The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-05-04

MISUNDERSTANDING DALlLE LAN-AL1lIIgk
hon. IN our day ne great question,
beginning nom the very first testlhei
that he dd die. and Was buried ald
that he did rise again; tails was and
Is, Waat Is taught by its form. BY
the dlscontInuance Of immersion. those
VINO did discontinue It silenced one q
the most eloquent witnesses for the
death, burial and resurrection Of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Was there no loss
in this? Those who have been bap.
tized by ~sprinkling or pouring. pro.
y4ded they were baptized Upon their
own personal confession Of faith, have
confessed Christ. but they have NOT
confessed Him in His own prescribed
way. Our only and sole authority ~
baptize any one at all comes from
Cnrlst-then why not do It as He had
1t done. 1 could not baptize any one
whose baptism He does not require, OF
in any way which He does not entoin
me.
In the early church, baptism was ad.
mlnistered to the believing peniten:
~confessor accompanied with the prom
Use OF parlon and the gift Of the Hol!
Spirit. We totally repudiate the dog
II" c. 5aptsmal regeneration and a.
! tach 10 s1cra.Geatal cE?jclcy waateve:
to the rte !tself, nor attribute am
cleansing virtue to the washing In
water but fe insist in obedience IL
the ordinance as a command Of Carts:
and neither hold nor present to the
candidate, as a condition precedent
to his baptism, any theory Of the crJ
nology OF pardon. an act that lies
wholly in the domain of the Divine
will. Keeping the apostolic pr!m..
tive faith is noble business. There are
truths for which We should ever be
ready to die. Men SHOULD sometimes
see the stigma in our very flesh as
His God'head Is denied who was de.
cEared the Son Of God with power by
the resurrection from the dead. But
think Of those thin veneers of doc.
trine over which we as Disciples and
Baptists have battled in the past,
bandying back and forth our swelling
shibboleths and splitting hairs about
repentance before faith, or faith BE-.
fore repentance, differences In phrase.
ology which have nothing in the worll
to do with the great work of gettinc
men to repent toward God and believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ.
AS to the Lords Supper, the mem.
orial feast. tae Love Ordinance in the
church, Il agreements are much clog.
er than many suppose. That it was
regularly observed every Lords day
In the early church, without prescrip.
ton or restriction. in simple loving
memory OF the cruclfed and absent
Christ, Is conceded by many leading
BaptistS and so practiced in many
Baptist churches. Both Baptists anil
Disciples reject the superstitious feti.
eism OF the Romish mass,-the mystic
notions OF the real presence" trans.
substantiation and consubstantiation,
together with all the extravaganza o;
the modern sacramental view that
Professionalism has borrowed from
Rome. AS to this matter Of commnn.
ion more difference exists between IN.
dtYtduaI Baptist churches, than exists
between any typica up-tol.date Bap
tlst church and any typical up-to.date
Disciple church. and I can turn this
around and 1t Will apply. This is
matter of common knowledge. | am
sure our pledged loyalty to Christ will
lead lis beth TO do the thing that will
honor Olr Lord in this matter of Com.
munIon. We will look upon the sun.
per as an affectIonate commenoration !
Of our S~avior's love.
Now as to the great doctrines Of the y,
Bible, such as the attributes of Col
the trinity, the DEGREES, providence, /
christology. and eschatolOgy, or the
doctrine of final things, both Baptists
and Disciples are materially in har.
mony with all believers Of evangelical ,
christendam, that I need not take time
to set forth our views on these nat.
tiers. So shall proceed to note our. .
III. Ecclesiastical Agreements. -
Here we are more In hearty accord
than In doctrines perhaps. We both
believe in the equal brotherhood of AL
CHRISTIANS, that all are children Of
God, and all are kings and priests 10
God. No ipopes. nohierarcny, no gr,.
dation of priestly honor, metropolitan
archbishop. gishop, priest. monk anil
layman. With us Christ is our only
high priest, with no vicar on earth or
In heaven, and the Apostles had no
successors. We construct no eccles-
i%astical ladder of promotion t. temr5
an upholy ambition to deeds of pride
and oppression. We have no Right
Rev. joan Marks, or Cardinal limo.
thies or archbishop Tftuses. We have
complicated system of church gov.