What of the wisdom, justice and mercy of God in creating fifteen hundred millions of people now living, not to consider the infinite number passed away, if He only saves the few poor unworthy Christians, as they style themselves, and hands over the vast majority to some omnipotent demon to torture forever and forever, as the Christians teach?
Has God so badly bodged His work, or are these people mistaken? What gods some of these little ecclesiastics would be if they could have their own way! Their assumption of divine authority and wisdom reminds one of the remark of a French critic, “The fact is, only I and my friends possess any real knowledge, and I am not so sure concerning them.”
I have got somewhat ahead of my story. These thoughts were prompted by a conversation with the Chaplain. We had not met since his first and only call. At his approach he greeted me very respectfully with a condescending air, and I saw from the frigidity of his manner that he had a purpose in coming. I was not left long in doubt what it was. He said, “Mr. Japhet, for some time past none of the Eurasians have come to church.” He waited for a few moments, as if he expected me to say something, but I remained silent. This rather disconcerted him. Then he continued, “Since the opening of your club these people keep entirely aloof from us.” I said nothing, and this annoyed him, as I saw by his fidgeting and the reddening of his face. Then he struck me hard by asking: “Do you think, Mr. Japhet, as an Eurasian, with an influence over these people, you are doing right in keeping them away from the church and from participating in the divine ordinances, without which there can be no salvation? The church was ordained of God, He established its ordinances. Is it not wrong, then, to interfere and prevent people from attending that which is for their eternal welfare?”
He stopped for my reply, which was: “You are making a very severe accusation against me. I have never uttered a word to them against your church. They have been entirely free in the matter. As for God ordaining the church, my belief is that He has ordained it as He has everything else, no more no less. All that we know about it is what some men say, and what some can affirm others can deny; the statement of one set is as good as that of the other.”
“But,” he interrupted, “did not our Lord Jesus Christ establish the ordinances and command us to use them?”
“What ordinances?” I asked.
“Why, baptism and holy communion.”
“No,” I replied, “not at all. Baptism was an old rite used at the initiation of men into some society, or to signify their attachment to some leader or principle. Only to mention two instances: Were not people baptized unto Moses, and were they not baptized by John, the forerunner of Jesus? Jesus only continued the old rite, or custom among his followers with the same significance. The church, assuming to know more than Jesus did, has changed this rite into a regenerating and saving ordinance. Let me read what one of the Bishops of your Church says about it:
“‘In this church, the body which derives life, strength and salvation from Christ its head, baptism was instituted as the sacred rite of admission. In this regenerating ordinance, fallen man is born again from a state of condemnation to a state of grace. He obtains a title to the presence of the Holy Spirit, to the forgiveness of sins, to all those precious and unmerited favors which the blood of Christ purchased. Wherever the gospel is promulgated the only mode through which we can obtain a title to those blessings and privileges which Christ has purchased for his mystical body, the church, is the sacrament of baptism. Repentance, faith and obedience will not, of themselves, be effectual to our salvation. We may sincerely repent of our sins, heartily believe the gospel; we may walk in the paths of holy obedience, but until we enter into covenant with God by baptism and ratify our vows of allegiance and duty at the holy sacrament of the supper; commemorate the mysterious sacrifice of Christ, we cannot assert any claim to salvation.’
“Every man of common sense will reject such a statement as false, no matter who made it. It is the teaching of priests to clothe their performance with power and mystery. It is utterly opposed to the plain statements of the Bible and contrary to what any true man must believe of the character of God. I would rather accept the sentiment of the poet: