Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-03-09


" the gross error which teaches that
all the non-elect. instead of having
hope for a blessing through 1.-The
elect" are to be 'everlaStingly tor
mented. Those of us who are Ar
minian in doctrine have much that is
precious. but need also to cast away
from us the thought that our loving
Heavenly Father is merely good-in-
tentioned ard lacks the power, the
ability, to make his benevolent desires
effective towards any except a small
handful of humanity. Our. Disciple
friends should cast aside the thought
contained in their teachings that only
the water-immersed experience for
giveness of sins and reconciliation to
God and salvation from eternal tor
ment. Similarly those of us who are
Baptists, while holding to the precious
truths which so long have comforted
and strengthened us, should insist now
on casting away as unscriptural and
irrational the thought that has long
perpleXed us, namely, that no others
than the water-immersed could be
members of the Church of Christ.
heirs of glory, and be saved from dam
nation. Once we get these absurdities
removed, not only from our heads and
hearts, but also from our professions,
we shall be ready and anxious to have
the doctrines OF Christ on these sub
jects. Then we will search the Word
and have Gods blessing in finding it's
I. 10Y Gy6 oil h.
and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened" (Matthew vii. 8. But so long
as we hold to the fallacies how can
we seek or pray for or find the Truth?
The Value of Doctrines.
The word doctrine signifies teaching.
The doctrines of Christ, therefore, are
the teachings of Christ; the doctrines
of men, the teachings Of men. What
the Church needs today is, to receive
into good and honest hearts afresh the
doctrines Of Jesus and the Apostles
allowing these to displace the doctrines
which Christendom now holds but dis
esteems, and which were formulated
in a time of less light than the present.
Instead, therefore, of discOura gine
each other in respect to the study Of
the doctrines of Christ, we should, as
Christians. become more earnest in the
study every day. hoping and expecting
that in the wonderful light of our time
God would be able to make clear to
our understanding the harmonious in
terpretations of his Word. We should
fn hn 10
Election and Free Grace. We should
clearly understand what is meant by
baptism and what kind of baptism is
necessary for our induction into the
Body of Christ as members. On every
line we should be looking for the har,
monies, instead of rejoicing in the en-
rors which have long divided us into
hundreds of sects and parties
However, in some respects sectarian
energy is better than federated death.
Might we not even say that if all the
creeds were dashed to pieces and each
Christian stood forth unshackled as re-
spects denominational bonds, the re-
suit would be great improvement so
far as individual thought, study. and
relationship to God would be con-
cerned? In a word, each Christian
should have his own creed, his individ.
ual faith; and none should do more OF
less than to assist his mind to a full
understanding of the Word Of the Lord
in respect to every subject.
Doctrines of Men.
All doctrines which cannot show q
foundation and full authority in the
teaching of Jesus and the Apostles and
Prophets. are doctrines of men. The
teachings from above come to us
through heaven-appofnted channels
The jargon which prevails in Christen-
dom in respect to Christian doctrines
proves that they are of human origin
The Scriptures alone furnish to us
The Doctrines of Christ.
Briefly stated they declare, ''To us
there is one God, the Father, and one
Lord, Jesus Christ q Corinthians viii
g.. To us there is one Holy Spirit; tt
US there is lone Church of the Living
God, whose names are written il
heaven" to us there is zone Lord ant
one faith and one baptism; one Coo
and Father of all'' (Ephesians iv, 4-6)
However impossible these statement:
may have appeared during the ''darl
ages, they are no longer so. The light O.
Divine Truth is now shining. God hai
not only put into our possession won
derful Bibles, and wonderful helps FOL
Bible-study, but has also given us tn,
ability to read. to study the Word crit
ically. And he is pleased now to as
sure US through the prophet that w
are living in the time when ''the wis
shall understand the mystery hid
den from past ages and dispensations.
which could not be understood p@eyi
Ously without working an interference
with Gods eternal purposes.
What, then, dear FRIENDS. shall W
do? Shall we float on ingloriously
daily, hourly coming closer and close
to the great cataclysm which is swa
lowing up so many now in inf1delity
called Higher-Criticism? Or shall w
accent Gods Hn1Oin0 Hand tho dor