Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-03-19

tute our text. Joshua perceived that
the Israelites were in a trying position
and that il was their duty to decide
promptly and thoroughly which course
they would take. SO we may see to-
day thar Christians OF all denomina-
tions are In a trying position aud that
prompt decision To stand by God and
fthe 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 leaders
are guiding them. Unless they heed
speedily, the blind lending the blind
will 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 and drifting without
| foreknowledge of where their course
will end For instance, have before
me the words of the Rev. DIR. Mac Don
aid of my own city, Brooklyn. on Feb
ruary 9th. This gentleman speaks of
! the Baptist Confession of Faith as
these sIcdddling clothes OF an ancient
dOgmdtiSm." And respecting the Bap-
| tist doctrine which recognizes only i'm
mersed persons as members of the
Church of Christ and heirs of saliva
ton, he says. "HeHceforth il can be re-
0arded to be as dead as the cities OF
| Sod0m and GOmOrrdh. ana as SCOrfhtiy
buried" The gentleman rejoiced that
recently q Baptist minister had been
ordained to the Sixth Avenue Baptist
Church of Brooklyn who affirmed in
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 be 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-
ton. but the Church of God-"'Hhe
/ Church of the frstborns, whose nam9e
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.
"sanetify Them Through Thy Truth"
1t is not sufficient that we get rid Of
the errors and superstitions of the
past. We must suppant those with
the Truth. that We may be able to
withstand in this evil day" (Ephesians
vi, l3). 1t alone will constitute the
armor of God. Christian people hold
much precious Trath. but hold it in
so illogical and confused a manner
that it 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 rs.
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 our creeds and briefly in
dicate 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 Joipt-heirs in
! his Kingdom. On the contrary, in
many respects they were too loose
they were 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 end il" (Matthew vii, l4. Jesus
| taught that his followers must drink
of his cup OF suffering and be bapti>ed
into his death--and not merely into wa
! ter. Our too-low standards have ad-
mitted 10 membership in all denomina-
tiOns 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 ignominy will be eterndilU tortured.
This great mistake common to all
Prorestants tand iii the much modi-
fed form of Purgatory shared also by
CatholicsI must be displaced by the
Bible teaching that as soon as the
elect Church shall be- completed and
,, glorifed the antitypical 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 HOR-elect. of all the fam
lilies of the earth will be blest by the
elect tGalatians ill., III, 30; Acts Iii.
1929. Let us. dear brethren, choose
thfs dav m CfDnd INV fhp Word Of (Aod