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O HR TS TI A. N HERALD
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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-
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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
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