Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-11-12
GRANNIs AND THE SIN OF
EDEN.

wish TO show that the most eminent
authorities do not consider lust to ba, Q
been the sin of Eden as he terms It.
Milton thus describes the tree OF the
forbidden fruit ss the one Limitation
upon mans power; he had not power
over death; paradise Lost Book 4).
or all the trees
In paradise that bear delicious fruit
So various, not to taste that emily tree
or knowledge, planted by the tree Of life;
So near grows death TO life.
For we'll thou knowest
God has promised it Is death to taste that tree,
The only sign OF our obedience left
Among so many signs Of power and rule
Conferred upon us.
Then Milton puts 10 Satan's mouth
these words:
Hence will excite their minds
With more desire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with design
To keep them low, whom knowledge might
exalt
Equal with gods; aspiring to be such.
They taste and die.
Any student will see that the story
Of mans disobedience aud fall refers TO
the sin OF ambition. II the Bible had
wanted to teach that II was lust II
would have said 30. The Bible does
not mince matters. It calls o spade a
spade and Ia not hypocritical book
In depicting the lives Of the antedeluv-
iSns. Were not Adam aud Eve put on
earth ITO replenlsh It? Were they not
man and wife? According to the bib
lical story, Eve was first tempted and
seduced alone by herself. Does not
Paul say that Eve was Arst In the
sin Of transgresslon? Milton caustlcally
says:
Whatever hypocrites austerely talk
or purity, place and Innocence;
Defamng as impure what God declares
Pure, and commands to some
leaves free to ALL
Our Maker bids increase;
who bids abstain
But our destroyer, foe TO God and man1
Rev. Grannis will hardly set himself
up rs an authority against Milton. But
we have nothing to do with his opin-
ions OF theology. What we object to is
lscturlng to young men from false
premise for purely sensational purposes.
American family life is not what
Rev. Grannis pictures 1t. The mar.
rlage relation may not be what perfect
ideals require, but the American home
Is the purest and best In the world,
and men, women and children are not
the creatures OF lust that Rev. Gran
Miss imagination describes. II they
were 1t would do little good to tell
them no. The sin aud vice OF the age
are aptly described by Milton In the
lines above quoted:
Our maker bids increase; who bids abstain |
But our destroyer, foe to God and man.
THE JOURNAL believes In purity OF
life for young and old aud believes there
To- no greater power for the preservation
of the home and family than the
Christian church. The life, teachings
and example Of Christ were the gift OF
divine love TO the human race that
its turning point to purer,
nobler and more perfect development.
But the state Of society is not going
10 be improved by holding before
young men the lurld picturlngs OF
imaginations, and telling
them they are all the creatures OF lust.
What can young men conclude II
they receive, unohallenged, the state
ments that 900 out OF 1000 are born OF
lust, and that the marriage relation is
little better than legalised licentlous-
meas? Such statements destroy respect
ior parents, confidence In society, re-
gard for religion, and are the thought .
ess vaporlngs OF sensationallsm. They
'heuld be denied and denounced by .
pulpit and press.
What does Rev. Grannis want ?
Would he dissolve the marriage re-
atIon9
The charge that publication OF Rev.
remarks will hurt the Y. M.
,. A., falls to the ground II what Mr.. Z
5rannis said was unbibllcal and i'm {
proper. The subject was an improper
,ne and 1t was unscriplurally handled
md the work of the Y. M. @. A. will
'e strengthened In the community II
he managers will exclude all such
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