Newport daily independent., 1902-06-02
SERMON ON BAPTISM
 BY REV. L. Ii. RICHARDSON.
Reviewed by Rev. c O.. Cline.

Owing to the fact that the sermon I am about to review was preached and published in an effort to reply to my sermons on baptism in my recent meeting in Newport, the editor of the INDEPENDENT has extended to me the privilege of reply, for which l wish now in this public manner to re- turn to him the hearty thanks of my self and many friends. regret that MT. Richardson did not hear my ser mons, and that he did not find it in his heart to attend the meeting more than once, or at most twice, during it's four weeks continuance. I also regret that all efforts to secure pulp lie joint discussion of baptism and other points of differences passed without notice on the part of all con- | cerned. Inasmuch as the space of the INDEPENDENT would not permit any reply until all the sermon was printed have delayed my review until the WuOlG S0IuOu lS OOlOlO AAO5 III OAuOA to give my reply the greatest possible | brevity
 | Why MT. Richardson should in his first sentence make his appeal to the scriptures, and quote, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is be- cause there is no light in them," and in his third sentence speaks of "Pres- byterian christians,o t'creedsn and s'denominational names" amazes any one who knows what it is to speak according to Gods word. Isit be- cause "there is no light in him?" Where in Gods word is there any mention of Presbyterian christians" ]" sscreeds'' or ssdenominational names?" He informs us that 'sWe Presbyterian christians believe in creeds." In this appears one point of difference between New Testament christians and Presbyterian christians.
 The New Testament christians did not believe in "creeds.n They had but one creed or sAitn" for which to contend. Jude 3.
 If Presbyterians "believe in creeds,' we are anxious to know how many creeds they believe in. In the twelve different creeds of the twelve bodies, or in the two creeds of MT. R's body, the one that is, and the one that is to be. It is no more difficult to believe in a creed that is to be, for one who believes in creeds, than to believe ill one that is, for in either case the creed is masticated, swal- l lowed, digested and assimilated by some body of men authorized to do sc before the masses see it or pass upon it, very much as the old fashioned mother used to chew the food for the baby.
 He says ''creeds are like sermons.' 7 This he certainly knows is very small part of the truth. Does he not know that authority is vested in a creed and not in a sermon? And that it is this authority with which creed is clothed, that makes them objection able and sinful? If Mr. R. does not know the difference between a ser mon written by many Presbyterian divines, and the creed written by the authority of the Presbyterian Gen. eral Assembly by selected divines, he would make good subject for any creed under which the fortune oi birth might place him.
 'sWe as Presbyterians believe in de- nominational names, especially when we have a scripture warrant therefor as we have,r is his next astounding position. What can he mean by "scripture warrant therefor?" Does he mean scripture authority by "scripture warrant?n This must be his meaning for he proceeds to find 'tpresbuteroi," the Greek word for s'elders," and concludes from this that the ''scripture warrants" naming the church after the name of an off cer in the church. We can clearly see how this "text" 'warrantsn a church in having an eldership or 'presbytery" but how it warrants a church to wear the name of the elder ship, puzzles one with even ordinary sense. Now if the scriptures had not given plenty of names to the church having an eldership as one part of it's organization, there might. be some