Records of the General Conference of the Protestant Missionaries of China; held at Shanghai, May 10-24, 1877 - Softcover
Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 Excerpt: ...aim simply to teach these people a creed, to observe certain rites, or to lay too much stress upon becoming members of this or that branch of the Church. Our aim should be to have produced in them a thorough change of a spiritual and religious character by bringing them to repentance and a forsaking of sin. We should seek to bring them to the knowledge of God, and to love Him supremely and to trust, for full salvation from all sin, simply and alone on the merits of that atonement which was made for all men by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When this change is manifested in their lives and conduct, how can we reasonably exclude them from tho Christian Church? We can not read the hearts of men, but, when a candidate for baptism has been repeatedly and patiently examined before the Church, and when we no longer have any doubt of his or her sincerity, is it not in accordance with the early usage of the Church to receive them into Christian fellowship? I.--We think such persons should be acquainted with the first principles of the Christian religion. II.--They should renounce their sins, and pledge themselves, by the grace of God, faithfully to forsake idolatry in all its forms, together with ancient customs antagonistic to Christianity. III.--They should consent to meet with God's people on the Sabbath for worship and to observe the institutions of the Christian church. IV.--They should experience what our Saviour meant when he said "Ye must be born again." They should understand that a change, embracing every faculty of man, working in his fallen nature a complete and perfect saving change, must be made. The understanding, the will and the affections must be changed. They must be required to "put off the old man which is corrupt" and to...
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
