The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-23

one OF the doctrines of the Bible. NO, We
are not afraid 10 preach with all our zeal
every doctrine taught in the Confession of
Faith, for It Is also taught in Gods infai-
| lible word. We believe that God is able
| to care for His truth. 1t is His message
TO man and he tells his people to sp ak
| His words, and we believe that God can
\ manage the result when His own word is
fully and faithfully spoken We believe
that Presbyterians are consistent with the
| Bible in their belief and in their preach
/ ing, If they preach what they believe, Ter
we preach with equal faith, zeal
and love the doctrines Of Gods
sovereignty and mans free agency
| because we find them both taught win
equal clearness in His word. We do not
| attempt to reconcile these doctrines. This
| the apostles did not try do 10. Christ HIM
/ self taught both of these doctrines with
out giving to us the solution OF their
! mystery. No man before, or since, His
| day has solved this mystery, nor does 1t
devolve upon Presbyterians any more than
any other denomination to give the solu-
! ton. We believe the Bible as a whole
| and In all its parts to be the inspired
| word of God and therefore, we neither
| add to nor take from that word. But we
! would in all Kindness and love ask those
who reject some of these doctrines of the
scriptures and thereby, so far as they are
! concerned, take from the scriptures what
| disposition they will make of Revelations
%, IS, 10, which read as follows: For 1
testify unto every man that heareth the
words of the prophecy of this book
IL any man shall add unto these
| things, God shall add unto him
| the plaques that are written in this book;
and if any man shall take away from
| the words of the book of this prophecy,
! God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city
and from the things which are written
! IN this book; and how do they escape
! their condemna tion rs here pronounced?
Seventh. But men say that God is I'M
| just if he allowed men to come into the
world and knows at the same time they
will be lost. Paul was answering these
men when he wrote, Romans. 9:20: May
but man, who art thou that repliest
against God? Shall the thing formed say
TO him that formed 1t, why hast thou
made me thus@ God is not responsible
| for sin, nor for the fail of man. He set
good and evil before man in the covenant
! Of works. Man chose evil and brought
sin and death upon all his
descendants; SO when all were lost in hope
/ less ruin, God pitied and loved the
! souls of men and provided a way of sal
! walton through the sacrifice of his divine
| Son and proclaims the condition of escap-
! ing hell and entering heaven most definite
| ly and candidily in John 8, IS: He that be-
| lieveth on him is not condemned; but he
! that believeth not is condemned already
| because he hath not believed in the name
| of the only begotten Son Of God. On this
| point 1 have but this further to say, these
! who prefer to accuse God of Injustice
rather than humble themselves and &C
| cept His mercy will have TO settle their
I accounts with Him a the judgment seat.
Eighth We are not surprised that bit
/ ter attacks are made upon Gods wo d
/ through the Confession Of Faith Irrever-
| ance, arrogance and pride have ever done
/ a. ~
| that Satan rose in heaven against the
! truth and justice of the eternal ore
! Gods truth is very humbling TO proud,
ambitious man. and the natural heart Is,
| and has ever been, at enmity against God
| and His word. But be assured that their
| rebellion shall result as did the first re-
| bellion. Satan could not prevail against
| the Almighty, neither shall those who
| again try TO Withstand Him or His truth.
| Some of those Of other branches of the
| Christian Church who take occasion to at
| tack now, and who evidently secretly
| rejoice IN what they vainly hope will be
| a serious emba rrassment to the Presbyte-
| rian Church. might find more profitable
| employment by meditatng upon the rec
ords and practices of their own Church,
which records and practices are daily re-
| buked by intelligent and enlightened rea-
son, also which stand condemned before
| the open pages of ReVela ton. Neither are
| we surprised that some depart. They are
not of us, therefore, may go to their own
place. We falter not at such a deliver
ance In the battle for truth we prefer a
| Cideons band, with undoubted loyalty
20 the truth and love for the Master than
numbers whose hearts and lives are not
deeply marked by either loyalty to the
truth, as found in the word of God nor
love to the crucified Christ. The spiritual
weakness of all denominations we be-
lieve, largely consists in what is ostens-
bly, their strength, namely, in. their large
numbers who are indifferent to Gods
truth and 10 the spiritual kingdom of
Christ.
ninth. Now we have said that some of
these doctrines which are found in the
Confession of Faith and which are built
upon the Scriptures, cannot be understood
nor explained; for we see many things
here, as did Paul, only through a glass
darkly, and find with David, that such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is
| high; I cannot attain unto it. How, then,
| shall we receive these doctrines? Just as
we received our salvation-by faith In
| no other way. This may mean very
! high order of faith. which is. however,
in it's nature the very simplest faith, even
like that of a child, for without this faith,
| it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews,
| 11:6). But without faith it is impossible
! 90 please Him; for he that cometh to
| God must believe that He is, and that He
| Is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
| Him. We believe that everey one who
| seeks Him with faith and contrition Of
| heart shall find Him and be saved.
Tenth. Almost 1000 years ago, in the
! city of Jerusalem, there stood one. Ga
maliel by name, and addressed the as
sembled rulers of the Jews on ques-
| ton not only of the most vital Importance
to the Jews, but to all men. It was as to
nature and reality of the religion Of
Christ. with regard 90 it Gamaliel said
| (Acts. 5:3S-39D: For if this counsel or
! this work be of men It will come to
naught; but if It be of God, We cannot
overthrow it; lest happy we be found even
! to fight against God
so am | ready to say with regard 90
| the doctrines taught in this Confession
1 of Faith to those who would STAY them or
| cast them out Then, we do not fear for
the truth. These attacks of prejudice
! bitterness and hatred have been made
| before and have died os really and almost
| as quickly as did their coIhelper aud
! abettor Bob Ingersoll, when he left his
| chair for the homeless utter darkness IF