Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-02-03

Continued from frat page)

Kingdom soon to bless and uplift the
world of mankind. L should further
add that while in this discussion we
have considered the variousNde
nations of Christendom and their
creeds, we must today ignore all .1u-
man systems and creeds. We must
take the broad, general ground OF
the. Scriptures and recognize only
one Church.
Nor may we make the mistake OF
saving that the one Church is one
Sect. No sect, no denomination,
however great and influential and
numerous and rich, either in sorofo
or historic wealth, can be CONCEDED
the right to appropriate the name
which our Lord gave to all truly MS
disciples. Surely none of us is sec
tartan enough to dispute this premise.
We must learn to recognize the
I Church of Christ from the same
+. viewpoint as does the Head of the
Church. We must learn the force OF
St. Peters words to Cornelius, "Of a
truth i perceive that God is no respec-
tor of persons; but in every natlon
he that .feareth him and WorKetn
righteousness is accepted with MIN.
7 (Acts K, "a. S5.)
Taking, therefore, the Scriptural
view of the Church, we recognize II
as the "Body of Christ" OF many
members, over which he Is the HEAD
1t is composed of consecrated roi-
lowers of Christ irrespective OF all
UNCONVENTIONAL lineS-those who,
turning from sin, accept Jesus as
their Redeemer, through whom they
have forgiveness of sins and recon
ciliation to the Father-taose VINO
have become disciples of Christ. tax
ing I'D their cross to folloWshlm anu
who have received the begettlng OF
the Holy Spirit. Who could dispute
that these are the Church of Christ!
Who shall say that they must belong
to this. Communion or that, or lose
their relationship to the Head, Christ
Jesus? The apostles never referred
to Baptist Christians. Methodist
Christians. Catholic Christians, etc.,
but merely to these whom we nave
described and whom they styled
saints CHURCH of the nvlne
God. whose names are written IN
heaven" (Hebrews xii, %; l limo
thy iii, is. Let us keep strictly Wltn-
in the lines of Gods Word and
avoid the errors of the past. Let
us today consider this Church as the
Church Militant and prospectlvefy tae
Church Triumphant. ~
The Church Militant.
If we all agree that we have be-
fere our minds the real Church, the
Church of the New Testament, let us
notice that there lis nominal
Church also and that we are not COM
petent to fully determine which are
the real and which are the nominal
Christians except by the test which
our Lord has given-''by their fruits
We shall know them" While the real
Church of fully consecrated believers,
faithful to the Lord and his Woro
and the principles of righteousness, is
represented by very small NUMBER,
there is a nominal Church related
thereto as is a shell to the kernel
of a nut. The nominal Church IN
cludes those whose manner or
whose attendance on worship implies
a relationship to Christ without hav-
ing gone the length of full faith-ac-
centance of him in sacrifice, perhaps
without having fully turned from SIN
even in their hearts, and witnout
having made a full conservation to
serve the Lord. This nominal class
NAV be sub-divided itno believers VINO
are favorably disposed toward Christ
and righteousness; others who regard
the ~hurch as merely q moral club