Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-03-08

falsehood; and into Theosophy and
Spiritism, the receptions of the fallen
angels How comes it
that all these unscriptural theories
now flourish, whereas only century
t ago Gods Word was respected and its
doctrines were studied by Christian
people of various and conflicting
creeds? The answer is that with the
OF the past are seen to be fallacious,
irrational, by all who use their think
ing apparatus. The leaders in the va
rious Churches discovered this in adj
vance of their fiocks. They promptly
and reverently set their cFeeds on q
high shelf where the people might not
so particularly notice their flaws, but
might continue their reverence for
them, until gradually their attention
would be drawn aside and their hope
and faith transplanted to Evolutionary
soil or Theosophistic and Spiritualistic
child's play.
With the decline of Christian doc
trines, including heart union with
Christ and an understanding of its
terms and conditions, Churchianity
came in, to take the place of Christi
anity Today the pride of all denomi-
nations centers. not in their doctrines,
but in their institutions. The people
are no longer exhorted to hold fast to
the doctrines of Methodism. Calvin
ism, ETC., but to hold fast to the Sys-
tenn. They are no longer encouraged
to think of their system as being the
only one, outside of which there would
be no salvation, but they are encour-
which takes pride in their organiza-
ton, its wealth, the value of its church
property. the largeness of it's collec-
tons. the grandeur of its music, the
wisdom, learning and ability of its
preachers, and the fashion and wealth
of its constituency.
1t is not our wish to offer a single
.. unkind or unbrotherly criticism. 1t is
| our duty and privilege. however, to
point out that the creed doctrines Of
the various denominations, now set on
the shelf as too frail and imperfect to
stand handling and investigation, are
not and never were the doctrines of
Christ and the Apostles. 1t is our duty
and pleasure to show forth to Chris
tian people to the extent of our ability
| that the teachings of the Bible, the
| doctrines of Christ. are grand, noble,
| reasonable. worthy of all accepta-
ton" To the extent that we succeed
in doing this we are bringing back
straying Christians from the deceptive
boys OF Evolution and Higher-Criti-
i cism to the firm foundation, the solid
rock of Truth-God's Word
"The Wounds of a Friend"
Faithful are the wounds of a
friend" is the Divine assurance We
cannot, therefore, better show our
| friendship and Christian love to our
brethren than by pulling down from
| the shelf their reverenced creeds and
| allowing them to fall in pieces beyond
| repair. If every church could be thus
| induced to pull down its creed-idol,
| the present Laodicean stage of the
| Church would speedily come to it's
| senses, as suggested by our Lord
Then, instead of feeling themselves
| rich and increased in goods and hav-
| ing need of nothing, our dear Chris
| tan brethren of all denominations
would realize the meaning of our
| Lords words-that Churchianity as
whole today is poor and naked and
miserable and wretched and blind
| Revelation iii. 14-22). AS Christians
of all denominations we have cause of
| rejoicing that we have outgrown the
trundle-bed creeds of the past and that
we can no longer wrap ourselves COM
| fortably in the narrow bigotry Of err
ror. The Lord caused this to be writ
ten in the long-ago through the proph-
cts, saying. For the bed is shorter
| than that a man can stretch himself
on it; and the covering narrower than
| that he can wrap himself in it, isaiah
xviii, 20). If in connection with this
| growth which has come to us and by
| which we have nobler conceptions
| than had our forefathers of the rights
of man under the Golden Rule, it is a
cause for rejoicing. Even though the
transition has been accompanied by a
great falling away into Higher-Criti-
cism, Infidelity. Evolution, etc, never
| theless even these errors are in many
| respects preferable to the blindness
and bigotry. Happy are we. dear
| friends, if, the eyes of our understand
| ing being opened. our hearts are led to
a closer walk with God, a more care
! full and prayerful study of his Word
| and to a subsequent growth in grace
and in the fruits of the holy Spirit.
Do some inquire for clearer specifica-
| ton respecting the features of the
creeds put upon the shelf. which we
think should be no longer cared for, but
allowed to fall? We answer that OF
| course there are good features in all
of our creeds-truths which will never
the errors which are. as the Proverb
says, Dead flies [thatl cause the oint-
ment TO stink" (Ecclesiastes x, u.
There is plenty more of the ointment
in Gods Word. 1t is indeed the "balm
of Gilead" and pure-without the cor
roding fly of error. This is what we
Ill want, whatsoever our denomina-
.ional name. and the sooner we get it
The better for us, for the Cause and
;or "the brethren" whom we love to
serve.