The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-01-27

fists, Adventists and Disciples repre-
sent more than one-third of the Prot
estants Of the United States. What
they must yield for Church Federation
is therefore an important question.
All three of these systems are built
upon the Congregational platform.
which recognizes as Scriptura the in
dependence of each congregation as to
its own creed in all matters of faith
Christians, therefore. could not join
the Federation as denominations. The
only method by which they could give
adherence would be either by aban-
doning their principles of independence
for which they have so long contended.
or else by remaining quiescent while
their ministers through Councils and
Conferences essay to act for them.
And here it should be noted that the
membership of these large Christian
bodies have more and more during the
past thirty-fve years shown their will
ingness to have their ministers regu-
late their affairs, even though contrary
to their avowed principles of Church
Government.
But it is from the standpoint of doc
trines rather than Church government
that we shall examine our subject. As
we progress we shall find that some of
the doctrines once considered all-im-
portant can in the light of our day be
laid aside as obSolete-as hindranceS
in every sense of the word. Caution.
however would suggest that for every
thing discarded as unScriptural the
truthful substitute should be found
otherwise our progress would be to-
ward the destruction. not only of the
bad of our creeds of the past. but also
of their good features.
Doctrina Surrender of Baptists
Baptists will find little to dispute
with their co-religionists of the Fed
GRAFTON along general doctrinal lines
their chief difficulty will be in the mat
ter of what constitutes Christian bap-
tiSm-the necessity of water INNER
sion to admission to Church member
ship. For years this doctrine has been
| even more tenaciously held than is
generally realized. Our Baptist breth-
| ren hold to justification by faith as a
| first or preliminary step which the sin
ner must take. But they equally hold
that this is not the final step-that the
step of sacrifice, the step of regenera-
ton much follow in order to salvation
And a baptism in water they recognize
as an Indispensable outward indication
Of this regeneration. Hence it is stand
ard Baptist doctrine, both North and
| South in all Baptist Churches with
rare exceptions. that no uainncrScd
person should be esteemed a member of
ChriSt's ChUrch
In a word. faith and reformation are
steps of justification. but water INNER
sion is the door into Christ. Only those
| who pass through this door are mem
| bers of the Church of Christ from this
viewpoint; hence. consistently, none
others are invited TO partake Of the
! EuchariSt-the Lords supper The ar
| gument is that this Supper. symbolic
| ing death with Christ. was offered only
TO the conSeCrated and accepted mem
| berS of Christs Church. Hence to in
vite others than those immersed in
water would be violation of the let
ter and the spirit of the Divine Word
| and a countenancing of false doctrine.
| The argument is that all of the elect
will be guided of the Lord, so that
| their hearts and heads will become
| amenable to these teachings. Obedi-
| ence thereto will be shown by submis-
| sion to water immersion-the door into
the Church of Christ.
| Like the rest of us, our Baptist
friends have been in the past rather
| illogical in all matters religious and
doctrinal: so much so that many OF
them have never realized the full
meaning Of their doctrine. The mean
ing was grasped in the long ago, but
| has generally been lost sight of within
! the last fifty years. 1t is this: Since
water immersion is the evidence OF
obedience to Divine instruction and
| since all of 1.-The elect" are not only III
structed of God but obedient to him
therefore those not baptized in water
! are not of Gods elect-are not mem
! bers in his Church. And this in turn
| according to Baptist doctrine. implies
! that all not immersed in water are
/ outside of the Church-outside of The
number of the elect'-Outside OF
Gods favor-outside of the salvation
provided in Christ-and therefore in
side the damnation and eternal tor
ment which Baptist doctrines imply
have been foreordaiued for the eterna
torture of all the non-eect.
Do our Baptist friends who NEE
unimmersed Christians of other de
nominations in the walks Of life from
day to day really believe that the lat
ter are ON their way to an eternity
of torture? Most assuredly they Dc
not! But this is merely because the!
are illogical. like the rest of us. The.
are as Illogical as their brethren o
other denominations. They have out
grown at least this feature of TIL
teachings of the dark ages" HANDED
down to them by well-meaning bu
less enlightened forefathers.
One glance at the matter will suffice
to show our Baptist brethren that tn
very strongest features of their teach
ing needs some revisiCe Howeve
| fundamental may hp the doctrine a