Mr. W. But you will not consider me wearisome if I interrupt you, in the course of your relation, with an occasional question or remark, which I may be prompted to offer for my own satisfaction?
Elder B. Don't name it, sir. It will be pleasing to me to answer your questions, to the best of the ability that God may give me, or to listen to any remark which you may feel disposed to make. But to proceed. I will give you a brief view of the first principles of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and will refer you to a few passages of Scripture in support of them.
Mr. W. Thank you. I am sure I shall be much gratified.
Elder B. In the first place, we believe that there is a God in the heavens, who is the Creator and Preserver of this world and of men. God, having the right, has, in times past, manifested Himself to men, and revealed laws whereby they might be governed. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, who were created immortal—not subject to death, disobeyed the law of God. Death, and all the evils that induce it, were the penalty to which Adam, and Eve, and all their posterity were then subjected. And men cannot, of themselves, overcome this penalty, and obtain immortality.—Gen. i. ii. iii. Rom. v. 12. 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22. But God did not leave men to perish without hope. He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world, to take human nature upon him, and to satisfy the broken law by being put to death, thereby delivering men from the power of death.—John iii. 16. Rom. v. 8. 1 John iv. 9. As all men, through Adam's sin, without any agency of their own, were subjected to death, so will all men be redeemed there from, and placed before the throne of God, free from any condemnation for Adam's sin, for Christ's atonement extends so far to men, unconditionally on their part, because they had no hand in Adam's sin.—1 Cor. xv. 22. But although men are thus, without conditions on their part, made free from the effects of Adam's sin, yet, as every man must, after this, answer for the deeds done in his body (Matt. xvi. 27. 2 Cor. v. 10. Rev. xx. 13), and as every man, in some thing or other, disobeys the law of God, it naturally follows that every man will need an atonement for his individual sins, as well as one from the sin of Adam. And in order that every man may escape the penalty for his individual sins, certain conditions must be complied with. I said that all men would be redeemed, unconditionally on their part, from the penalty of Adam's sin. I have referred you to a passage or two of Scripture upon the subject. I will refer you to another, Rom. v. 18, "Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Thus, you see, a man answers for his own sins only.
Mr. W. Just so. That seems reasonable.
Elder B. Now I will lay before you the conditions. But first, I will remark, that God has but one method of saving men. The scheme of salvation is an unchangeable scheme, both as respects the atonement of Christ, and the conditions required of men. Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven whereby men can be saved.—Acts iv. 12. 1 Tim. ii. 5. And although many men have preached divers kinds of contradictory doctrines, and have professed that they were all the doctrines of Christ, yet it is a fact that God does not send men to contradict each other. You cannot find, in the whole Bible, an instance of God's sending His servants to preach conflicting doctrines to a people, for that would conduce to endless discord, confusion, and strife, and it is written that "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace."—1 Cor. xiv. 33. And Paul the Apostle said that he or an angel from heaven, if found preaching any other Gospel than what he and his brethren had preached, should be accursed.—Gal. i. 9, 10. Depend upon it, sir, that two preachers, or two religious societies, who hold forth contrary doctrines, cannot both, in their teachings, be recognized of God. These inconsistencies cause many men to reject the Bible, and turn infidels.
Mr. W. Why that's just my argument. I say nothing against the Bible. I find no fault with that. But this is what puzzles me—how it is that two preachers, both believing one book, one revelation from God, one code of laws, should preach contradictory doctrines, and form two religious societies, always opposing and differing from each other! I cannot fathom the matter. There are Mrs. Whitby's sister, and her husband, Wesleyans, as I told you, and his brother is a Baptist—all very strong in their faith. We have them all here together occasionally, and we get up quite lively discussions. Mrs. Whitby's sister's husband and his brother cannot agree at all with each other upon religious topics, especially baptism, and then I disagree with them both, and tell them that I am very well assured that either one is wrong, or both of them are, and, consequently, I cannot join either's society until a satisfactory decision is come to. I assure you we have matters rather warm at times. We all wax quite earnest.
Elder B. I have not the least doubt of it. Nothing is plainer than that God is not the author of both their systems of religion. But, as I was saying, the plan of salvation is unchangeable. So if we can find out what it was in the time of Jesus and the Apostles, we can decide what it is now.
Mr. W. True.
Elder B. I have shown, by the Scriptures, the doctrine of the atonement of Christ, and that certain conditions are required of every man to ensure the benefits of that atonement for his individual sins. I will now speak of the conditions. The first condition required of men is to believe that there is a God, and that they have done things that are displeasing in His sight, and that Jesus Christ has provided a way of escape through his atonement. I question whether any person exists who does not, at heart, believe that there is a God. And it appears to me that all men must acknowledge that they have, in their life time, done things that have not been right. But a faith in Christ's atonement is the result of a teachable spirit's hearing a message from God, to that effect. Now faith is required of all men, for "without faith it is impossible to please God."—Heb. xi. 6. And Jesus says—"He that believeth not shall be damned."—Mark xvi. 16. Some preachers say that faith is all that is necessary to salvation. But this is incorrect, for the Apostle says, that faith without works is dead, being alone.—James ii. If faith had been sufficient for salvation, Jesus Christ would never have made any other conditions known. The devils believe and tremble, but we are not informed that they will be saved. Faith is only valued by the works it leads to. Without works we have no evidence that a man has faith.