The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-05-09

PSoPiS :! Skuu haS IL NOT REFUSED AuQ
driven many from God and the Bible,
thousands Of the most Intelligent minds
In the world?
AS the Jewish Doctors Of Divinity
carried no such burdens, neither do
the Doctors OF Divinity OF Chrsten-
dom. In private they acknowledge that
they carry no such burdens. In public
they give the inference that they do
not so much by positive terms as by
implication, tone and infection of
voice, and by the general fact that they
stand for and as representatives Of the
creeds which SO teach. 1t does not ex-
cuse these influential teachers for them
to claim that in their official capacity
they lose their personal responsibility
and shift 1t upon those who made the
creeds and those who adopted them.
The people are no longer trusting the
creeds. They realize that the creeds
contain many Inconsistencies, and that
greater light is today shining from one
page Of the Bible upon another, than
shone in the days when those creeds
were formulated.
The common people trust the Bible
Jesus, the Apostles and the Prophets.
They know that all Of the creeds Of
Christendom claim to be built upon the
inspired Record. They understand the
Scribes and Pharisees Of today, the
Doctors Of Divinity of Christendom, to
give assurances that those creeds prop
erly present the teachings of the Bible
The creedal chains would become ropes
OF sand If an the prominent Doctors of
Divinity Of Christendom came forward
and publicly renowned them, as they
nearly all do In private conversation.
1T Is this matter Of misleading the
people, deceiving them, that consti-
tinted the basis Of Jesus charge against
the Doctors of Divinity Of old. and we
believe that His Judgment is very SINH
lar today respecting the Doctors of Di-
vinity Of Christendom-"Ye have taken
away I've have hidden] the Key Of
knowledge. Ye have not entered in
yourselves, and them that were enter
ing We hindered."
Christian people today are so dis
gusted with the creeds which have sep
arated them and their forefathers
into six hundred different denomina-
tons that they are quite ready to dis
card them all, and to come together as
one Church Of the Living God to study
the Bible in it's own light.
Systematic key- hiding.
The Scribes and Pharsees Of our day
are proving themselves to be the anti
types OF those addressed by Jesus in
Our text and-haxe-a substitute fer
knowledge. Taking away the Key of
knowledge, they say to the common
people, DO not bother your head about
doctrines; leave doctrines to the clergy;
let the clergy endorse all the creeds,
however conflicting they be. We do
this i'll order to lull you to sleep.
There is nothing so calculated to dis
turb the Christians rest as the discus
sion Of the doctrines of Christ. If
there be In any congregation those who
Of Bible study, let them have 1t, but get
them rather to discussing the geogra-
ply of Palestine and the habits and
customs Of the people, ETC., rather than
tho prophecies Of old or the interpreta-
lions Of them, as given by Jesus and
the Apostles. We ministers will keep
aloof from such Bible study; we will
not let on but that we understand
these prophecies thoroughly, but we
will keep watch upon the Bible
classes, and interfere only If we find
some brother therein who is inclined
to delye after, the doctrines Of Christ
and the Apostles.
One minister, Voicing this opposition
to Bible study, especially along the
lines Of differences where it would be
Of special value, said, 1.-THE Church is
like a great Hospital. Everything like
doctrinal- discussion must be baRisAed
and excluded, just as in a hospital all
noise is forbidden, that the patients
may sleep, or just as in a nursery
noise IS excluded that children may
sleep"
Alas! it Is too true that the nominal
church Of Christ is like q Hospital,
many Of whose patients are blind and
deaf and asleep and mentally confused
But the trouble is: These got into this
/ condition because Of lack Of health
1ul exercise; and Keeping them quiet
will but turn the present hospital into
Cemetery
What the churches Of all the denom-
nations need Is the Word Of God-as
presented in the words Of Jesus and
the Apostles: 1.-The words that | speak
unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life" The sin-sich and lame. the blind
and deaf and mentally perplexed need
to hear the voice Of Truth-"Wonder
full Words Of Life"-Otherwise they
will become more sick and will perish
as Christians, but to become alive per-
haps as 'lovers Of pleasure more than
lovers Of God"
An Episcopal minister in our hearing
urged his congregation to simply rest,
| not to bother themselves about their
own future or that Of others. The Holv