To Infidelity and Back Part 10

No Name but the Divine.

In Christ--Unity.

In Opinions--Liberty.

In all Things--Charity.

_Is One Church as Good as Another?_

The mere hint that there might be something in the doctrines of different churches that is erroneous and needs to be dropped or modified, is usually met with a frown of disfavor, by the supersensitive sectarian world. The sectarian sore is grown over with the agreement to disagree, and woe unto the doctor that insists on probing the wound to effect a cure. The effort at probing is usually met with the declaration, "One church is just as good as another, they are all aiming for the same place." Let us try to discover what truth or error is wrapped up in this statement, and what are the religious conditions that inspire such declarations. In the first place, it shows a disposition to apologize for sectarian doctrines rather than to defend them. This is a hopeful sign. All the large denominations in America originated in European countries under the bitter religious controversies and cruel political strife that followed the Dark Ages.

It was these stormy and abnormal conditions that gave birth to these sects and largely moulded their peculiar doctrines. One extreme begot another, and while each of these denominations emphasized some neglected religious truth, it emphasized it so strongly as to often twist it into an untruth or out of proper relationship to other truths.

The people in free America are not interested in the polemical controversies that resulted from religious and political conditions in the old countries. Thus it has come to pa.s.s that scarcely any denomination seriously and persistently urges the ideas that gave it birth, and their creeds have to be revised continually to hold their preachers and church-members. The result is that the great ma.s.s of the members of the sectarian churches neither know nor care what the creeds of their churches teach. I say that this is a hopeful sign, but there is also a great danger involved in it. Learning that the doctrines of their own and other denominations are not of saving or vital importance, people are likely to jump to the conclusion that no religious doctrines are of vital importance, and so lose their interest in Christianity. No one can deny that thousands have reached this condition, and are either members of no church or merely nominal, indifferent members. Since all sectarian doctrines are of human origin and of no vital, saving importance, we can endorse the statement that, from a sectarian standpoint, one church is just as good as another.

We will also grant, for the sake of the argument, that from the standpoint of piety, talent, learning and consecration, one church, on an average, is just as good as another. But does this go to the bottom of the subject? The doctor who, through ignorance of medical science, gives your child medicine that cripples it for life or kills it, may be just as good morally and intellectually as other doctors who know their business. His blunder of ignorance may not destroy his hope of heaven; but is that a reason why you would just as soon have him treat your child as another doctor? So sectaries who teach erroneous doctrines may be just as honest, consecrated and learned as those who teach the gospel truth; but does it make no difference to the cause of Christ and the salvation of souls, whether they teach sectarian vagaries that divide and desolate the church, or exalt the Christ and his Word so as to unite all his followers in the conquest of the world? But, you ask, how can good and learned people differ so in their beliefs? We may not understand how it is, but we know it is and ever has been so. Our minds are so const.i.tuted that we must see all truths alike, logically, mathematically and in every other way, if we see them at all. The trouble is that our vision is so warped through prejudice and limited ideas and information that we fail to see the simplest truths, and find in the Bible and elsewhere what we bring with us through heredity and environment. The Bible recognizes this truth. Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Paul says, "I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim.

1:13), and again, "The times of this ignorance G.o.d winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). It may seem paradoxical, but it is nevertheless true, that the greatest hindrance to the spread of the truth of G.o.d has come from pious, consecrated and G.o.d-fearing souls who were misled by their hereditary prejudices. The majority of those converted under the preaching of the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, were devout saints who needed to be delivered from their hereditary Jewish prejudices and enlisted in the re-alignment of religious forces for the conquest of the world for Christ and his kingdom. The Pentecostians were "devout men," the eunuch was a devout worshiper, Saul of Tarsus was a conscientious man, Cornelius was devout and a philanthropist. A large per cent of the Jews were honest and devout people, but were fighting against Christ because they were blinded by hereditary religious ideas. Peter, even after Pentecost, was subject to these influences, for it took ten years, with special miraculous manifestations, before he could see that Gentiles were creatures to whom the gospel was to be preached as well as to the Jews. While sectarian divisions are largely due to selfish and wicked men, most of them are due to devout Christians who are misled by inherited prejudices or simply drift with the tide.

If these things are true, we should tremble lest we are upholding error and opposing the truth unintentionally through hereditary bias. We should make a prayerful and diligent search for the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Although we have discovered that none of the sectarian doctrines are of vital importance, let us remember that it is different with "the faith [system of teaching] which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3) by the Apostles and for which we are duty bound to "earnestly contend." Since so many devout and learned preachers are teaching so many contradictory doctrines, which cannot all be true, let us not accept their statements unchallenged, but let us test them (I John 4:1-6) by searching the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11). After that we are a.s.sured that we have found the truth ourselves, let us "be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves: if G.o.d peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will" (2 Tim. 2:24-26). In view of the fact that at least the great majority of the members of denominational churches must be in error, it should be a crowning glory to change one's religious affiliations through an investigation of the truth. The hope of the cause of Christ lies with those who, hearing the voice of G.o.d's truth in their conscience, are ready to obey it, even if it results in breaking the dearest human ties and leads to ostracism and persecution. Almost all the promoters of this union movement have themselves found their way out of sectarianism after heart-rending efforts to rid themselves from their hereditary prejudices and errors.

They are simply entreating others to do what they themselves have done, for the sake of Christ's cause, and help to establish local churches of Christ after the Apostolic model. That they have fundamentally reoccupied the primitive ground is admitted by all who have fairly investigated the subject. If they are yet in error on any points, they are in a position and ready to correct these as fast as they discover them through a further study of G.o.d's Word.

_The Church Triumphant._

Christ declares that the evangelization of the world is dependent upon Christian union. Therefore, the ultimate triumph of his church necessitates the triumph of Christian union. We praise G.o.d for every movement that looks toward a closer union of Christians; but we are sure that nothing short of the removal of every vestige of denominationalism and the complete restoration of the one body or church of New Testament times will satisfy the demands of G.o.d's Word. A number of forces such as the Sunday-school, C.E., Y.M.C.A., Evangelical Alliance and Church Federation are destroying the sectarian spirit and the field is getting ripe unto the harvest for the restoration of the unity of the early church with its converting power. The success of this movement for Christian union on the primitive gospel has been phenomenal. In eighty years its adherents have increased from ten thousand to about one and a third millions. The per cent of gain in membership, from 1890 to 1905, in the six American religious bodies that number a million each was as follows: Christians or disciples of Christ, 94 per cent.; Roman Catholics, 73 per cent.; Lutherans, 51 per cent.; Methodists, 40 per cent.; Baptists, 38 per cent., and Presbyterians, 35 per cent. Barring out the Catholics and Lutherans, who get most of their gain by immigration, the Christians or churches of Christ show more than double the gain of the other three bodies. We glory in this growth only as the glory of Christ is involved in it. It is an earnest of what Christian union will do even through very imperfect instruments. What will the harvest be, when the prayer of Jesus is answered and all his followers are united in one "glorious church, holy and without blemish, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27), going forth to the evangelization of the world "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners,"

"looking forth as the morning" (S. of Sol. 6: 10)! May the prayer of Jesus for the union of his followers be our prayer, and may we do all in our power to bring a speedy answer! Amen.

The following is a splendid statement of the aim of the Restoration movement. I do not know its author:

OUR AIM.

1. The restoration of primitive Christianity and consequent union of all the followers of Christ in one body.

2. To build a church of Christ, without a denominational name, creed or other barrier to Christian unity, whose terms of fellowship shall be as broad as the conditions of salvation and identical with them.

3. To lead sinners to Christ in the clear light of the New Testament teaching and example.

I have summarized the situation as I see it as follows:

ARE THESE THINGS TRUE?

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES AND SEE. ACTS 17:11.

1. Christ wants all of his followers to be united in one church as they were the first three centuries (John 17:20, 21; 1 Cor. 1:10-13; Eph.

4:1-6; Rom. 15:5-7).

2. Sects and divisions among Christians are wasteful, carnal and sinful and result from exalting human leaders and their opinions above Christ and his opinions revealed through his Apostles (1 Cor. 3:1-4; Rom.

16:17, 18; Gal. 5:20).

3. As soon as we drop human names, creeds and customs and build churches after the divine model, by teaching and practising as the Apostles did, the unity of the primitive church will be restored (Heb.

8:5; 1 Cor. 11:16; Jude 3).

4. Churches on an average are about the same in piety and consecration, but so long as they teach contradictory doctrines they cannot all be right, but may be wrong. _Therefore you should examine for yourself and be sure you are guided by G.o.d's Word rather than by inherited traditions which perpetuate sects_ (Mark 7:6-13).

The following _guide to salvation,_ which I take from one of my circulars used in gospel work, has the merit of being taken entirely from the Word of G.o.d, except the word "warning" and the few words in parentheses. If it is in harmony with the context, and we sincerely believe it is, then it is an infallible guide, and those who follow it cannot be mistaken.

"These men are the servants of the most high G.o.d which show unto us

THE WAY OF SALVATION"

(Acts 16:17).

"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?" (Acts 16:30; 2:37; 9:6).

"_Believe_ (unbeliever) on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). (See also Acts 8: 12, 37; Mark 16:16; Rom.

10:9-11, 17; John 3:18; 20:31; 1 John 5:1.)

WARNING.--"He that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned" (Mark 16:16).

"_Repent_ (believers) and be baptized for the remission of sins and ye shall receive _the gift of the Holy Ghost_" (Acts 2:38). (See also Acts 8:22; 26: 20; Luke 24:47; 2 Cor. 7:9, 10.)

WARNING.--"Except ye repent, ye shall all perish" (Luke 13:5).

"_Confess_ (penitent believer) with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9, 10). (See also Matt. 10:32; 16:16; 26:63; 1 Tim. 6:13; 1 John 4:15.)

WARNING.--"Whosoever shall deny me, him will I also deny" (Matt. 10:33).

"_Be baptized_ (confessor) and wash away thy sins" (Acts 22:16). (See also Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Gal. 3:26, 27; 1 Pet. 3:21.)

WARNING.--"Rejected the counsel of G.o.d, being not baptized" (Luke 7:30).

_"Walk in newness of life"_ (those buried with Christ in baptism) (Rom.

6:4).

WARNING.--"Walk not after the flesh," "For to be carnally minded is death" (Rom. 8:1, 6).

"Then they that _gladly received_ his _word were baptized;_ and the _same day_ there were _added unto them_ (joined church) about three thousand souls. And they

CONTINUED STEADFASTLY

in the _apostles' doctrine_ (no human creed) and _fellowship _(weekly collections, 1 Cor. 16:1, 2), and in _breaking of bread_ (weekly communion, Acts 20:7), and in _prayers"_ (attending prayer-meetings, Acts 2:41, 42).

"The disciples were

CALLED CHRISTIANS" (Acts 11:26).

"For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; _are ye not carnal?"_ (1 Cor. 3:4). "If ye are reproached for the _name_ of Christ, blessed are ye... if a man suffer as _a Christian_, let him glorify G.o.d in _this name"_ (1 Pet. 4:14-16, R.V.).

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the _name_ of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all _speak the same thing,_ and that there be

NO DIVISIONS

among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the _same mind_ and in the _same judgment._ Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ: _is Christ divided_ (I Cor. 12: 12)? _Was Paul crucified for you?_ or were ye baptized in (into) the name of Paul?" (I Cor. i: 10-13). "Therefore,

GO ON UNTO PERFECTION" (Heb. 6:1).