The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-25
A DEFlNlTEz MESSAGE - -. -
ACCOMPANYING ALL 80
GREAT REVEALS

gave a. positive testimony concerning
the wonderful works of God and Jesus
Christ, setting before the people their
relation to Christ in crucifying Him,
and the promise of pardon and the gift
of the Holy Spirit on condition of re-
pentance. In the days of the reforma-
ton the definite message was justif1ca-
ton by faith, the Bible as the word OF
God, and liberty of conscience in believ-
ing and proclaiming the gospel. In the
days of Wesley the testimony borne
was free grace, the Holy Spirit as Gods
agency to renew the heart, and give
experience in life. In the rise of the
Baptist church the message was bap-
tism by immersion. In the days OF
Alexander Campbell,-the Bible as
Gods word to renovate society. In the
days of the Friends, when they were
prosecuted, they proclaimed to the
world that the only sword lawful for G
Christian to use is the sword of the
Spirit. In the days of the rise, and tc
| this day in the Seventh-Day Baptist
church, the Sabbath of the Lord, thai
| it is the seventh day of the week an6
not the first. The Salvation Army left
the Methodist church to preach the
gospel to the poor. The w. C. T. U
organized themselves together to pro.
claim to the world temperance an6
purity. The Free Methodist left the
mother church because of sanctifcatior
and holiness and instead of the irreg-
ular way of contributions and all man
ner of device games, and contrivances
to raise money to support the gospel
they believe in Gods way of each mem.
Der paying a 1.-THE of all his income and
other voluntary and free will offerings
to carry on gospel work. And lastly
we will mention the Adventist church
proclaiming the soon coming of our
that in each of these organizations is a
definite Bible truth, a message to the
world, which, if not now, these organic
ations at one time proclaimed to the
world. These truths were once the joy
and rejoicing of the people of God
Some still rejoice in them, though many
today treat them with contempt, and it
is not uncommon to hear professed fol-
lowers of Christ say, II want nothing
doctrina1 or denomina tional" What
answer can the different Protestant
churches give to the world as to why
they exist today, if it is not in the fact
that God in His Providence in the days
of their rise, and through his servants
proclaimed these glorious gospel truths
to the world? which now by the sons
bushel to say the least, and by many
as we have said, treated with contempt.
Does it not follow that if the churches
are right in their attitude toward all
things doctrinal, then the leaders in the
rise of these movements were, to say
the least deceived, and so deceived the
people in presenting to the people some
thing they supposed to be the truth of
God, which today is found to be of no
value and error? And if this be true
then the Catholic church mnst be right
in charging Professionalism to be simply
a rebellion against her authority and
not the religion of Jesus Christ. If on
"a ~ 1,o
ent Protestant churches as beacon
lights in proclaiming glorious gospel
truths to the world, which were hidden
from view by Pagan superstitious
grated upon Christianity, then how
can these churches deny their calling?
There can be no doubt but God would
have been pleased to have all the bless
ed gospel truth as found in all of the
churches, and organizations, and many
other truths found in His word, the
fountain of truth, committed to one
church, as history plainly reveals that
truth has knocked at the door of these
churches many times for admittance,
but only certain portions of it has been
welcomed, and today it is said of the
church that she is become largely a
social institution and appeals rather
to the aesthetic than the religious tastes
of man." and that philanthropy
supersedes religion Let there be a
revival, where the people are taught
the truths of Gods word, thus giving
them an intelligent knowledge of their
faith, and as in the time of the apostle
Paul. instructing them in the whole
counsel of God
Very respectfully,
j. H. BEHRENS.