Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-25

tian faith of the rising generation. They are
doing this intelligently, wisely, cunningly, but
not with evil motive. Having gotten awake TO
the Inconsistencies OF their creeds these schol-
nrIy men concluding that the creeds truthfully
represented the Bible. abandoned faith In the
scriptures to the same degree that they nave
abandoned faith in the creeds which their IN
tellects have repudiated Now they are seeking
to gradually help Christian people of all denomi-
nations to what they consider the higher plane
Of Truth. What they haye-almost anything IN
facts better than the "creeds they nave
repudiated. They working hard and sue
ceeding we'll in introducing their fath-destroylng
theory into the minds OF the rising generation
through the school books From these they nave
not only eliminated everything sympathetlc
with Bible faith but instead they have intro
duced the subversive doctrine Of evolution
AS for the rank and file Of Baptists and DIS
ciples probably three -fourths OF them stlH noid
vaguely and indefinitely to the Bible ana ther
confession of faith, though both OF these denom-
nations in their innocency of mind THINK tnst
tbey have no creeds-that they take the Bible
only AS these dear friends awaken to the IN
constituencies of their confession ana teacnlnes
they are in great danger OF following their iead-
ers into a Reputation Of everything pertaining
20 the past-into higher criticism dnfideltty)
Are we asked what is there so inconsistent
in their creeds which will surely produce TINS
result as soon as seen?" We answer that al
ready many Of them are In revolt against the
Calvinistic theory that the masses OF the race
were foreordained of God and predestlnateu 10
eternal torture. The majority OF them nave
never seen the Inconsistencies of their position
| in respect to baptism-immersion
When our Disciple brethren get a proper 1ocus
upon their o.gn position they will revolt against
the thought that only Immersed Christians nave
their sins forgiven and Will get eterhal me
and that all others, the thousands OF mllllons
| OF the heather and the other millions, the I'M
| Immersed OF Chrstendom. will be eternally
tormented. Likewise our Baptist bretnren VIII
: 4I,afr "
the scales fall from their eyes and they perceive
the naked truth. That naked. hideous truth 10
that for centuries with good intention they nave
horribly misrepresented the divine character
| and purpose in claiming that all except the
church are to be eternally tortured and that
only sanity and immersed Christians can con
stitute the church or Christ which Will reach
| the heavenly glory.
CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL
| SERVE"
Joshua's words to the Israeltes, after they
had come into the Canaan, constitute our text.
Joshua perceived that the lsraelites We're ~
trying position and that IT was tnelr ansg
| they would take. So may see today that
| Christians of all denominations are In trying
position and that a prompt decision TO stand
| By God and the Bible is the necessary thing for
1 those who would be delivered from the DARK
| meas Of the past and avoid falling into the
| adversary's great deception OF the present-ntO
| which their leaders are guiding them Unless
| they heed speedily, the blind leading the blind
wifi fall into the ditch of Darwlnism 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 becoming
awake TO the error and probably without IN
tpntion of drifting and often without foreknowl-
edge of where their course VIII end. For In
| stance. | have before me the words OF the Rev.
DIR. Macdonald, of my own city, Brooklyn on
/ February q. This gentleman speaks of tue
Baptist confession of faith as those swaddIr<
| clothes Of an ancient dogmatism." And re-
specting the B9ptist doctrine which recognizes
only Immersed persons as members OF IN"
church Of Christ and heirs of salvation, he
says: "Heneeforth 1t can be regarded TO ne
as dead as the cities Of Sodom and Gomorrah,
and wOrthily buried" The gentleman re-
joiced that recently a Baptist minister had
been ordained to the Sixth Avenue Baptist
/ church of Brooklyn who affirmed in advance
that he 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 i'm
posing baptism upon them"
This courageous brother falls to see wherein
| the course he TdvOcates is illogical. What he
neef!s to see is the real teaching OF the BihIe
| on the subject Of baptism-that IL is baptism
! into Christ's death. and thus into the real
| church Of Christ-that IL is not the Baptist
church, nor any Other human organization. put
the church Of God-''The church of the rrstnorns
whose n9mes are written in heaven" That roll
contain the names of all the sanity. faithful
| consecrated believers I'm the Redeeemer-no+ all
| denominations and Outside of all denOminA~ Ous
"SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH TRUTH"
1t is not sufficient that get rid Of the
| errors and superstitlons Of the past. We must
1
/ be able to Withstand in this evil day." (Epb
| 6;l3.) II alone will constitute the armor OF
| God. Christian people hold much precious
/ truth. but hold It in illogical and confused a
| manner that II fails to give them the rcedeI
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 "Israelites indeed, in whom is no qulIe
| 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
bticfly summarize the errors OF our Creeds and
briefly indicate the Bible remedy.
None Of our creeds were too strict in defining
/ the saintliness of the church class, invited 10
become the Bride of Christ and His joint-heirs
| In His kingdom. On the contrary. in many re-
spects they were too loose-they were not neal
| ~ up TO the standard OF the Masters word eff
| any man will be my disciple, let him take mp
4 his cross and follow me- N'Straight Is the
| gate and narrow the way that lcadetlf unto life
, and few there be that find it," Matt. 7:14.)
| Jesus taught that His followers must drink of
| His cup Of suffering and be baptized into His
| death and not merely into water Our too low
standards have admitted TO membership in all
| denominations millions who are far below the
! Masters standards.
! Our and deception was the superstition
| that all who are not sanity all who would not
| become the bride of Christ all who are not
| bantiZed into His death, all who do not drink
| of his cup Of ignominy will be eternally tor
/ tured. This great mistake, common to all
/ Protestants land in the much modified 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
| glorifed the antitypical Year of Jubilee will
| begin. That then for the thousand years Of
| the reign of Christ and the church as the
| spiritual seed Of Abraham, the non-elect Of
| all the families of tie earth win he blessed by
1 the elect. fGal., 3:16, 20; Acts, 3:19-23.) Let
| Us. dear brethren, choose this day to stand