Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-04-04


Baptist and Disciple brethren would
have much difficulty In rejecting
water immersion as test OF Chris
tan fellowship. if 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 thus
immersed are lost-doomed TO eternal
torment. according to their theory.
Baptists should see the absurdity Of
claiming that only the water immersed
are members of the Church of Christ,
for thus. according TO their theory.
they doom to eternal torture. rs 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 1t was commended for the
prominence it gives to the Love of
God and His forbearance with the mis-
representations of those who honestly
seek to be His children. The speaker
asked the Methodist brethren to fore
go the worshiping of their Church and
TO give the Inore homage to the Lord.
He admitted the masterfulness 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. at
least, semi - 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 behev-
ed, and taught that our Almighty Gre
ator prepared a great hell, manned
with fire-proof demons, with the fore
knowledge that all of our race would
go thither except as a certain few
would be 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
Dark 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 Wien they
burned one another at the stake.
AS we have learned that Furgatory
is not taught in the Bible. So also we
have learned that this he'll 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
Greek word hGdeS of the New Tesla
ment refer to the craze, the state OF
death, the tomb; and that they are sc
translated more times than they are
rendered hell We now know that in
old English literature the word he'll
was so used as signifying pit. a Gov
cred place, a grave. The Pastor an
nounced that free pamphlets, discuss
ing the word hell and the parable OF
The Rich Man and Lazarus, ETC.,
would be distributed by the ushers.
The Divine Plan of tho Ages.
With our hearts and heads agreed to
,1ieoord those faaturaC Of n1r craodc
not found in the Bible and, as far as
possible, to harmonic what we dc
find therein, what is the result? Is il
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 forefathers
were right in declaring that the Scrip
lures teach the election" of 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 go 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, 49,.
In a word, merely the "called OF
Cod are being dealt with in the pres
ent time, although the remainder OF
mankind are having witness" and
are learning lessons which will be
valuable to them when their trial time
shall come. We have not in the past
sufficiently noted the difference be
tween the Church and the t0Orld. The
Church is invited to walk the marrow
way" in the footprints of the Redeem
er, bearing the cross with him. The
faithful are promised a share with
Him in His 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 His death were not in
tended to increase mans condemna-
ton. but. by providing for their resur-
rection. to set them free from Adamic
condemnation-to give to each and to al
a full. fair opportunity to demonstrate
their love of sin or love of righteous
ness. when the latter shall be fully as
easy as the former-during Messiahs
glorious reign of righteousness-the
thousand years The reward for well
doing will then be human perfection
in a sinIess Paradise restored.
Realizing Wesley's Ideal.
Brother John Wesley lived in a time
when practically all Christians had ac-
cepted Brother Calvin's theory thai
God had foreordained the great mass
of humanity to eternal misery. Brother
Wesley's heart was tender and SYM
pathetic He could nor believe that
his gracious Creator and loving Re
deemer could possibly have been
guilty OF originating such diabolical
Plan. Wesley's heart and tongue re-