The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-06-13

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world wide anarchy. Daniel l2:1.
Chu-chianity Not Christianity.
With tie awakening of true Chris
tianity heart Christianity has come
a substitute: namely. Ch~urchianity,
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 an~othershas been quietly
dropped. while Ch~urchihnity has been
brought to the front more and more MS
a form of GOODNESS. but wholly deStl-
tute of its power.
Conditions in Great Britain and
Americ;t are serious indeed. yet not to
be compared with the conditions of the
Germanic and Latin nations. IN
France probably not more than We 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 "A still smaller per cent. re-
gard the Bible as His inspired Message.
and seek to be guided thereby. How
short Il distance the world has to go to
ignore it entirely.
Are the Masses Not Christians?
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 a 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. t~heapastor
ueCliIeu " abe Ills oNH view. LCt VIC
see. he said. to what extent the teach.
ings of Christ and the teachings of the
Bible are still believed.
How few believe that Jesus existed
as a spirit being before He was born
of q virgin i'm order to become the
Man Christ Jesus'r-in order to bt
qualified to give His life a Ransom
price for the forfeited life of Adam
How few, believe that He really die
die at ALL What the majority believe
on the subject seems to be that He
merely appeared to die on the cross
but really was as much alive as eve
in some spiritual sense. How few be
lieve that He really arose on the thirt
day-the majority seemingly b~elieyin:
that in some way the Bible account i
untrue: and that if Jesus arose at all
He experienced that resurrection OF
the cross!-Luke 24:46; Acts 1O:4O.
Or coming down to the effect o
Christ's death as respects the forgive
ness of sins. said the Pastor. how few
have any serious conviction that the,
need a Savior, or that they could nc
come to God. if they wished to. withou
a Redeemer, without a sacrifice. with
out an Advocate with the Father! |
would appear as though the attempt o
the last fifty years to ignore doctrines
instead of correcting the doctrines 0
the past in the present light on the Il
BILE has been Il great mistake, which
n,r, Io,r;nr 81, I ~ i1ripIc fpuit in tho
very few Christian people know DEF
nitely what they believe or what th
Bible teaches on any subject.
The effect of all this on the risin
generation is disastrous. They see ~
doctrines of all denominations dl.icre,
tied in pulpit and pew. and especial
in the colleges. They perceive that IL
Bible is, classed with the creeds. and
claimed to be their foundation. TIL
is the alarming mistake. The soone
! we get rid of the creeds of the Dan
Ages. the better for us. But If W
lose the Bible. are we not in danger
: losing all that has tended to stead
our civ~ilization-the foundation of a
: our faith and hope beyond the presel
| life?
The Loss Is Greater to Some.
; The majority of mankind. vii
strong animal tendencies which nee
to be curbed. require an incentive fl
: that curbing. Such an incentive Il
Bible gives in its promise of everlas
: ing life. But the misstatement of OF
l craadc ;s that all ave eternal life wit
: out the Life-giver. and that the que
y ton merely is whether we will spet
y that eternal life in joy or in misery.
y This proposition has become so trar
5 parently illogical that 1t is generally
. pudiated. Human justice fails to a
q preciate as Justice at all an arrang
Z ment which would create a race wi
the foreknewledge and f~oreintenti
d that nearly all of that race would 81
fer torture throughout eternity. In pl
n portion as that theory advocated in
g creeds of the Dark Ages is still pl
n claimed. in that same proportion int
It ligent minds repndiate everything. a
] denounce all religious teachings
It priestcraft.
D. The average man needs the Mesa
r. of life and hope which the Gosl
0. holds out for him in the future in
der to make the trials. the d~iscouraI
ments and the sorrows of the pres'
he life endurahle. and i'm order that thu
may OPERATE in him. may serve him
IN lessons in Observation-Disclosures.
N In UyipUStnp Iannica pHrnp III