The Penn's Grove record., 1923-07-27
BAPTISTS PRAISE KING
FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
NEW TESTAMENT Is GUIDE
All Human Authority Is Denied And
Freedom In Belief Is Given
Fullest Approval

King Gustav today upon the TACT lhat
during his reign full recognition Of
religious liberty had been granted in
Sweden. 1t voted to lay a wreath on
the grave of GustavUs AdolphuS.
Speakers from every section Of
Europe brought messages OF the
progress of Baptist work since the
close of the war. DR.. John Clifford
of London. a leading English Non
ConformiSt and deputy president Of
the Alliance for the eastern henri
sphere. who, because of his age, had
been unable to attend the present on
greSs, sent a message urging the All
ance to r~e-dedieate itself to the proc
lamation of the principles Of the New
Testament as the only hope of unset
tied Europe and the whole world.
New Testament Baptists Guide
In a statement of Baptist principles
and purposes to all Christians and
people of the world, considered by the
Alliance tonight, an emphatic declar-
alton in favor of all the fundamental
principles of evangelical religion were
espoused, the New Testament was re-
affirmed as the only authoritative guide
of creed, and the appeal to all Chris
tian people in the interest of unity
issued by the Bishops of the Angel
cal Communion, assembled in the
Lambeth conference of 1920, was de-
clined.
On the question of Christian unity
the statement declares in part:
I'VE hold all who have communion
with God in our Lord Jesus Christ as
our Christian brethren in the work
Of the Lord, and heirs with US of life
eternal. We love their fellowship.
and maintain that the spiritual union
of all believers is now and ever will
be a blessed reality. This spiritual
union does not depend on organiza-
lions, forms of ritual. 1t is deeper.
higher, broader and more stable than
any or all eXternals. All who truly
are joined to Christ are our brethren
in the ommon salvation, whether they
be in the Catholic communion, or in
Protestant communion, or in any
other communion. With all evangeli-
cal Christians we rejoice in the COM
mon basic beliefs-the incarnation.
the sinless life, the supernatural work,
the deity, the vicariOus atonement.
and resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead. His present reign and His
coming kingdom, with its eternal
awards to the righteous and upright
eous."
Among a number of reasons for re-
fusal to accept the Lambeth proposal
was the following, which gives the
Baptist position on creeds:
eve cannot agree to the accept
ance of the Nicene or Apostles
Greed as a condition of Christian
union. While holding the substance
of these creeds, Baptists have always
held that the New Testament is the
sole sufficient, certain and authorita-
tive rule of faith. individuals and
groups of Baptists do not hesitate to
exercise their right as freemen in
Christ to put forth from time to time
interpretations of the New Testament
in the form of confessions of faith.
But these are never authoritative in
character or binding upon the on
enforce such confessions or credal
statements would meet with prompt
and vigorous opposition by our Bap-
fist people"
Human Authority Denied
"There are various ways Of stat
ing the fundamental Baptist princi-
ples,' the statement continued. IF
we indicate the source of u knoWl-
edge, we say the scriptures, and
especially the New Testament, are
our sufficient and authoritative guide
in matters of faith and practice. As
to the nature of the Christian religion,
we affirm that it is personal and
spiritual. We believe in the direct
relation of each individual in God, and
the right of every one to choose for
himself in all matters of faith. A
Christians religion begins in the soul
when personal faith is exercised in
Jesus Christ, the divine Redeemer and
Lord. AS the ~revealer of God to men
and the Mediator of Salvation, Jesus
Christ is central for Christian faith.
His will is the supreme law for the
Christian. He is Lord of conscience,
of the Individual and of the Church.
Hence the Lordship of Jesus Christ
is a cardinal teaching of Baptists. 1t
excludes all merely human authority
in religion"
Favors Religious Liberty
Baptists of the world not only seek
absolute religious liberty for them
selves, but an equal right for all other
believers and nOn-believers to worship
God according to the dictates OF then
conscience or refuse to worship God
at all.
Dr.. f. y. Mullins, Of Louisville.
president Of the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary and of the
Southern Baptist Convention. told the
Alliance this afternoon in an address
on "The Baptist Conception of Reli-
gious liberty" Baptists We're instru-
mental in securing guarantees for full
religious liberty in the American Con
stitution, and Baptists have fourished
there as nowhere else on the globe,
and they are now lending their infu-
ence in an effort to induce Govern
ments, both civil and ecclesiastical, to
permit the largest possible liberty on
the part of all individuals in their APP
proach to God, the speaker said.
Declaring that religious liberty *
cludes certain things and implies Ger
tain other things, DR.. Mullins said
that it excluded all State authority
in religion, the principle Of liberation
in religion, as where the State puts