The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-06-28


not far OLA time OF trouble such as
never was since there was a nation
worldwide anarchy.-Daniel l2:l.
churehianity Not Christianity.
With the awakening OF true Chris.
tianity-heart Christixniy-has come
substitute: namely. Churchianlty.
For years Christian faith has been
gradually declining. under the attacks
OF Higher Criticism. Evolution, and un-
der the neutralizing influence of the
love of pleasure. Gradually one Bible
doctrine after another has been quietly
dropped. while Churchianity has been
brought to the front more and more as
form Of godliness. but wholly desti.
tute of its power.
Conditions in Great Britain and
America are serious indeed, yet not to
be compared with the conditions of the
Germanic and Latin nations. In
France probably not more than two per
cent. OF the population have any real
faith. In Germany probably less than
ten per cent In America probably not
more than twenty per cent. and in
Great Britain probably not more than
thirty per cent. still trust in the living
God. and n still smaller per cent. re-
gard the Bible rs His inspired Message.
and seek to be guided thereby. How
short n distance the world has to 20 to
tppOra Il nm ttraIpt
Arc the Massea Not christians7
To the question. the Pastor said. two
answers might be given: one answer
might be that all civilized people claim
to be Christians. In other words. the
term Christianity has been substituted
for Civilization In the minds OF the peo.
pie As one gentleman replied to this
question: I'VE are certainly not Jews.
nor heathens. ! reckon therefore we
must be Christians"
The other answer to the question.
the Pastor said. was that n Christian
Is one who processes to believe the
teachings of Jesus and His Apostles.
and who processes conservation. In his
|, daily life following those teachings and
the example which Illustrated them
This, the Masters view of Christian.
ity, and the Apostolic view. the Pastor
declared to be his own view. Let us
see. he said. to what extent the teach.
fngs OF Christ and the teachings OF the
Bible IRE still believed.
How few believe that Jesus existed
rs spirit being before He was born
of n virgin in order to become the
Man Christ Jesus"-in order to be
qualified to give His life Ransom.
price for the forfeited life Of Adam.
How few believe that He really did
die ut all. What the majority believe
on the subject seems TO be that He
merely appeared TO die on the cross.
but really was us much alive us ever
In some spiritual sense. How few he.
lieve that He really arose on the third
day-the majority seemingly believing
that In solne way the Bible account Is
untrue; and that II Jesus arose at NIL.
He experienced thut resurrection Oh
the eross!-L,ise 24:4G; Acts 1910.
Or coming down to the effect Of
Christs death us respects the forgive.
ness OF sins. said the Pastor, how few
have any serious conviction that they
need Il Savior. or that they could not
come to God. II they wished to, without
II Redeemer. without sacrifice, with.
ont an Advocate with the Father. 1t
would appear as though the attempt Of
the last fifty years to ignore doctrines.
instead OF correcting the doctrines OF
the past In the present light ON the Bi.
BILE has been great mistake, which Is
now bearing Its Injurious fruit In that
very few Christian people know def.
nitely what they believe or what the
Bible teaches on any subject.
The effect Of Nil this ON the rising
generation is disastrous. They see the
doctrines Of MI denominations dlscrcd.
tied In pulpit and pew. and especially
in the colleges. They perceive that the
Bible Is classed with the creeds. and Is
claimed TO be their foundation. This
Is the alarming mistake. The sooner
we get rid Of the creeds of the Dark
Ages. the better for u.s. But II we
lose the Bible. are we not In danger Of
losing al that has tended to steady
our rcivlization-thc foundation Of all
our faith aad hope beyond the present
life?
. q - ..... ..
The Loss Is Greater to Some.
The majority of mankind, with
strong animal tendencies which need
to he curbed. require an Incentive for
that curbIng. Such an incentive the
Bible gives In Its promise OF everlast.
Ing life. But the misstatement Of our
crceds Is. that all have eternal life with.
out the Life-giver, and thnt the qucs.
ton merely Is whether we will spend
that eternal life In Joy or In misery.
This proposition has become 50 trans.
parently Illogical that It Is generally re-
pudiated. Human justice fails to ap-
preciate us justice at nil an arrange.
ment which would crcnte rnce with
the foreknQwledge aud foreintention
that nearly NIL Of that race would suf.
fer torture throughout eternity. In pro.
portion rs that theory advocated In the