The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-08-24

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Do you ask why say it, Because he
delights in confounding mes, and in no
way has he succeeded better than in
splitting the christian world into SO many
sects and forcing into their creeds so
many inconsistent doctrines. Not few
have stumbled over these things. May
/ not consistently say that TO this cause
is due great deal of the skepticism and
infidelity of today Is Christ dividedY
Would that men everywhere might learn
that churchanity is not christianity.
"Please do not misunderstood mel
do not argue that denominationalism has
never been blessed and that it has never
done any good in the world-for God
sometimes makes even the wrath OF
men to praise him. l feel very sure that
greater blessings would have been re-
ceived and far richer would have been
the results il the followers of Christ had
ever remained in one body, as they did
for several hundred years after Pente-
cost.
"Some people seem to think that they
can improve on Gods plan. They argue
that the times are different and that we
must have different plan from that of
the early workers, that we must have
doctrines and churches to suit all the
classes. But does Christ say so? Not
in the book But some insist, if these
divisions and subdivisions are wrong,
why does God bless them? God has
used demoninationalism just as he used
Balaam. You will remember about that
it is not necessary to quote the story.
The Devil has attempted to multiply di-
visions, and thus curse the law of Jesus
Christ, but God, willing to spare his
erring children, has put his blessing up
on these movements. But as Balaam
was not excusable in his treason to the
sacred interestsof God, neither is church
ism. God insists that we keep ourselves
pure in his service and that we follow
implicitly his directions and not our own
ideas of things. | am glad to believe
that there are tens of thousands of good
and noble men in the service of denomi-
nationalism. How much better, how
much more noble might every one be,
could they have the moral courage to
step right out of these man made
churches, and stand upon the Bible and
the Bible alone. | want nothing but
the book. | believe it alone would
further the cause of our Redeemer 100
years in one So long as good men grow
old In defending pet doctrines and dog
mas to the sad neglect of the Bible and
perishing souls, we shall be compelled to
mourn the slowness with which our Zion
moves forward.
"Churchism is sinful because it causes
SO much waste of christian money, Gods
money. Let US suppose an instance;
this thought was suggested a few weeks
ago 10y what One of the Sinners said
in The True Northerner. a little city of
1900 inhabitants has 10 churches. They
have property which is worth 5000
each, which is a total of $4,000. Sup
pose they pay pastors salaries to the
amount of $1,000. The pastors spend
much of their time running across each
others tracks-perhaps there may be
three or four Of them after one poor sin
ner, each presenting his branch Of the
church, sometimes TO the entire Devil
ItIultnl vi lllt DOOI SOuls NON, ndll vi
the $4,000 would build two good, COM
modious houses of worship, abundantly
able TO accommodate the people, and less
than half of the Sl5,0C) would support
two able men on this field. 1t does not
take keen mind to see what a waste of
money and talent there is under present
conditions. Thousands are striving for
gsfl g. Il
Bible, the eternal word of God and give
it to themY Well says one, what would
you call the church thus brought to-
gether? Call it Bible christianity, call
it Presbyterian or a Methodist church,
call it what you will, SO that it repre-
sents the divine idea.
division is legitimate offspring of
strife, vain glory and narrow conceptions
of the truth. Men have founded sys-
tenn and given their lives to its advance
ment. They grow blind to their own
faults or the faults of their system, hav-
ing taken it, as they claim, from the
Bible-a long way from the Bible, too.
How much better would it be if all could
unite upon the Bible and there stand in
Christ against the powers of darkness!
Religious division owes its existence
to prejudiced Interpretation of the scrip
lures, hence is the foster parent of oil
conflicting creeds. If mistake not, there
are about $50 denominations in the
world; there are l43 denominations in the
United States, seven calling themselves
Baptists, ii Methodists, II Lutherans,
1 A
effected of each of these different
branches, about 100 denominations would
be eliminated in our country. Shall we