The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-09-26

Commission to the Twelve. If il j.
uue that this part of the Bible is
fundamental Christian doctrine or
teachlng then surely those who de-
sire TO live Christian lives cannot too
much study nor too well understand it
For present purposes | quote the ac-
count contained in Matthew 10th:
Go not into the way of the Gentiles.
ana INTO any city of the Samartans
enter We not; but go rather to the lost
sheep OF the house of Israel
Ana as We 20, preach, saying, The
kingdom OF heaven is at hand
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers.
raise the dead, cast out devils: freely
we have received, freely give.
Provide neither gold, nor silver.
nor brass III your purses.
Nor yet script for your journey,
neither two coats, neither shoes, nor
yet slaves; for the workman is worthy
of his meat
Commandment Is a Unit
This commandment is unit II is
not two commandments. There Is in
this language no authority to separ-
ate or subdivide it. No more author.
ity to do this than there is to reject
it as whole. The words relating
to healing sickness and doing the
other works there mentioned are not
only part of the general command.
ment, but of the very sentence i'm
which occur the words relating to
preaching. Yet We have been taught
to believe that while part of this
commandment was intended for all
times and all peoples, another part
was intended only for particular
time and particular people. In
other words, that the part relating to
preaching the gospel was to be hand
ed down TO all the nations of the
world, until the heather nations should
be converted to the Christian religion.
But that the part relating to healing
the sick and doing the other works
mentioned was intended only for the
time OF Jesus and his disciples. Or,
in Yet other words, the theoretical
part was to be perpetuated, but the
practical part, the doing of the works.
was TO be relegated to the dead ages
OF the past, left away back beside
the Sea of Galilee. Christian Scien-
fists cannot agree to this attempt to
cut out or make obsolete this part of
the great commandment. Had they no
other authority than this which ! have
quoted they would feel compelled to
maintain that this commandment has
not been fully complied with, and
shall not be fully complied with until
the sick are healed and the other
works mentioned therein accomplish
ed. in accordance with the teachings
Of hn
Christian religion. But they are not
compelled TO rest upon this alone
This commandment is substantially re-
iterated in the other gospels. | shall
not now stop TO notice these particu-
larry but do desire to call your atten-
tiOn TO another commandment given
by Jesus to the same disciples to
whom he gave his first great command
ment, with the exception of Judas
lscariot, who betrayed him. After
his crucitiXiOn and resurrection, and
just be fore his ascension, he gave to
those disciples a final commandment
which is recorded at the close of the
book OF Matthew. | ask your atten-
ton to its plainneSS as well as to its
sweeping character:
Go We, therefore, and teach all ma
tons, baptizing them in the name of
the Father. and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever | have commanded YOU;
and To- | am with you always. even
unto the end of the world"
Language Is Plain
This language is plain and unquali-
fled. If we accept it for what il dis
ITCHY says we must conclude that it
embraces all of the first great com
mandment, as well as all of any com
mandment or instructions given by
Christ to his disciples. Without wish
ing to criticise or condemn the views
OF others, ! must frankly say that
do not see how anyone can read these
plain words and give them a moments
thought and continue longer to think
or to say or believe that any part OF
the first commandment or of any com
mandment ever given by Jesus to his
disciples was to be put aside or be
come obsolete. Especially so when
we consider the closing words of the
final commandments: Teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever
have commanded you, and 10, | am
with you Away, even unto the end of
of the world"
In direct connection with Jesus first
great commandment and his final COM
mandment, | desire to call your atten-
ton to one more declaration made by
the founder of the Christian religion,
and this ought to be good authority
for all protesting Christians. When
we think of the great work that Jesus
did during his early career, how he
overcame and destroyed all kinds of
sin, how he healed all manner of sick
ness and disease, how he raised the
dead, how he walked the waves and
stilled the tempest, and how he did
many other wonderful works. say,
when we think of this, and view things
from the standpoint of our limited
mortal senses, we may well be aston
ished at the words which / now quote
as they are recorded in the 14th chap
ter Of John, 18th verse: Verify. veri-
ly, ! say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that | do shall he
do also Plain words. | do not see
how words could be palmer. 1t seems
to be only a question as to whether
we shall accept them or reject them.
s--IA