North Park union., 1900-09-07
Friday, September 7, 1900.
IS THE CHU RICH ISFALLIBLE7 ?


personal explanation as to why we
are not Christians and do not teach
our boys to be, We say as briefly as
the subject will admit that there are
many reasons We can assign for not
being. And while this is true we
can also state that we have been
more tolerant of the opinions of
those who differ with us than they
have been.
A full discussion of the question is
not intended as 1t would be next to
impossible. But let us give few of
the many reasons that govern our
conduct and control our convictions
II the bible is the inspired word of
God, then all men ought TO be obedl-
rnt to Its teachings and their resist
ance Of it the gravcst Of crimes.
But is it2 No man knows the
authorship of the majority of the
books of either the old or new Testa-
ments. They have been subject to
the changes that must result from
careless handling, transcribing and
translating. In one age certain books
are considered sacred and in another
thoy are rejected and other books.
take their place. Great church Coun-
ellis, appointed by some half civilized
emperor or potentate, meet to select
the sacred books and quarrel among
themselves and dispute for days and
weeks, and actually fight each other
until some of their number is killed,
and the emperor drives out all the
members except few and they finish
their sacred work. And what is the
rcsult2 They have bible from
which the Acts, Hebrews, and the
book Of Revelation are excluded.
1t 30 remains for q few hundred
years. Another Great Council is as
sembled. II makes changes, Is con.
trolled by the same passions as the
former, and presents to the world
still different bible, Revelation be
ing excluded from it. The church
becomes n factor in the affairs OF
government.
All men do not, cannot, believe as
the church teaches, They are called
here,ics. Laws arc passed against
all ouch. They are tabooed, ostra-
cised, prosecuted and the frenzy of
the church goes so fer rs to bring
them to the block and the stake by
the thousand.
Uncontrolled bigotry and farati,
cism, prompted by unreasonable re-
ligious zeal, drench the land in blood
generation after generation until nc
unbcliever is safe within the realm.
The church is being established.
It taught the earth was fiat, tina,
volcanoes were entrances to hell, tina,
prayer moved stone so large that
500 yoke of oxen could not stir it.
A dead child was raised TO life by
having the stocking of holy mar
placed on its bosom When a.city
was on fire, Bishop Maroellinus threw
himself against the flames and extin
guished them That was y good many
years ago.
Let us come down to later times
The church burned John Huss ir
141l for believing Wycsliffes Bible;
Joan Of Arc in l431, for claiming tc
be inspired; five hundred persons rs
witches at Geneva in 1915. Servetus
AT the same place in 1853, over Il
slow fire, for heresy. Christians
burned to death seventeen thousand
persons from 1864 to 1903 in Scot.
land alone.
Christians dug up the bones OF
John WycklifIe that had lain in the
grave for thirty years and burned
them because he was accused Of her
csy. In England, from 1000 to 1880,
forty thousand people were executed
by religious authority, and Bodlmus
says, three hundred thousand fell in
France alone.
But our modern Christian will say
that was in times when men were
60fs brutal than now and in foreign
\p1htfies.
Very veil, fifteen people were Kill
\ptSHem, Massachusetts, accused
raft, and one hundred and
zee imprisoned for the anne
he youngest was eight, the
hty years.
Lyndall was burned in
printing bible, and young
unter was burned in 1855
the bible. And in 1851
Christians could vote in
etts Bay, now the great
y md State.
y lice Lisle was beheaded in
crcsy. Rev. George Bur-
killed Mt Salem, Massa-
1892, for saying that
not exist Abner Knee