To Infidelity and Back | Page 2

author of this book, who honors me in asking that I write these few
lines of introduction. His experience is full of interest. I have listened
night after night with profit to his sermons, and he has dug his way in
the most painstaking fashion out of the darkness of unfaith into the
beauty and strength of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no institution like the church of God, for it is founded upon the
divine Sonship of Jesus, and his Holy Spirit has given to it divine life,
so that Isaiah's prophecy lights up the pathway of victory, when it is
said: "He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set justice in the
earth, and the isles shall wait for his law." Its right to advance has been
disputed, and, at times in its long history, it appears to have stood
timidly doubting its power and right to soul conquest, but this has only
been apparent, for every century has brought with it a greater courage,
so that in this day believers in Jesus are speaking in the language of
every nation on the earth, and hosts of these are as ready to lay down
their lives for their faith in Jesus as did Stephen and James and Paul
and that host of martyrs whose willing sacrifices gave strength and
solidarity to the early church.
The ordinances have naturally suffered at the hands of every invasion,
and, in consequence, some of the most devout have not been able to
find the path to the ordinances as practiced in the apostolic days, but
the skies are brightening, and, without questioning for a moment the
sincerity and devotion of those who think otherwise, the Scriptures are
being read to-day with more freedom than at any other period in the
history of the church, and its ordinances are gradually coming to light
in the public mind. God has been patient with us and we must be
patient with those who do not think as we do. One of the most
important problems now facing us, however, is that all believers shall
find a common way for entrance into the church. When that has been
done, a long step will have been taken towards world-wide
evangelization.

The fields are already white unto harvest. This is the day of opportunity.
Christ is waiting on us. If the time was short, like a furled sail, in Paul's
day, how much shorter is it in our day! The gospel has been sent to all
nations, and God is sending men from all nations to America to hear
the gospel, so that the lines are crossing and recrossing each other and
are so many prophecies of the fulfillment of the commission of Jesus,
when he said: "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on
earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
Deciding for Christ and being baptized into him is only a small part of
the work that is to be done. Then begins their training into real
discipleship, when they are to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which is
"love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
meekness, self-control."
This book is a contribution to that end, and may those who read its
pages be brought to yield their best to the glory of Him who is our all.
Baltimore, Md. Peter Ainslie.

PREFACE
This book contains my religious experience in a forty years' sojourn on
earth. If any doubt the propriety and value of relating one's religious
experience, I would refer them to the case of Paul, who used this
method on a number of occasions. However, we should be careful not
to make an improper use of this method and preach our experiences in
place of the gospel. Paul says: "We preach not ourselves, but Christ
Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:5).
We should refer to our experiences simply to help deliver people from
human error and center their attention on the gospel of Christ, which
alone is the power of God unto salvation.
I do not take any great credit to myself for my experiences recorded in
this book, realizing that they were largely the result of my inherited
proclivities and religious environment. It must be admitted that the
great mass of mankind are what they are in religion, politics, etc., by
heredity and environment. This is powerfully impressed upon us by the
ministers who give their experience in "Why I Am What