“DRIFTING TOWARD INFIDELITY AND DEATH.”
The Healing Leaves, a quarterly Universalist publication for October, has an article entitled “Drifting toward Infidelity and Death.” This refers to the Universalist denomination, and is a strong protest against “a denial of the supernatural in religion and a disbelief in the historic veracity of the Bible.” In other words, it is a protest against the rationalism which has honeycombed the Universalist Church. At a late convention in Rome, Indiana, the following preamble and resolutions were offered:— “WHEREAS, There is such an irreconcilable conflict between rationalism and Christian faith that no organization can successfully devote its organic power to the promulgation of both of these doctrines at the same time; therefore, be it “Resolved, That this convention express its solemn conviction that, in order for one to be regarded as a Christian minister with respect to faith, he must believe in the Bible account of the life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; and be it further “Resolved, That no person should be chosen to fill any official position in any of our churches or denominational bodies, nor to teach in any of our theological schools, nor to edit any of our denominational publications, who is not known to be fully and unequivocally committed to the doctrine set forth in the above and foregoing resolution.” But, altho these resolutions had the approval of some of the leaders in the denomination, they were tabled so as to cut off all debate, by a vote of 51 to 10. These resolutions set forth the doctrine of the founders of the Universalist Church, such as John Murray, Hosea Ballou, Sr., Hosea Ballou, Jr., Sylvanus Cobb, and others. They seem to be good Christian doctrine. But Universalists reject them, and how many of the so-called evangelical churches would adopt them, is a question worthy of consideration. This paper clearly and boldly further says:— “But think of a body of representatives of a great church, professing to be Christians, voting themselves infidels in order to avoid a discussion! It is true that those who procured the defeat of this resolution will continue to protest that they are Christians. We have never known an infidel who wanted a pulpit to preach in who did not protest that he was a Christian. Undisguised infidelity draws neither a congregation nor a salary. Until the vote to kill the above resolution is unequivocally reversed, every minister who invites a person to accept Christ by joining the Universalist Church thereby invites that person into the fellowship of an organization which has deliberately voted down the religion of Christ. Spiritual life under such conditions is not even possible. If, for the sake of an apparent harmony, our church must deny the basis of Christian faith, then it deserves to die. During the twenty years, 1835 to 1855, all of our leading preachers were as pronounced against rationalism as against partialism; and, in the face of great opposition, our associations increased from 40 to 83, our societies from 663 to 1,128, our meeting-houses from 245 to 877, and our preachers from 310 to 635. During the five years 1895 to 1900, our parishes have decreased from 1,022 to 948, our churches from 792 to 779, our meeting-houses from 835 to 770, our preachers from 766 to 758, our Sunday-schools from 702 to 623, and our Sunday-school scholars from 58,721 to 50,340. The first period was an era dominated by supernaturalism, and the latter was an era dominated by rationalism.” Universalism came in as a heart-human protest against the doctrine of eternal misery. It had ground for its protest. The horrible doctrine is neither scriptural nor godly. It is not even human. No one who has ever known the tenderness of Christ or the love of home could conceive of a loving God punishing to all eternity souls whom He had created. But the protest of Universalism was also unscriptural. Both it and the thing it fought rested on the same unbiblical basis, namely, the immortality of the soul. But from the Garden of Eden to the present, Satan has impressed this lie upon the heads and hearts of the race. It appeals to man in its mystery; it appeals to his self-exaltation; it appeals to his desire to live. It is taught by pagan lore, by papal dogma, in pagan poetry, in pagan myth, in fairy tale, in folk lore, in cradle song, in professed Christian hymns, in headstone inscriptions, from pulpit and catechism. But let God be true. His Word denies the hoary doctrine, and makes life dependent upon righteousness, and immortality upon incorruptibility of character, thru faith in Christ Jesus. And His Word must go on and live. The right thing to do, the only Christian thing to do, is for so-called orthodox and Universalist to accept the truth of life only in Jesus Christ, immortality at the resurrection of the dead and His second coming. Refusing this, of course they will drift. Nothing else remains. “Rationalism,” “Higher Criticism,” “Christian Science,” “Spiritualism,” “Evolution,” and other things will honeycomb, if they have not already done so, the entire church. Not knowing the Bible, regarding it as narrow and insufficient, they drift, hopeless, helpless, chartless, upon an unknown sea. The one remedy for it all, the only remedy, is faith, simple, submissive, childlike faith in the great blessed Word of God in Christ Jesus. WHAT THEY SAY OF RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS.
One San Francisco minister, Rev. John Stevens, in contrasting the infidelity of the closing years of the eighteenth century with this present time, declares:— “To-day we can see sacrifices as rich as Abel’s, victories as glorious as Gideon’s, translations as radiant as Enoch’s, and loyalty as unflinching as Daniel’s. We could write another eleventh of Hebrews out of the materials furnished by the nineteenth century. The age of doubt is giving place to the age of faith. Darwin’s book for a moment staggered the church like a ship in a storm, but she still keeps her course. ‘There remaineth much land to be possessed.’ So-called Christian civilization is badly mixed with elements of grossest paganism. Darkest England is very dark, and darkest America, too; but, thank God, the light was never more generally diffused than it is to-day, and never has it shone with greater intensity. Agnosticism is bankrupt, and the hunger of human souls is driving the heart of the world to Jesus Christ.” But Dr. R. A. Torrey, one of the late Mr. Moody’s co-workers, has this to say of the deplorable condition of the church:— “In showing these deplorable conditions one is likely to be called a pessimist. If in order to be an optimist one must shut his eyes and call black white, and error truth, and sin righteousness, and death life, I don’t want to be called an optimist. But I am an optimist all the same. Pointing out the real condition will lead to a better condition. “Look, for example, at the ministry. Many of us who are professedly orthodox ministers are practically infidels. That is plain speech, but it is also indisputable fact. There is no essential difference between the teachings of Tom Paine and Bob Ingersoll and the teachings of some of our theological professors. The latter are not so blunt and honest about it. They phrase it in more elegant and studied sentences, but it means the same. Much of the so-called new learning and higher criticism is simply Tom Paine infidelity sugar-coated. Our future ministers oftentimes are being educated under infidel professors, and, being immature boys when they enter the college or seminary, they naturally come out infidels in many cases and then go forth to poison the church. And look at the doctrinal state of the church. Many do not believe in the whole Bible. The book of Genesis is a myth, Jonah is an allegory, and even the miracles of the Son of God are questioned. The doctrine of prayer is old-fashioned. Conversion is unnecessary, and hell is no longer believed in. Then look at the fads and errors that have sprung up out of this loss of faith—Christian Science, Unitarianism, Spiritualism, Universalism, Babism, metaphysical healing—a perfect pandemonium of doctrines of devils. Worldliness is rampant among church-members. Many church-members are just as eager as any in the rush to get rich. They use the methods of the world in the accumulation of wealth and they hold just as fast to it as any when they have got it. Prayerlessness abounds.” Missionary Funds Are Low.
“The churches are rapidly increasing in wealth, but the treasuries of the missionary societies are empty. Christians do not average a dollar a year for foreign missions. It is simply appalling. And note how few conversions there are. The Methodist Church, which has led the way in aggressive work, actually lost more members than it gained the last9year. Here and there a church has a large number of accessions upon confession of faith, but these churches are rare exceptions, and where there are such accessions in how few cases are the conversions deep, thorough, and satisfactory! Unbelief is rampant, and hand in hand with widespread infidelity goes gross immorality. Infidelity and immorality are Siamese twins. They always exist and always grow and always fatten together. “Look at the divorce statistics! Men marry one wife after another and are still admitted into good society, and women do likewise. Greed for money has become a mania with rich and poor. The multi-millionaire will often sell his soul and trample the rights of his fellow-men underfoot in the mad hope of becoming a billionaire. Wars are waged and men shot down like dogs to improve commerce and to gain political prestige for politicians who parade as statesmen.”