The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-01-22

In these highly intelligent Christian
bodies ready to iusist, as our fore
Fathers did. that this element OF faith
is essential TO salvation. Few of us
would agree with Brother John Calvin,
the great architect of this creed. that
fellow-Christians rejecting this doc
trine should be burned at the stake,
as Brother Calvin decided 10 respect
to Brother Servptus. No, thank God.
We have outgrown some of the mar
rowness which so terribly fettered
some of u brethern during the dark
ages.
Few any longer believe that there
are infants In hell mot Il span long
because non-elert. Even wher the
doctrine Of Election is still blindly
held. few have the temerity TO state
their belief that any innocent infant
was predestinated to everlasting tor
ture. But Brother Calvin's conten-
ton expressed in the Westminster
Confession is that there are no innocent
infants-that the condemnation of
Original Sin was 10 eternal torture and
that Adams children, born In sin and
shapen in iniquity," were therefore not
innocent, but guilty-born under the
sentence Of eternal torment and sal
vable from 1t only through membership
In the Church OF Christ. indeed we
may say that this theory was still
older than Calvin. for did not st. Au-
gustine first declare the danger of in
fants to eternal torture and the neces-
sity Of their being brought into the
Church of Christ by baptism In order
to escape eternal torture? And Is not
the force Of this teaching still manifest
amongst both rrotestants and Catho-
lies, as evidenced by their fear to
have an infant die unbaptized-so that
some, in extreme cases. even practice
Baptism in uteroT
Doctrinally Methodism is indirectly
opposed to Calvinism In every sense
of the word. Possibly M%ethodists Will
have less to coucede than Calvinists.
because, although in Wesley's day the
doctrine of Free Grace was combatted
on every hand. 1t is now the tacit faith
of the vast majority OF Christendom.
The doctrine that God had premedi-
tated aud i~rrevocably f%oreordained the
eternal torture OF our race except a
handful of the Elect was too horrible
a one TO stand. SO the Methodist doe
trine OF Divine Love for all u Free
Grace as respects salvation has ap-
pealed more and more to the growing
intelligence OF mankind. Nevertheless
we cannot do otherwise than concede
that IL will matter little to the thou.
sands of millions which all "orthodox'
creeds cOnsign TO eternal torture
whether they shall suffer eternal
agonies as a result Of Divine loveless
ness In foreordaining their sutfering'
or to Divine inability to outwork fol
their benefit the supposed advantages
Of Free Grace arranged for them by
Divine Love.
The More Excellent Way.
Our suggestion Is that now, In the
tapping time Of this Gospel Age witt
the oncoming MiIlennial Age. as the
arc electric light casts the candle Of
the past into the shadow, so the clear
er light now shining from the pages
OF Gods Word casts into the shadow
all the doctrines Of the dark ages.
relieving us Of the horrible nightmare
which once beclouded our hearts anC
lives and made us fearful OF our Gre
ator as an all-powerful. but merci
less sovereign. In this blessed ligh
now shining from Gods Book have W,
not a basis for Christian uHiOgR lie
us see. II we can End In Gods Wort
that the doctrine Of Election and tn
doctrine OF Free Grace are both true
both Biblical. but that one belongs Il
the Church In this Gospel Age and tn
other 10 mankind In general In thI
coming Mlllennial Age. will not thi
solve our problem and give us doc
trinaI union lnstead OF a mere federd
ton basel upon the ignoring Of doc
trineY Wecan all assent TO this. there
fore let us examine the facts.
The Bible assuredly declares a ID
vine election according to n Divin
purpose foreordained-bu not such a
election as Brother Calvin ontlinpt
God ~fore0rdained The selection Of
Church. predestinating the rumble
who would constitute It's membershi
aud the character Of each one VIII
would be acceptable as a member. II
f~oreordained tests Of The woFthiness q
these members and the glorious r.
ward thar should lP theirs and n grea
work whIfh they shall Dc privileged 4
do for manai ind limitedly now. full
during the Millennium Accustomed I
the election OF feliew-citizens 10 IN
, Presidency. in CongreS& cts. whei
7 they win have tn o%Ip1riuniiy +,
, blessing the honea-i. we slIrnii iml
carried ihis same ti3n 1T o. M a.
vine election OF u t7fuiciL Sc s.ioul
have dlsrerBed ihi ~ elr { ur
the seed o. Abrii1m' pGsiiis-S u
POI. Is rpecially iEtrniel 90 a., q.
channel a Divine blessing q all ii
: families ~ the enrth itisnesis xvi
I III.
r How strmge thlt W. uTerinokrd ID
/, and the assurance that with the cor
nloffon az the church Messiah Wnu'