The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-03

lRASl0ReRUSStllU iy true to say
that everyone In
the large audience went home fully
satisfied that he had located the one
true Church to which the Bible con
tinually refers. IL ls not too much to
assert, however. that the vast major
ity of those who heard were both
pleased and convinced. No really
great man Is without his enemies, but
II may surely be said that Pastor Rus
sell Is gaining many friends through
out the Christian world every week
through the widespread reports of his
sermons. The text for the occasion
was, "The Church OF the First Borns.
whose names are written in heaven"
Hebrews XII, ~.
Church Of Christ ono--Not Many
He adverted TO the Scriptural rec
ords which refer 10 the Church OF
Christ as one, not as many. Pastor
Russell declared that In this matter
the Church of Rome and the Church
OF England hold aloof from many
Protestant denominations. They claim
that to recognize them as churches
would be unscripturai. since there IL
but one Church of the Living God
The various Protestant denominations
started out with similar Views, similar
theories, though today they have aban-
doned them. The Church OF England
formed an organization separate from
that of Rome, believing that tho for
mer had been the ono true Church but
had departed from the faith. and that
il was the duty OF the faithful to rec
Ognize her as Babylon. confusion
The claim to be tho true Church they
applied to themselves, Similarly, Pres
byterlans, MethOdists. Congregational
lists, Adventists. Disciples. etc. have
withdrawn, and many OF these origi-
nally claimed to I've the one true. loyal.
faithful Church OF Christ. Today,
however, the pendulum has swung TO
the other side. Moreover the narrow
ness OF the past IN Srnpldly giving way.
All are learning that TO be n Christian
means more than merely TO he i'm.
mersed; more than merely to be sprin-
kled; more than merely 20 believe In
the doctrine OF Election; more than
merely to believe In the doctrine of
Free Grace; more than TO believe In
the doctrine OF Observation-Disclosures or
Consubstantintlon with this enlarge.
ment OF mind Christians are indeed Ia
danger of losing sight OF the fact that
the True Church Is the custodian Of
the faith once delivered TO the saints"
which acknowledges "one Lord. one
Faith, one Baptism. one God and Ea.
ther of all, and Que Church OF the liv-
F,ng God"
fOne Church lo Many Churches
trbe key to the situation IN found In
'a1r Cords words; mot all thnt say
unto Me, Lord. Lord. shall enter into
the Kingdom OF heaycn;" not n'i who
ncuil themselves Christians, with one
UNCONVENTIONAL tag or another, are
gn4mbegs OF the Que Church. the Church
OF the Frst-borns. mentioned Ia our
text. As good, rich milk IN sometimes
called cream. 30 all the members of
Christian denominations are sometimes
called Christiana-In n complimentary
sense, because not unsympathctic with
true Christian principles Neverthe'
less. only those Ia all denominations
who have conformcd TO the conditions
required Of Chrislinn dlscipicshlp, the
saintly ones, constitute the True
Church-"The Church of the Firat-
born. whose names are written In
heaven"
~ we had box OF snwdust aud scat
tered through Il paper OF tackS I'M
al the latter were quite hidden from
view. surrounded and covered In the
snwdust, we lnow that we could take
\ magnet aud by passing II TO aud
fro amongst the sawduat, the magnet
would attract TO itself every tack,
The taClys Of thla illustration repre-
sent small class Of humanity, jealous
NJ heart FOR God aud righteousness,
The MAGNET represents the Gospel in
sTitetiou which Is now passed up aud
sewn, tither aud thlther throughout
tChe civilized world. and TO some ex.
SSent, into the heathcH world.
When we convince our hesrorB that
the nOn-elect OF this Age are not doom
ed To eternal torment hut win have 4
fbleesing OF inferior degree 60 that OF
''the elect" the eject should be "a
right our minds aud 30 cause us 10
think carefully and critically Of the
stringent terms Of discipleshlp which