The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-03-07

- 80 is5tr fl-5 49,
Doctrines Of Christ /.
e,sus |
Doctrines of Men. /
Who,oeyer will do lie viii d My Father |
rhieh is IN heater .hall know Of My daetfne. !
ie do make void the law ioi God through l
your iraiihca,-the tradition: Of the ancient.
John VI. ~; Marx vi. y: ] Peter i. 49, |
cO---.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.---
falscllood: and into Theosopiy and
Spfrftism. tue decepttons OF the fat lien
ngels-lelnouism: How comes 1t
| that NIL these unscriptural theories
now flourish. " hereas oHlr u century
ago Gods Word was respected and Its
doctrines were studied by Christian
people OF various and conflicting
creels? The answer Is TINT with the
Increasing light of our day the creels
of the past ARE seen to be flllacious.
Irrational. by all who use their think
Ing apparatus. The LEADERS, In the va
rious Churches discovered this In ad-
vance OF their flockS. They promptly
and reverentiy set their crcctls ON a
high shelf where the people might not
! so particularly notice their laws. hut
might continue their reverence for
them. until gradually their attention
would be drawn aside and their hope
and faith transpianted 10 Evolutionary
soil or Thensophlslfc AMI Spirltunlistic
cl,ild's play. ..
With the decline Of Christian doc
trlnes. including heart union with
Christ and un understanding OF Its
terms and conditions. Churchianity
came In. 10 take the place Of Christi
nnity. Today the pride OF all denoml.
nations centers. not In their doctrines,
but In their institutions. The people
are no longer exhorted to hold fast to
The doctrines OF Methodisrn. Calvin
ism. etc. but TO hotd fast to the Sys-
ten. They are NO longer encouraged
| 10 think of their system rs being tile
| only one. outside OF which there would
be no salvation. but they are encour-.
aged 10 cultivate n partisan spirit.
which takes pride In their orgnnIza-
ton. Its wealth. the value of It's church
property. the lnrgeness OF It's collec-
tons. the grandeur OF Its music. the
wisdom. learning and ability Of Its
preachers, aud the fashion and wealth
Of Its constituency.
II In not our wish to offer single
unkind or unbrotherly criticism. 1t il
our duty and privilege. however. to
Int s,ot 10 ID -
the various denominations. now set OIL
the shelf MS too frall ana imperfect to
stand hnndlEns and Investigation, are
not aud 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 dttr ability
that the teachings OF the Bible, the
doctrines Of Christ, are grand, noble,
reasonable. worthy of MI ncccpta-
tlon." To the extent, that we succeed
In doing. this we are bringing back
strayinE Christians from the deceptive
boss OF Evolution and TIJgher-Critf-
! cism to the firm foundation. the solid
! rock OF Truth-God's Word go.
"The Wounds of a Friend"
Faithful are the wounds Of n
| 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 reveFencetl creetls and
allowing them 10 fall In pieces beyond
repair. Ii every church could be titus
Induced 10 pull down Its creed.illgl.
the present I.aodlcean stuge OF the
Church would speedily come to lis
senses, us suggested by nllr Lord.
Then. instead OF feeling themselves
| rich and Increased In goods and Inv
Ing need OF nothing. our dear Chris
tan brethren OF all denominations
would realize the meaning OF our
Lords wortls-tllat ChurchIanity as
whole today Is poor and naked and
miserable and wretched and blind
Qtevelntlon. Ill. 14.2aL AS Christians
of all denominations we have cause OF
rejoicing that we have outsrown the
trundle.bcd creeds of the past and that
! we can 10 longer wrap ourselves conf
forthbiy tn the narrow btgotrr Of err.
| ror- The Lord caused this to be writ
! tell In the long.lg0 through the propll-
cts. snying. "For the bed ~ shorter
than that man can stretch himself
OIL 1t: and the covering narrower, than
that lie can wrap himself In It, tIsnEah
xviii. eW. II In connection " It'll this
growth which has come to us and by
which we have nObler conceptions
than had our forefathers of tie rights
OF man under the. Golden Rule. 1t is a
CAUSE for rejoicing. Even though the
transition has been accompanied by n
great falling away into Higher.CritI-
clsm, Intldellty. Evolution, ETC., never
theless even these errors are In many
respects preferable to tile, blindness
and bigotry. Happy are we. dear
friends. Ii. the eyes Of our understand
ing being opened. our hearts are led to
closer walk with God. a more care
| full and Drn vcrfill st,Idv nf lila Word