The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-06

perhaps a greater degree than many would
imagine. Luther and his coad1utors pro :
tested against some OF tho doctrines OF
the church Of Rome, but accepted with
ont protest infant baptism, sprinkline.
etc, as necessary 10 preservation from
everlasting torment.
Unbaptized Infants in Torture.
Someone suggests "Ah, We practice
infant sprinklInG. but IL is merely
christening We have no thought what
or his adcrd bic son, our Redccmer would
consigu an infant To torture. even f IT
died without being clpistcned DO not
&c too sure; my brother SGpersiln2nS5
bishop in the Episcopal church who was
appalled, al the very suggestion that his
infant srandchiid might he safe in the
arms of Jesus without having boon chris
tened
MOI only so. but these superstitions Of
a darker day are forcetully Impressed
upon the Common people by some Of
Inc clergy Let me tell YOU Of two cases:
% 4 Lutheran couple in PENNSYLVANIA
had some unpleasantircss With their pas
tor respecting church dues. This caused
them TO absent themselves from church
service for several months. Meantime
their babe became sick. The father hum
bled himself 10 go 20 his pastor Ia tell
Of his distress and his fear that the
child might die and OF his desire to
have n baptized. Imagine the anguish
~ the deudcd parent when tho pastor
refused him and told him that tho child
would go TO hell and this WAS his desert
as . parent because Of failure TO keep
in touch with his church.
(2) The other cas-" WAS that Of
Catholic couple in Wisconsin. Their two
little girls died Of diphtheria within a
few hours OF each other. When tho
parish priest was sent for he declined 10
come and refused permission 10 have the
children buried in holy ground The
explanation given 10 the astoniShcd
parents was that they had neglected their
duty. toward tho children. that they had
not been baptized into the church and
consequently were lost
To friend the bcrcavcd father de-
clared that he wanted 10 have nothing
who would consGn his little, innocent
children TO eternal torture merely be-
cause of his SIN his neglect in not
having fcw drons OF water sprinklcd
had been reading my Studies I'm the
Scriptures and explained 10 tho bercaved
father that church creeds and theories
are very different from tho plain aud
simpie teachings of the Bible He showed
him that his littic ones were merely
asleep In Jesus waiting for fhc glorious
nc brought tc mankind at the second
coming ot Jesus. after the completion Of
the elect church and their change 10
n"aNeniy, glory. Could ycu wonder that
that Catholic saloon keeper. received
now ray of hope and that il had n
Transforming influence upon his life?
The Christian Disciples Error.
Pastor Russell examined the doctrine
~ immersion as set forth by the Chris
tian or Disciple denomination 1c had
not an unkind word 10 saw respecting
tuc people of this denomination. but he
did disscct their doctrines laying bare
what ne considered TO be their incon-
sisiepCies. falsiti"s.
CriticsIs the immersion theory OF tho
christian Disciples. he declared that the
lexis used by this denomination as
proofs that baptism is for the remission
@i sins were never applied 10 any except
Jews The Jews were In covenant re
ldnonship with God through the Mosaic
law II ihcy got into sin 1t. was proper
tor them 20 repent. return TO Cod and
nsc wafer symholically indicating return
from sin. All jews in FUN harmony with
me law covenant in Jesus day were
those who bad committed special sins
were called uDon to wash AWAY those
sins symbolcilly in water.
Others living consistent lives as is
lacltcs indeed wore never instructed 10
be baptized or to wash away their sins
Among the apostles Pastor Russell said,
thcre IS no record Of any OF them having
occn immersed In water for the rcmis-
SION o' SINS. except st. Paul and he only
because he had prosecuted the church
OF christ The baptism into Christ an
nounced FOR Gentle converts is wholly
%,,uSTen', he declared, from the Jewish
y
Illustration OF this. he said. is found In
Acts xviii. 24-25. where Apollos had han.
I%ed ,f,d certain Gentllcs Of Ephesus with
Johns baptism for the remission OF sins
~ Paul afterward declared this incnr.
rect and directed them 10 be Immersed
%s'i1,- not for tho remission OF sins. but
@IUt @ INDUCTION into the body OF Christ.
"mcH rs the church. acts XIX I-61
but the chief point which Pastor Pms
sen made against the Christian DisrirIc
y, o.. 'ndi baptism is for the remission
: SINS =, Was that IL naturally disiollow-
SHIPS all Christians who have MOI ber,
immersed. The logic Of this theory he
declared. would ind few supporters i'm
ne Chnstian Disciple denomination. The
,, o. 9t II Is THIS; II immersion is ncces-
sdTE Tor an adult in order that his sin.
may be RENTED or washed AVA. i,
would logically follow that all adults NOT /
1lir are yet in their sins-unfor-
ms theory. that. II they die thus they
must suffer Tho penalty OF their sins
which penalty. they say. is eternal tor,
lure.
Baptist Theory in Error.
Next the Baptist theory of baptism was
icalt WIN. IL WAS Vomplimcnted as he
ng more nearly IN line With tho scrip
4ies IMAM any theory OF baptism held I'm !
me world. And yet said the speaker. re
naTkably few Baptists today could or do /
,tand by their theory. II put 10 the test. :
in theory and practice tbo
,reat mass of Baplists declare that i'm
nsrslon Is a necessary incidental To ad-
Hislon To the church of the living God /
Fhose names arc written In heaven"
IN tull keeping with this, ln nine out
u every ten Baptist churches the world !
'Ncr. only Immersed Christians arc ever
nslt"d 10 tho communion table 10 par /
lclpate In the Lords supper. Why be /
'ause they claim that only immersed per
'pna belong 10 Tie true church and that
ne communion service IL exclusively f1r
me church '' ~
- "e ask them what are the advan-
ages claimed for membership IN the
.huTcI. they reply-sslvatioui What Is
nc sinIlthesis or opposite OF salvation? We
'sh' The answcr-lost, What do Won
mean ny LOST We Inquire. The reply Is
% De banished from God and suffer ever /
astiug torture
% men theoretically our Baptist !