Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-22
Journals
Saturday
Sermon

Plate said 'WndL Is
said buy the truth and sell 1t not" TO
every honest seeker Christ says Eye shall
know the truth and the truth shall make
you free" Man, pendulum like, swings
from one extreme to another. This ten
dency is seen in the individual with MS
hobbies, and his varying opinions. The
same thing is seen IN the rise and fall OF
religious bodies. in their onward sweep
across the centuries. We are apt to over
look points of agreement in our effort to
discover differences. Most of the cardinal
points of Christianity are held in common
by the various religious bodies. In TINS
sermon 1t will be my aim to state briefly
what we believe and stand for as reng-
ious people.
The following are some of our distinc-
tive features
Division Of the Bible.
We believe that the Old and the New
Testaments are both the inspired word OF
God; but that the New Testament Is the
exclusive book of authority. Everything
that is necessary for the. unconverted 70
do in order to become Christian, ana
everything that is necessary for the Chr1s-
tian to do in order to go to heaven, is
found in the New. Testament. The Jews
were governed by the law; we by the Cos
pei. There is no command binding upon
us that is not found in the New Tesla
ment.
The old law was nailed to the cross.
(Col. 2:1D Our country was once govern
ed by the articles of federation. but the
constitution, supersedes these articles. and
they now possess no binding force. There
are laws now on the statute books of ILL
nois that are similar to some Of the Colo
NAL laws of Pennsylvania; but these laws
are binding not because they are found In
the dead law of Pennsylvania, but because
they are re-enacted into the new law of II
linois.
Some commandments found in the Old
Testament are now found in the New; but
they are binding upon us, not because
they are found in the Old, but because
they are re-enacted in the New Covenant.
Jesus the Christ.
We teach that Jesus is the Christ. the
Son of God; that he is the Savior Of the
world. That to Him all authority is given.
He is our Lord, King, Savior, Advocate.
Good Shepherd. the Light the Truth. the
Way. Christ is all, and in al" (Col. 3;11)
The only test of Christian fellowship is
faith in Jesus. He Is our personal Savior.
No Human Greed.
We believe that all human creeds and
confessions Of faith are wrong and en-
gender strife. All creeds have come out
of controversy. We claim that the Bible
alone is sufficient for our rule of faith and
practice. Ii the creed contains more than
is IN the BlDl6 IL contains TOO uluCns II
contains less than is in the Bible 1t does
not contain enough; If it contains just
what is In the Bible, 1t IS entirely unnec-
cessary We go to the Bible for our au-
thority In church government, as well as
to learn the plan of salvation. Whatever
the Bible commands us to do. those things
we do what the Bible forbids,' from those
| things we refrain; where the Bible is ST.
lent, freedom of opinion. To make a creed
is to belittle the Bible. Hundreds OF per-
sons have subscribed their names to creeds
which they never believed. We rejoice
today to see human creeds falling. May
God help US to take the Bible as our only
| guide. .t
The Confession.
The divine confession is: Jesus Is the
| Christ, the Son of God" This Is the one
confession accepted by all Christendom.
We do not ask an inquirer II he believes in
the thirty-nine articles. or the 1--WE points
! of Calvanism. 1t is enough to subscribe
TO this divinely inspired statement, which
Christ said should be the foundation OF
| the church.
The Name.
We maintain that the children of God
should be known simply as Christians, and
| that the church should be called. the
Church of Christ. Upon this rock / will
build my church." said Christ in response
Il TO GGlcT COHlSSSlOA. AnC AOuAOCA
| the right of putting upon the institution
| his own name, hence It is the Church OF
| Christ When we use the phrase of
| Christ" we have used a second class ele-
ment We can change that second class
| element to a first class element and say,
Christian" hence the Church Of
Christ" and christian Church" are syn
onymous, as is recognized by all leading
church historians.
There is only one true church, and that
| is the Church of Christ. 1t is his church,
/ and should be called the Church of Christ.
| The followers of Christ should be called
| Christians. Luke says: THE disciples were
| first called Christians at Antioch" Peter
says: IF any man suffer as Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him glori-
| fy God on this behalf" Il Pet 4:16). The
| new version renders II Gin this name.
| That is, glorify God in the name Of Chris
| tan. BY obeying Christ one becomes sim
ply Christian. Mr.. Talmage immersed a
man in the River Jordan. No denomtna-
| ton was responsible for 1t, and hence the
man did not belong to any denomination.
He was simply a Christian. Peter, makes
salvation depend upon a name (Acts, AID.
| When men say there is nothing In name.
they do not mean IT. Should a preacher
! baptize a candidate in the name of Paul.
! Luther or Calvin, it would not be valid
| baptism. Names are sacred. What would
we think of a preacher who would baptize
in the name Of Beelzebub? There is some
thing in a name. Christ is the bridegroom.
| The church is the bride. The bride should
wear the name Of the bridegroom.
A lady has no right to wear the name or
her betrothed until the marriage ceremony
| is performed. For her to attempt to live
with him or wear his name before mar
rage would be wrong. But for her to re-
fuse to wear his name after marriage
would be an insult. No one has the right
to wear the name Of Christian until he Is
married to Christ by complying with the
forms of the law. Equally certain II IS
that 1t is an insult to Christ for US to
wear any party name after we have COM
piled with the terms Of the gospel. Ac-
cording TO Paul in l. Corinthians and LIST
chapter, all party names are sinful Luz
Their said: do not call yourselves Luther
ans, but Christians" So plead Wesley and
other great leaders. We positively reject
all party names, and desire to be called
simply Christians-not the only Christians,
but Christians only.
Baptism.
We believe that a penitent believer is
the only proper subject of baptism; that
baptism is not an empty form. but that
coupled with faith and repentance II pro-
cures the forgiveness of sins and brings
one into the church of Christ; For as
many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ" AS to the ac-
ton of baptism we believe that the I'M
mersion of a penitent believer in water in