The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-11-10

no ShriStlan. disciples Error
Pastor Russell examined the doctrine
of immersion as set forth by the
Christian or Disciple denomination.
He had not an unkind word to say re.
specting the people of this denomina
ton. but he did dissect their doc.
trines, laying bare what he considered
10 be their Inconsistencies. falsities.
Criticizing the immersion theory of
the Christian Disciples he declared
that the texts used by this denomina-
remission of sins were never applied
to any except Jews. The Jews were
I'm COvenant-relationsh with God
through the Mosaic Law. If they got
into sin 1t was proper for them to re-
pent. return to God and use water
symbolically. indicating return from
sin. All Jews in full harmony with
the Law Covenant in Jesus day were
transferred from Moses to Christ.
Only those who had committed spe-
cial sins were called upon TO wash
away those sins symbolically in wa
ter
Others living consistent lives as
"Israelites indeed" were never in
structed to be baptized or to wash
away their sins. Amongst the Apos-
ties. Pastor Russell said. there is no
record of any Of them having been
immersed in water for the remission
Of sins. except st. Paul, and he only
because he had prosecuted the Church
of Christ. The baptism into Christ
announced for Gentle converts Is
wholly different, he declared, from the
Jewish baptism for the remission Of
sins. An illustration OF this, he said.
is found in Acts xviii. "a, %, where
ApollOs had baptized certain Gentiles
of Ephesus with Johns baptism for
the remission of sins. st. Paul after
ward declared this incorrect and d.
rected them to be immersed again
not for the remission Of sins. but for
induction into the Body Of Christ.
which is the Church. (Acts xix. 1-6D
But the chief point which Pas
tor Russell made against the Chris
tian- Disciple theory. that Baptism is
for the remission Of sins, was that 1t
naturally dis-fellowships all Christians
who have not been immersed. The
logic of this theory. he declared, would
find few supporters in the Christian
Disciple denomination. The logic Of it
is this: If immersion is necessary for
an adult in order that his sins may
be RENTED or washed away, it would
logically follow that all adults not i'm
mersed are yet in their sins-unfOrgiv-
en-. And this signifies. according to
this theory. that. if they die thus they
must suffer the penalty Of their sins.
which penalty. they say, is eternal
torture
Baptist Theory In Error
Next the Baptist theory of Baptism
was dealt with. 1t was complimented
as being more nearly in line with the
Scriptures than any theory Of Baptism
held in the world. And yet. said the
speaker. remarkably few Baptists to-
day could or do stand by their theory.
! il put to the test Nevertheless. in
theory and practice. the great mass Of
Baptists declare that immersion is a
necessary incidental to admission to
the Church of the Living God. whose
names are written in heaven!"
In full keeping with this. in nine out
! of every ten Baptist Churches the
world over, only immersed Christians
are ever invited to the communion ia
BILE to participate in the Lords Sup
per- Why? Because they claim that
only immersed persons belong to the
true Church and that the communion
service is exclusively for the Church.
! If we ask them what are the advan-
! tages claimed for membership in the
Church, they reply-Salvation! What
is the antithesis or opposite Of saliva
ton? we ask. They answer-Lost!
What do you mean by lost? we inquire.
The reply is. To be banished from God
and suffer everlasting torture.
So then, theoretically. our Baptist
| friends deliver to the unimmersed the
same blood-curdling theory handed out
by an-Disciples-that Catholics,
Lutherans. Presbyterians, Methodists,
Congrega tionalists. etc.. are enrOute
for eternal torture. The difference be-
/ tween the two theories is that the Dis
ciples say that this awful fate impends
upon the masses of Christendom, as
well as upon heathendom, because their
sins have not been forgiven, while the
Baptists say. No. not for that cause
! for Jesus died for all. but because
they have not taken the necessary steps
to get into the Church.
"Times of Such Ignorance"
st. Paul tells us Of certain times OF
ignorance which God winked at" OF
disregarded. We believe that the Al
mighty graciously overlooked such in
consistencies in the theories Of some
Of His children and charged them not
with the responsibility of so terribly
maligning the Divine Character and
misrepresenting the Divine Word. But
now our God is opening the eyes OF
our understanding and there is nc
longer excuse for any to believe such
mOnStrOus theories, nor excuse to Still
profess to believe them after they have
been repudiated by the heart.
The true view Of Baptism is one
which cannot be controverted. 1t is
consistent with itself and with every
Bible statement. 1t recognizes every