The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-04-11

Stses9 GslAS2S2EEs=Y 2Y OF the Ffrst-0OTnS,
tohose names arc
Written in hcGre,P' (Hebrews xii, 23).
He urged that the subject be ap-
preached prayerfully and honestly
that all who see that there was but
one Church in the beginning. establish
ed by the Redeemer, see also that
there will be but the one Church in
the end, the Church Triumphant in
glory, "the Bride, the Lambs Wife"
For the same reason that there have
been doctrines many amongst the fol-
lowers of Jesus, there have been
churches many, as representing those
doctrines.
AS last Sunday the question was,
"What Is the True Gospel?' and as we
found that true Gospel more or less
scattered in all the various creeds. and
none of them the pure and unaduterl
ated Gospel, so tonight we should be
prepared TO find that the one true
Church of Christ for the past eighteen
centuries has been scattered here and
there amongst various denominations,
and that not one of these denomina-
dons is the true Church. Not one of
them can claim to contain all the
"wheat" and none of the 'tares." Not
one of them can claim to contain all
Of the saints aud no hypocrites. The
time was when the various divisions
Of the Christian Church severally laid
claim to being the one and only
Church. But that time has passed. so
far as the people are concer Ned, and
has passed so far as the MATURITY Of
the clergy are concerned.
"That They All May Be One"
am not here to charge intentional
wrong-d doing onsthe part of any of the
divisions of the Christian Church. said
Pastor Russell On the contrary, |
shall assume that the trainers Of the
various creeds were sincere. honest
men; and that the original followers
of those creeds were sincere, and that
few today may be equally sincere.
shall assume. however, that the ma
jority of Christians, ministers and
iaymen. realize that the sectarian
fences are largely composed of miscon-
ceptiOns of the Divine Word and Plan
and that the causes which originally
led to Church divisions have consid-
erably disappeared. If we can now
recognize one true Gospel we may all
reunite, in harmony with our Masters
prayer. that 'All may be one, as Thou,
Father. and are one"
I remind you again OF the simplicity
nF ~ ,,rkt ba
broad outlines of the Divine Plan and
allows each individual to see as many
of the finer lines of the same as his
spiritual development will permit. On
that broad basis, of Christian anion
the early Christians were one and rep
robated any division. ST. Paul rebuk-
ed those who said, 81 am of Paul; I
am of Apollos; am of Peter" q Corin-
thians l. 12l. AS only Christ died for
us all, He alone must be recognized as
our Savior. AS He is the Head of the
Church and the only Head He only
must be recognized. AS all We are
brethren. so the class distinction as
between clergy and laity must be abro-
gated that we all may be one Church
with one Lord. one Faith and one Bap-
tism and one God and Father over all
Nphesians iv. -.
Babylon the Great, tho Mother of Har-
lots"
How the divided Church, with clash
ing creeds. appears to the Almighty,
He tells us, calling 1t Babylon-which
signifies confusion. And who can deny
the appropriateness of the name? In
times past Catholics have applied this
name to the Protestant sects, and the
Protestants in turn have applied 1t to
the Church of Rome. But when we
come to examine the Scriptures on the
subject they seem to include all-the
Church of Rome being represented as
the mother Church and the various
Protestant Churches as her daughters.
The charge of harlotry which the Lord
makes against mother and daughters
must be acknowledged. although with
some this harlotry has been more open
and pronounced than with others.
Using the Jewish marriage ceremony
as the basis of the figure. all Chris
tians, as members of the true Church,
are declared to be 'espoused to one
husband. which is Christ" III Corin-
thians xi. q. Under the Jewish custom
the espousal brought the woman UNI
der the same obligation of chastity as
though the marriage had taken place.
Thus the Church, by her VOW to her
Lord. is obligated to the full, although
the marriage with the Heavenly Bride
groom will not take place until His
Second Advent and the change of the
<espoused from earthly to heavenly con-
ditions. for "fesh and blood cannot in
herit the Kingdom Of God" (Revela-
tion xix. Z: John xiv. 8; I Cor. xv. 50l.
Spiritual harlotry Is the condition in