The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-01-27

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Bpecting it will be greatly advantaged
by liberal pruning. But caution
should be used. The Bible should be
consulted. We offer the suggestion
that too hasty a rejection of water
Immersion would be a mistake-that
the proper course for our Baptist
friends Is to study the Scriptures
afresh on this subject. What wonder
full advantages are now at the COM
mand of all Bible students! They
have marginal references by which
one passage throws light upon another.
They have also concordances, CLOS
saries, indexes, and all manner of helps
for Bible study. Our forefathers be-
fore the Reformation were generally
illiterate. And even had they pos
sessed education the pen-written BIZ
bles were expensive and obtainable
only in the Latin language. Indeed it
is within only the last few years that
Bibles have become cheap and plenti-
full and the masses able to read them.
What Must Adventists Concede?
The doctrine of the Second Advent
of Christ Is common to all denomina-
tons. And the Adventist belief that
at that time the earth will be burned
up is also a feature of all the various
creeds. Many Adventists have aban-
doned the thought that the Saviors
second appearing is at hand. And
many more are abandoning the thought
that when be appears Adventists alone
mankind will participate in the de-
struction and burning which shall then
engulf the earth. 1t should not be
difficult for them to realize that there
is no great necessity for controversy
along the lines of the time of Christs
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
nations and as well as in the world |;
and that "the Lord knoweth them that
are his" and will care for them, regard
less Of UNCONVENTIONAL 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 still keep their Sew
enth Day and realize that others are
keeping the same day, though calling
it the First Day.
Disciple Doctrines to Be Voided.
Undoubtedly Alexander Campbell
was q good man with great head.
And undoubtedly many of 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
plicity. 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 creeds as are others
behind elaborated creeds. These are
inculcated through the writings OF
their standard Notwithstanding
the editors Of their leading journals
Disciples" hold most tenaciously as
the Bible teaching that baptism in
,1ater 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
all others of mankind, Christians, Jews
| 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 hel
and its eternal torment.
Do our Disciple friends act as
though they believed this teaching
Do they spend all of their time ant
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 il
supposing that like our Baptist friends
they have not taken seriously and log
ically their own doctrines. Rathe
they have assented to them thought
lessly. 1t would appear to us, there
fore, that doctrinally our Disciple
friends might easily be prevailed upol
to abandon their peculiar tenet TO tn
extent that it would not hinder then
from losing their identity as advo
Gates of baptism for the remission
of sins" and merging themselves o
federating with others.
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