El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-05

~ HE CHURCH Is a divine institu-
ton, and every feature of the
u true church had its origin in the
mind of God Every ecclesiasticism
that now exists, or that ever has ex-
listed, had its origin in the ambition
and vanity of men. The church gen
eraI-the kingdom of heavens
monarchy, belonging in part both to
heaven and earth. Its King IS IN
heaven, but with his subjects mere IN
Spirit and every subject of his is ms
agent here to extend his kingdom and
a primitive church was like the
primitive gospel, a simple thing, ana
one thing that has hindered the prog
ress of Christianity very greatly has
been the desire of men to improve upon
that simple organization established
by Christs apostles, and considered
by them exactly adapted to and ade-
quate to the accomplishment OF MS
purposes. 1t was a society or com
munity of disciples who had confessed
their faith in, and been baptized into,
Christ-who observed the Lords sup
per on the first day Of the week, VINO
had elders to preside over. and guide
them, and deacons to look after other
matters, and who met OFTEN Tor Wor-
ship, exhortation and mutual help, and
whose prime object was, through or
ganiZation, to preserve and extend
Christ's kingdom in the world. They
were disciples-not of some man prop
agating theories or speculations of his
own-but disciples of Christ
No man in any true church, what
ever his prominence, has ever risen
too high to be a disciple. Every mem
Der of a church of Christ looked 10
him as the light of the world-the one
great teacher of truth-and recog-
nized the fact that he is Gods only
ultimate revelation of truth; that one
may learn of him about God because
he is Gods Son and he came from
hon haa kon .
! down from heaven; about ourselves
/ because he knows and has known man
from the beginning, and knows all InaI
| is in him, and only he and God ms
| Father know mans destiny; about sin
| because he offers its only remedy
| through the sacrifice of himself; about
| righteousness, for he is coos right
| eousness; about the judgment to come,
/ because he only can show us now TO
prepare for it; about redemption and
! salvation, for he IS our savior anu
| redeemer, and about our whole duty,
| because into his hands only has been
committed all authority in heaven ana
The disciples who made up church
! were also called believers because they
| believed in the Christ of the gospel
and not in the creation of some VAN
| mans imagination. they were called
| the saved because they had been saved
| from the world as Christs followers
| believed in the salvation offered IN the
! gospel, and not in the results Simply
of education and moral and social cuI'
! ture They were called saints because
they had been sanctified or set apart
orfm the world as ChriSts followers
and children of God and brethren De.
cause they had become his childrel
| through faith in Christ, having beel
| begotten of God by the word OF truth
and made subjects of a new birth;
birth into the only spiritual kingdom
on earth. They were called citizen
of Christ's kingdom, and enjoined t
| live in anticipation of the perfect en-
joyment of their citizenship hereafter
| and were also called the elect of God
living stones in Christs holy temple
and joint heirs with Christ to an in
heritance that is beyond our concep
ton, but which we will properly .ap
, preCiate when we shall see MI
. as he is"
A church of the first century thu
! made up of disciples who were ODE
dent believers-sOns of God throug
the faith demanded by the gospel-eS
| listed in order that the leaven of IN
| gospel might work in the cOmmunit
J where it was located. Its member