The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-22


test against Brother Calvin's atroeity
committed In the name Of Jesus, the
Bible, and the God of Love. r.
We must give John Calvin credit for
emphasizing the doctrine of Election,
although we cannot give him credit for
making that doctrine, for Of course 1t
was a Bible doctrine fifteen centuries
before his birth. Had he been con-
tented with emphasizing the election
for the Church and had he said, II
know not what will be the fate of the
non-elect," he would hnve deserved to
this day our unstinted praise. But
alas! to err Is human. Calvin was not
content to leave the matter thus. He
reasoned out his theory. and. his head
being imperfect, his conclusions were
defective when he surmised that all
OF the non-elect, whether infants or
gray.headed, were predestinated to
eternal torture. This feature, purely
Calyinistic, and strictly unscriptural,
has been the cause of untellable diff
culties In the theology of Chrlstendom
from Calvtn's day until now.
The key to tho Problem.
The key which solves the problem Is
80 simple that we wonder TINT we have
all 80 long overlooked it. The key is
found In the promise made to Abraham
that his Seed was to be the Elect
Jesus the Head and the Church His
members-Jesus the Bridegroom, typi-
fed by Isaac, and the Church His
Bride, typified by Rebecca, Isaac's
wife. And this Seed Of Abraham when
completed, according to Divine prom
ise, Is to be the channel for blessing
all the families Of the earth-the living
and the dead. The blessing that is to
come to all is clearly stipulated by St.
Paul, saying;''God our Savior will have
all men to be saved (from the condem-
nation that came on them through
Adam) and to come unto the knowledge
Of the Truth."-I Timothy II, 80.
The basis Of the Apostles argument
Is set forth IN Romans v, IL. he there
shows that Adam, and not his race,
was put OH trial in Eden-that Adam
and not his race was directly condemn.
ed-but thnt Adams race were involv-
ed through heredity, by inheriting the
weaknesses and dying conditions Of
their parent. st. Paul then shows forth
in the same argument that as condem-
nation and death thus passed from
Adam to all of his race, so Christ Jesus.
having become Adams Redeemer Di-
vine mercy through Him extends be-
yond Adam to all the members Of his
race who were involved with him in
the death sentence by laws of heredity-
The argument Is plain. To see it is to
be convinced, because 1t is so logical.
And it could not be supposable for n
moment that God would provide the
ransom-price for all mankind and fail
to make 1t operative, because the great
mass Of mankind went down to death
without a knowledge Of it-many of
them during the four thousand years
before, Christ came into the world to
give His life a RANSOM.
The gexplanau df rs That d1r~ went.
down into the Bible hell-down to the
tomb, the death state. in harmony with
the sentence, dying thou shalt die"
PROVISION Is made for the redemption
Of all from sheoI. (Hosea Kill, 40
Christ died for all and, as result,
there Is to be resurrection of the
dead, both the just and the unjust.
(Acts xiv, 49, The just are the justi-
fed, and are the comparatively few who
have heard Of Gods grace and have re-
sponded and come into fellowship with
the Father and being approved OF Him
are to have share In the better or First
Resurrection. The remainder Of the
world, equally redeemed with the pre-
c1ous blood from the power Of the
tomb are all to come forth unto res
direction Of the dead, "For as all in
Adam die, even 80 all In Christ shall
be made alive, each In his own order"
L Corinthians XIV, %. q.
Tho .churoh's .sin--tl,s Worlds Sin.
How clearly our text defines the fact
that the Church is q separate and dis
ttnct class from the world-a class call
ed out from the world. AS Jesus said,
Eye are not OF the world, even as am
not of the world" "for I have chosen
you out Of the world" The ordina-
tton Of the: Church is to association
with the Redeemer IN His great work
OF witnessing now for the Truth, show
Ing fa1thfulness even unto death and
sacrificing all the earthly interests, to
the intent that they with the Redeem
or may later on be associated in the
work Of blessing the world as the anti
typical, the spiritual, Seed Of the Abra-
hamic promise. Galatians iii, 29.) All
along we read In our Bibles that "Je-
sus Christ, by the grace OF God, TASTED
death for every man." Hebrews IL, o.
But other texts misunderstood, be-
clouded our Judgment and led us to
think that this text meant every man
In Christ. We all know that the Bible