Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-04-08

his baptism In water (Acts X, Al.
The Pastor could not think that the
Baptist and Disciple brethren would
have much difficulty in rejecting
water immersion as test of Chris.
tian fellowship. IL once they saw the
matter in its true light. thus: The
Disciples. In holding that immersion
In water Is for the remission Of sins.
are claiming. in fact. that all not thu;
Immersed are lost doomed TO eternal
torment. according 10 their theory.
Baptists should see the absurdity Of
claiming that only the water immersed
nre members OF the Church OF Christ.
for thus. according to their theory.
they doom to eternal torture. as I'M
saved. all Of their Christian brethren
who have not been immersed. Surely
Baptists and Disciples. therefore. may
be expected To promptly and heartily
repudiate these test features of their
theories.
The Methodist Greed was next ex-
amined II was commended for the
prominence ii gives to the Love Of
God and Ills forbearancc with the mis-
representations Of those who honestly
Geek 10 he His chit@Eu. The speaker
asked the Methodist brethren to fore
60 the worshiping of their Church aud
to give the more homage TO the Lord.
lie admitted the masierfulness of their
organization. but reminded them that
their Episcopacy is not modelled after
anything shown In the New Testament.
1t does not even pretend TO be an au-
thority along the lines of Apostolic
Succession. They must admit that the
establishment of its Bishopric was. ut
least. semi-fraudulcnt IA supposed
emergency. born of the error that an
Episcopal ordination was necessary TO
an authority TO preach.
He'll and Purgatory Must Go.
Unitedly we must all acknowledge
that we grossly misunderstood the
teaching Of our Bible when we believ-
cd and taught that our Almighty Gre
ator prepared great hell. manned
with firc-proof demons. with the fore
knowledge that all of our race would
20 thither except MS certain few
would he specially rescued by the
Savior. after His coming. when He was
not sent for over four thousand years
after the fall. Looking back to the
Ozark Ages" we behold with horror
the terrible effects of this blasphemous
doctrine upon good men of that time.
who thought they were copying the
Divine spirit and methods when they
burned one another at the stake.
As we have learned that Purgatory
is not taught in the Bible. so also we
have learned that this hell of our fore.
fathers is unscriptural-that the Bible
hell Is the grave, the tomb. the state
OF death. This just penalty for sin is
what the Bible everywhere teaches.
We now know that the Hebrew word
Shcoi of the Old Testament. and the
Greek word hddes OF the New Tesla
ment refer TO the grdrc. the state of
death, the tomb: and that they are so
translated more times than they are
rendered he'll. We now know that In
old English literature the word hell
was SO used as signifying pit. COW
cred place. grave. The Pastor an
nounced that free pamphlets. discuss
ing the word he'll and the parable of
The Rich Man and Lazarus. etc,
would be distributed by the ushers
The Divine Plan of the Ages.
With our hearts and heads agreed TO
discard those features of our creeds
not found in the Bible and. as far as
possible, 10 harmonic what we do
find therein. what is the result? Is 1t
the Gospel of which st. Paul was not
ashamed? The speaker submitted that
it is, and believes that all Christians
could heartily unite and fellowship
upon its broad basis.
John Calvin and our forefathcrs
were right In declaring that the Scrip
lures teach the election" of n little
flock": but they were wrong in claim
ing that the great mass of humanity.
the non-elect. are "passed by" routed
for eternal torture. On the contrary
they all 70 to the Bible hell. the grave
They are all unconscious there. The
Divine promise guarantees the resur-
rection of The dead. both the just and
the unjust. by One Who gave His life
for their redemption-"Who died, the
Just for the unjust" q Peter Iii. is'.
In "a word merely the called OF
God" are being dealt with in the pres
emf time. although the remainder Of
mankind are having witness" and
are learning lessons which will be
valuable 10 them when their trial time
shall come We have not in the past
sufficiently noted the difference be-
tween the Church and the C0rid. The
Church Is invited TO walk the marrow
way" In the footprints Of the Redeem
or. bearing the cross with him. The
faithful are promised a share with
Him In Ills heavenly glory, honor and
Immortality.
But nothing is said about torment.
Ing the world The entire race Of
Adam has been under condemnation
for six thousand years. The coming
of Jesus and Ills death were not in