Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-11-11

/ new. ray Of hope and that II hsd a
transforming influence upon his life?
The Christian. 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 saw re-
specting the people Of this denomina.
ton, but he did dlssect their doc.
trines, laying bare what he considered
to be their inconsistencies, falsities.
Crtticizing the immersion theory Of
the Christian-Disciples he declared
that the texts used by this denomina-
ton as proofs that baptism is for the
remission OF sins were never applied
to any except Jews. The Jews were
in Covenant-relationship with God
through the Mosaic Law. If they got
into sin it 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
"lsraelites indeed" We're 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 di-
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, 1-6)
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 it
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, 1t 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,
If 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 heavenw
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 ta'
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 thu
Church, they REPRESENTATION. Wha
is the antithesis or opposite of saliva
ton? we ask. They answer-Lost
What do you mean by lOst9 we inquire
The reply is. To be banished from Coz
and suffer everlasting torture.
So then, theoretically, our Baptis
friends deliver to the unimmersed tn
same blood-curdling theory handed ou
by Christian Disciples-tha. Catholics
= Lutherans, Presbyterians, MethodistS
Congregationalists, ETC., are enrout
for eternal torture. The difference be
tween the two theories is that the Dis
ciples say that this awful fate impend
upon the masses of Christendom, a
we'll as upon heathendom, because thei
sins have not been forgiven, while tn
Baptists say. No. not for that cause
for Jesus died for all. but becaus
: they have not taken the necessary step
to get into the Church
"Times of Such Ignorance"
ST. Paul tells US of certain times O
ignorance which God winked at" 0
, disregarded. We believe that the A
mighty graciously overlooked such II
consistencies in the theories of som
of His children and charged them nc
with the responsibility Of so terribl
: maligning the Divine Character an
misrepresenting the Divine Word Br
: now our God is opening the eyes
our understanding and there Is n
longer excuse for any to believe sue
monstrous theories, nor excuse to sti
profess to believe them after they hav
been repudiated by the heart.
: r-bo +rua WOW of BAPTISM is on