The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-11-06

He had not nm unkind word 10 saw re.
specting the people OF tls drnounna
tlon. Dut he did dissect their doc.
trines, laying bare what he considered
TO be their Inconsistencies. fulsities.
Criticizing the immersion theory of
the Disciples he declared
that the texts used by this denominu-
tion as proofs that baptism Is for mc
remission of sins We're never applied
to any except Jews. The Jews we're
in Covenant-relationsh 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
symbollcally. indicating return from
sin. All Jews I'm 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 symbollcally in wa
ter.
Others living consistent lives as
Tsraelites 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 Gentics
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, 1.6)
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 dls-felowships 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
IL this: II immersion is necessary for
an adult in order that his sins may
he remitted or washed away. 1t would
logically follow that all adults not i'm
mersed are yet in their sins -uniorgiv-
en-. Aud 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 compllmented
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 q
necessary incidental to admission TO
the Church of the Living God. whose
names are written In henven,"
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 adyan
tages claimed for membership In the
Church, they REPRESENTATION What
is the antithesis or opposite of saliva
tion? we ask. They answer-Lost
What do you mean by lostl we inquire
The reply is, To be banlshed from Goo
and suffer everlasting torture.
So then, theoretically. our Baptist
friends deliver to the unimmersed thu
same blood-curdllng theory handed ou
by Christian n-Disciples-that Catholics
Lutherans. Presbyterians, Methodists
Congregatlonalists, 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'
well as upon heathendom. because thei
sins have not been forgiven, while th,
Baptists say, No. not for that cause
4. n