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

AS'NA Nup biuSt llleTe WIS u nHIlDu -
worldwide anarchy.-Daniel 12:l.
churehianity Not Christianity.
With the awakening OF true Chris.
tianity-heart Christsnity-has come
a substitute: namely. ChurchianIty.
For years Christian faith has been
gradually declining. under the attacks
OF Higher Criticism. Evolution. and un-
der the neutralizine influence Of the
love Of pleasure Gradually one Bible
doctrine after another has been quietly
dropped. while Churchlanity 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 still smaller per cent. re-
gard the Bible us His inspired Message.
and seek to be guided thereby. How
short distance the world has to 20 to
Ignore 1t entirely.
Are the Masses 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 PEG.
pie. As one gentleman replied to this
question: I'VE IRE certainly not Jews.
nor heathens. reckon therefore we
must be Christians
The other answer to the question.
the Pastor said, was that Christian
Is one who processes to believe the
teachings of Jesus anu 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.
nss OF Christ and the teachings OF the
Bible are still believed.
How few believe that Jesus existed
as II spirit being before he was born
'of a 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 tue cross.
but really was us much alive us ever
In some spiritual seuse. How few be-.
liere that He really arose On the third
day-the majority seemingly believing
that in some way the Bible account Is
untrue; and that II Jesus arose ut all.
He experienced, thut resurrection Oh
the cross!-IAlke 24;4G; Acts l0:40.
Or coming down to the effect OF
,!Christ's 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 Redecmer. without sacrifice, with.
out 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 Ri.
Bile has been great mistake. which Is
now bearing It's Injurious fruit tn that
very few Christian people know def.
nitely what they believe or what the
Bible teaches on any subject.
The effect Of MI this Oh 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 Chased with the crecds. 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 us. But II we
Iose'the Bible. are we not In danger Of
losing an that has tended to steady
our "civllization-the foundation Of all
our faith and hope beyond the present
life? '-
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 evcrlast-
Ing life. But the msstatement 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 rs justice at NIL an arrange.
ment which would crcnte race with
the foreknowledge and foreintentIon
that nearly NIL Of that race would suf-
fer torture throughout eternity. In pro.
portion rs that theory advocated In the