannot help thinking
at the mention of prayer book of what
our Lord says about vain repetition.
There is no such thing as a prayer book
mentioned In the New Testament. The
bishop speaks Of the comprehensiveness
| Of the Episcopal church, uniting those
who differ so widely. but l cannot help
recalling the Scripture that asks how two
can walk together except they be agreed.
THE presiding elder does not claim, as
the bishops do. Scriptural authority for
the epfscopacy. He says, in so many
| words: There is no divinely prescribed
form of church government So we see
that Methodists are governed by a HUI
man-made constitution and human-made
laws. In 80 far as they do they do not
follow the divine pattern He further
maintains that his church has been a
missionary church from the beginning,
not foreign missionary church, for John
Wesley died before William Carey and
the Baptists inaugurated the foreign mis-
sion enterprise. He says that Methodfsts
have never changed their creed Baptis 8
change theirs just as fast and as far
as they get better understanding of
the Bible.
AS IICSOytSTld representative laid
down the queer opinion that the Apos-
tolfc church was not new church, but
merely an extension of the old Jewish
church. But where will he find the
Sanhedrin. or seventy elders, in the
Apostolic church? Where Is there men
ton of session. a presbytery, a synod,
or general assembly as organized In his
denomipatfon: 1t Is then evident that,
like the Methodists, the Presbyterians
are governed not by divine, but by hu-
man laws.
Mr.. Sinclair makes much of the eff
forts made by Presbyterians for religious
| liberty, but unfortunately for him his
tory declares that Presbyterians would
not grant to others the liberty they
claimed for themselves, but called on
| the constable to suppress heresy
Mr.. Sinclair claimed that the Presby-
| terians were open communicates. and
| yet added in the same breath that they
confined the Invitation to members of
| evangelical denominations. In other
| words. like us, they close the table to
| the unbaptized. When asked for Scrip
| tural authority for the baptism of In
| fants. he quoted the words: Repent and
be baptized. for the. promise is to you
| and your children even as many as. the
Lord your God shall CALL When children