The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-03-19

day that Christians OF ali deuomina
uonS arr IN IA trying position and thar
a prompt decision to stand by God and
the Bible Is the necessary thing for
those who would be delivered from the
darkness Of the past and avoid falling
into the Adversary's great deception OF
the present. into which their lenders
are guiding them Unless they heed
speedily, the blind leading the blind
viii fan into the ditch Of Darwinism
and the mire Of Higher Criticism
There are not many ways to escape
this threatening calamity, There is
only one way-the Bible way Many
Baptist and Disciple ministers are be.
coming awake to the Inconsistencies of
their positions aud drifting without
foreknowledge OF where their course
will end. For instance, | have before
mi the words Of the Rev. DR.. Mac Don
aid Of my own city, Brooklyn, on Feb
ruary 9th. This gentleman speaks Of
the Baptist Confession Of Faith as
these s~raddling clothes OF an ancient
dOgmafism' And respecting the Bap-
fist doctrine which recognizes only Inn
mersed persons as members Of the
Church Of Christ and heirs of saliva
ton, he says. "Henceforth Il can be re-
Odrded 10 be as dead as the cities OF
SodOm and GomOrrdh. and as porthHy
buried" The gentleman rejoiced that
recently a Baptist minister had been
ordained TO the Sixth Avenue Baptist
Church Of Brooklyn who affirmed in
advance that be would invite all to
communion and Church membership
who loved the Lord Jesus. He urged
that associate members" should be
received into Baptist communions
without imposing baptism upon
them"
This courageous brother fails to see
wherein the course he advocates is
Illogical. What he needs to see is the
real teaching Of the Bible on the sub
ject Of Baptism-that It is baptism into
Christ's death, and thus into the real
Church OF Christ-not the Baptist
Church, nor any other human organiza-
tion. but the Church OF God-"1'he
Church Of the 1rstborns. whose names
are written In heaven" That roll con
tains the names Of all the sanity,
faithful, consecrated believers in the
Redeemer-of all denominations and
outside of all denominations.
"sanctify Them Through Thy Truth"
1t is not sufficient that we get rid Of
the errors and superstitions Of the
past. We must supplant those with
the Truth, that I'VE may be able to
Withstand In this evil day" Ephesians
vi. 13). II alone viii constitute the
armor Of God. Christian people hold
much precious Truth. but hold II In
so illogical and confused a manner
that II fails to give them the needed
strength. God permitted US to come
to this very hour and has permitted
the present tests for the purpose Of
developing the characters Of the us.
raelites indeed, IN whom is no guile"
and for the purpose Of gathering out
from them all the tares, all the chaff,
and all not at heart copies of his dear
Son. Let me now briefly summarize
the errors Of u ereeds and briefly in
dictate the Bible remedy.
None Of our Creeds were too strict
in defining the saintliness Of the
Church class, invited to become the
Bride Of Christ and his Joint-helrs In
his Kingdom. On the contrary, in
many respects they were too loose
they we're not nearly up to the stand
ard Of the Masters word, ''If any man
will be my disciple, let him take up
his cross and follow me-" "Strait is
the gate and narrow the way which
leadeth unto life; and few there be
that find It" CMatthew vii, Ia. Jesus
taught that his followers must drink
Of bis cup Of suffering and be baptized
into his death-and not merely into wa
ter. Our too-low standards have ad-
mltted TO membership In all denomina-
tons millions who are far below the
Masters standards.
Our error and deception was the sup
position that all who are not sanity,
all who would not become the Bride Of
Christ, all who are not baptized into his
death. all who do not drink of his cup
Of ignomlny will be eterHdIly tortured.
This great mistake common to all
Protestants land In the much modi-
fed form Of %Purgatory shared also by
Catholics must be displaced by the
Bible teaching that as soon as the
elect Church shall be completed and
glori1ed the a~ntitypical Year Of Jubi-
lee will begin; that then for the thou
sand years Of the reign Of Christ and
the Church as the spiritual Seed Of
Abraham, the HOE-eiect. Of all the fam
Hes of the earth will be blest by the
elect Galatians III. IS. 20; Acts Iii.
1929. Let us. dear brethren. choose
this day to stand by the Word Of God,
to reject all human traditions contrary
to It and to hold fast the things that
are true, Just, loving, good.
II occasionally a thoughtless friend
- MI unna