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About Christian herald. (Portland ;) 1882-18?? | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1884)
2 O HR TS TI A. N HERALD ♦ < *• long way from Jerusalem of olcL THE GROUNDOF DIREOT heart, break up this old depravity, SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE. We can not yet afford to crystalize, destroy sin and make the sinner - ’ and he who supposes that the work We have been requested to write “disposed,” “inclined” and “willing” of restoration is completed needs to a few articles on the operation of to believe in Christ and thus be take a new survey of the real situa the Holy Spirit in conversion. We come a Christian! The preached tion in the light of the e and propose to do so as time and oppor gospel of Christ is not sufficient— our present needs. M people feel tunity will admit. ■ - . in fact amounts to nothing unless that there is a lack of vital force This question rightly understood the Holj’ Spirit thus goes before and system somewhere, but few and faithfully proclaimed would be and prepares the ground for its re have succeeded in locating the weak a great blessing to thousands of ception. Of course the sinner must places. Instead of going forward .luwuixlmen-aral—woiuotiw-Luijaay till we reach the desired end, like wish to become true Christians. manifestation of the Spirit, inas Israel of old, we are wont to set up But a. misconception of it and its much as he possesses no power gods of our own or turn back to consequent wrong.application have whatever to believe and do good the garlic and flesh-pots of former served as a kind of Pandora box out works ; and if it does not come at days. of which has come untold harm to all, he will finally die in his deprav- We complain of the meagre re- Christendom. It is claimed by a ity and go to the devil on account suits of our missionary efforts, and respectable portion of the religious of the negligence, unwillingness or ate constantly engaged in a discus world that in conversion and regen partiality of the Divine Spirit!! sion of plans, apparently never eration the Holy Spirit operates in This theory naturally enough divi dreaming that the Church of Christ dependently of the word of God des itself into two parts; first, the in its primitive completeness with and directly on the- heart of the conversion and regeneration of out a plan of missionary work and sinner. We are glad to note how adults; and second, the regenera the ability spiritually, intellectually ever that this theory of spiritual tion and salvation of dying infants and financially to successfully oper influence it rapidly losing ground 1. As it respects adults. ate that plan, is an idea too crude in the estimation of the abler and Now so far as depravity in con and absurd to be entertained for a more thinking element of Bible sequence of the Adamic transgres moment by a thoughtful Bible students. A better understanding sion is concerned, we are willing to student. We became alarmed at of some other questions has led to a admit that the whole human raco the uncontrolled whiskey traffic of clearer conception of this one, and is, in a sense depraved. But does our country and of the fearful in vice versa,. Like the houses of it follow therefore that a direct op temperance which lies right at the Palestine built up round after round eration of the Holy Spirit is neces doors of many churches and knocks on the sandy foundation so that sary to convert the sinner ? Let it for entrance, forgetting that the the floods can easily sweep jlown, be remembered, once for all, that Church of Christ restored 'is the the hill-sides and destroy the whole the question is not whether the greatest and most successful tem building, so has a good portion of sinner is hereditarily depraved, for perance society the world has ever Christendom built one erroneous this we fully believe; but it is sim known. We talk of loose discipline theory upon another until the com ply, How much is he depraved 1 If in the churches, and fail to see that pleted and Tbunded temple of un- his depravity does not seriously af- . .BD«»M yc Christai^.jEQulil mak^ ^dptural theories l i fU iU -hoar y ieet4*ie--<aeeeptiBg--theordained fearful havoc of the abominations head high into the air and threatens means of salvation, then we shall of the latter half of the nineteenth to overshadow the beauty and sim not stop to spend time in contra century. The present financial sys plicity of New Testament Chris dieting the theory. But if it be tem in the churches is weighed in. tianity. The most direct and effec contended that his depravity ren the New Testament balances and tual way of disposing of these air ders him indisposed and disabled to found wanting. The pastoral or castles is to remove the cornerstones such an extent that he can not be clerical system of the day is the and let the whole superstucture lieve in Christ and obey him on the creation of the rankest ecclesiast- tumble to the ground. Hence, by simple authority of the word of God icisrn. The primitive evangelist way of introduction, we propose to and that therefore a direct opera and his work are comparative examine the ground of abstract f|nd tion of the Spirit is necessary, then strangers among us ; and the office direct spiritual influence. we are compelled to enter our pro and work of the so-called elders The chief corner-stone of this test. There is nothing more plainly and deacons in many places practi- and forcibly tauglrt in thv Scrip cally.amount to nothing. tary total depravity.” It is claim tures than the facLthat every man Now we believe that the remedy ed that on account of the sin of our not only possesses the power, but for all of these weaknesses and first parents the whole human race is left perfectly free to accept the evils lies in the completion of our from infancy is totally depraved, revealed terms of salvation on the well begun work. There is no other so that “ we are utterly indisposed, one hand, or to reject them on the remedy for them. We believe that disabled, and made opposite to all other. Every syllable of the word the Church of Christ with her di good, and wholly inclined to all of God assumes the free moral vinely appointed ministry restored evil ”—that every faculty of the agency of those addressed ; other is fully equal to the task of per soul, mind and body is affected by wise, the Bible, in our estimation is forming every good work within this moral taint. Hence out of this a contradiction and a myth. Hence the pale of Christianity. When the total depravity and the consequent it is easy to be seen why the Scrip Church thus restored shall have ex inability of the sinner to believe tures, addressed to free and intelli hausted all her divinely appointed the gospel of Christ and obey it, gent creatures, teach that faith in means in reforming the world and grows the necessity of the direct, the Son of God grows out of the in saving souls, then and not till mysterious and irresistible influ then, can we cry unprofitable ser evidence submitted, and that obed vants. ence of the Holy Spirit to enter his ienee follows faith, and that salva- • - 1 111 • 1 • Pf • 1 » tion is the natural consequence of both. This is in harmony with the language of the apostle John which says: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his dis I ciples which are not written in this 1 book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20 : 30,31. It is through the written evidence concerning the sayings and doings of Jesus on earth that the sinner is to believe in him and have life through his name. “ So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God/’ says BauL Now seeing that these things are true, what use. have we for any spiritual influence outside of the word of God to go before and prepare then ~ ground J Any theory which comes k / in direct conflict with these plain passages of holy Writ is not true. The theory of hereditary total de pravity which we are combating does this. Therefore it can ngt be true. And as this theory of deprav ity is false, then it follows that the theory of the direct operation of the Holy Spirit, evidently construc ted to meet the demand of such a degree of depravity, is also false. 2. As it respects the salvation of dying infants. While some of the creeds are satisfied to make provision for the elect infants which die, while the rest, are to be. conaigiied to eternal..... . punishment, yet this doctrine is a little too strong for the greater por tion of Christendom. But as all infants are totally depraved and can not enter heaven with this de- pravity, the Holy Spirit must be called in direct from heaven to re generate them and save them! Here the Holy Spirit does all the work of salvation, for every body knows that the word of God can have nothing to do with regenerating in fants. If they would only baptize these infants for the destruction of this depravity, there would be some more show of sense in infant bap tism ; but this thoy will not allow. They will have the Spirit to save all the dying ones; and they will sprinkle the living ones for— noth ing ! If we are asked how infants are to be saved, we answer : In the first place we do not believe they are totally depraved. The Scriptures nowhere assert it. In the second place, the word regeneration, prop erly understood, is no more appli cable to infants than it is to the stones beneath our feet. Rational 9 * « A- I
