The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-29
THE MILLENNIAL AGE
CHARLES T.. RUSSELL SAYS TIME is
RIPE FOR RESURRECTION.
Says Ecclesiastical and Civic Govern
meDt Will Be superseded by Di-
vine LAW and. Love.

The Rev. Charles T. Russell. of ALE
gheny. Pa, author of "Millennial Dawn
and editor OF lions Watch Tower, ad-
dressed an audience in Mansur Hall yester-
day afternoon upon his millennial doctrine.
His subject was Resurrection" taken
from the fifth chapter of John and the
twenty-eighth and -twenty-ninth verses,
which read: Marvel not at this, for the
hour is coming in which all that are in
the graves shall hear His voice and shall
come forth; they that have done good
unto the resurrection of life. and they that
have done evil unto the resurrection of
Gamnation."
Mr.. Russells theory leads up to a great
cooperative plan of living under divine
direction and love when all civic and &c
clesiastical forms of government have been
obliterated by a state of anarchy and sub
sequently succeeded by the ideal which
he terms the "millennial age" The dawn
ing OF this age is now upon us, he said,
and the crisis is not far distant. He fixed
no time, but pointed out the unrest and
disturbed conditions over the entire world,
the spirit Of war that prevails. the re-
voting against present forms of govern
ment and denial of individual rights. and
the organizations of capital and labor 20
guard and promote their respective inter-
ests. He said present economic conditions
. darkened period of anarchy the resur-
rection Will come, the good Will be Weeded
out from the bad, the transformation Will
have been accomplished and the righteous
will be left to enjoy the glories of the
millennial age, while the wicked and unde-
serving will be destroyed.
Time was divided into 1,0OO-year days,
by DIR. Russell, 1000 years being "a day in
Gods calendar. The age that Is just clos
ing, he said. is the Christian age and Is
now overlapping the millenniai. The resur-
rection he described as the judgment When
the wicked are separated from the right
eous. He held that there rs no immortality
OF the soul. that ii IL was immortal there
would be no resurrection, but instead. there
is death. or eternal oblivion. The pains of
the body and all humane weaknesses, he
said, are a part of death. The meaning Of
resurrection he defined as an awakening
and the restitution of all that God has
promised, but that this condition would be
- merging from the Christian age into
the millennial. His views are the most
optimistic regarding the after life. He
holds that the kingdom OF Christ will be
here on earth In the millennial age, Sld
those who enjoy II will be the survivors
aftsr judgment has been passed in the
resurrection. He says death IL a reality
and that il comes to all. When the dea,
are resurrected, he says. the followers OF
and gathered into His kingdom, and the
sinners will receive a second death or be
totally blotted out.
Mr.. Russell represents a church that has
no orthodox creed. ritual or discipline.
The doctrine Is widespread. although there
is little said about IL. and is represented
by societies i'm most of the cities OF the
United States and England. They have
no organization. and IL is difficult TO get at
their numerical standing, but three-quar-
tiers of a million copies of DIR. Russells
book have been sold. principally among
the English-speaking people. Mr.. Russell
receives no salary for his work, but, on the
contrary. has put many thousands of dol
lars OF his own money into the cause. The
ministers also serve without compensation
and no collection is ever taken at the meet
ings. The local society Is nown as Mil
lcnnial Dawn Church. and has about
sixty members. Services are held I'm the
Mansur Hall every Sunday morning at
1920 O'Clock. The Rev. e. A. Owen Is pas
ter, and has served I'm the capacity for
several years. The movement in Indianap-
ellis L. about eleven years old.