The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-02-04

OOOs-s-s-s-.-.-s-s-s-.-s-.
the proper course for our Baptist
friends is to study the Scriptures
afrcSh on this subject. what wonder.
full advantages are now nj the CON.
mand of all Bible students. They
have marginal references by which
one passage throws light upon another.
They have also concordauceS. CLOS
saries, indexes. and all manner OF helps
for Bible study. our forcfathcrs be
fore the Reformation were generally
illlteratc. And even had they DOS
Sessed education the per. written Ri
bleS were expensive and obtainable
only in the Latin language Indeed It
is within only the last few years that
Bibles have become cheap ana plcnt-
ful and the masses able to read them
What Must Adventists Concede7
The doctrine of the Second Advent
OF Christ Is common to all dcnomina-
tons. And the Adventist belief that
Mt that time the earth will be burned
up is also feature OF all the various
creeds. Many Adventists have aban-
second appearing is at hand And
many more are abandoning the thought
that when he appears Adventists alone
will be saved and all the remainder OF
mankind Will participate in the de.
struction and burning which shall then
engulf the earth. II should not be
difficult for them TO realize that there
iG IN for nj
along the lines Of the time OF Chrst's
coming. since they acknowledge them
selves completely in the dark on that
subject. Neither can we suppose that
after thoughtful consideration they
should feel justified in assuming that
they alone are 1.-THE elect" Let us hope
that with broadening sentiment they
are more and more realizing that
there are saints and sinners in their
own number, as well as in all denomi-
nations and as well as in the world;
and that "thc Lord knOwcth them that
are his" and will care for them, regard.
less of denominatiOnal lines. But for
that portion of AdventiStS which con
siders the keeping of the seventh Day
Of the week the all-important part OF
Christianity we see no ground for Fed
GRAFTON, unless, indeed, they may choose
to get about the difficulty by counting
the calendar the other way around the
world. Thus they might bring their
Seventh Day into harmony with what
others term the First Day. Or, by
counting the calendar in the opposite
direction they may sti'l keep their Sev-
entb Day and realize that others are
keeping the same day, though calling
ii the First Day.
Disciple Doctrines to Be Voided.
Undoubtedly Alexander Campbell
was "A good man with Il great head.
And undoubtedly many of n similar
class following his lead are today
known as Disciples or Christians.
Undoubtedly these are following close
ly to apostolic customs in the matter
of Church organization, which in
many respects is beautiful in its sim
pliclty. Doctrinally they claim most
faithfully to stand by the Word Of
God alone. And one of their familiar
declarations is. when the Word OF
God speaketh we speak; when the
Word OF God is silent we are silent"
But this beautiful simplicity OF theory
our Disciple friends have found diff
cult to work out in practice. Hence
we find them as strongly intrenched
behind unwritten crecds as are others
behind elaborated crecds. These are
inculcated through the writings of
their standard including
the editors of their leading journals
"Disciples" hold most tenaciouSly as
the Bible teaching that BAPTISM in
icater is indispensable TO the remission
Of sins. This doctrine is supported by
several Bible texts which declare
arise and be baptized and wash
away thy sins" Baptism unto repent
ance and remission of sins" etc.
Before pointing out their miSappli.
cations Of these texts let us note the
facts that according to their theory
and heather, who have not been i'm
mersed have not had their sins washed
away. Consequently such are yet in
their sins. Consequently such are lost.
And lost according to the general un-
Outstanding of Disciples and other
Christians signifies shut out Of heaven
shut out OF Paradise-shut into hell
and its eternal torment.
DO our disciple friends act as
though they believed this teachingl
DO they spend all Of their time ana
energy and money in seeking to bring
fellow-ChriStians into water baptism
for the remission of sins and escape
from eternal torture? Assuredly they
do not. Hence we are justified in
supposing that like our Baptist friends
they have not taken seriously and log
ically their own doctrines. Rather
they have asSented to them thought
lessly. 1t would appear to us, there.
fore, that doctrinally our Disciple
friends might easily be prevailed upon
to abandon their peculiar tenet to the
extent that it would not hinder them
from losing their identity as advo-
Gates of baptism for the remission
of sins and merging themselves or
federating with others.
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