Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-22
New York World.

| the doctrine Of preordinatfon. The
writer remembers as one of the puz-
cling questions of the day, wondering II
he was one of the elect. Also remem-
bers the feeling of dismay that came
over him, wondering how he would
get along in heaven, if he was really
one of the elect. and father or mother
should happen to be 'eternally lost
Then too this writer remembers SER
mons from the same pulpit, about the
/ same time, in which 1t was stated that
unbaptised children would surely &c
to hell So strongly was this believed
by the parents of this boy, that he
was baptized just as soon as possible.
| And very distinctly comes to mind
many sermons, in which an angry God,
a just God, an omnipotent God, "for
His own pleasure" decreed the eternal
damnation of a certain portion of hui
manity. There was no way out of it.
1t was preordained Some of the
heather might be saved. Logic was
not much of an article in the boys
mind, but there was something incon-
gruous in this doctrine of damning a
lot OF poor heathens who never had
heard of Christ, never had a chance
even Of refusing the gospel. And one
of the stock arguments Of the bad boys
in those days was, supposing you do
join the church, and are not one Of
the elect. you'll go to hell anyway
What's the use?
And the years have rolled on. The
New England boy has now plenty of
gray hair He attended the Methodist
church in Marshalltown in December,
1906 One evening the preacher gave
his audience a sermon on the God of
the Bible. He read to us extracts from
some of Jonathan Edwards sermons.
And then he eloquently denounced the
doctrines of REORGANIZATION, the saliva
ton of only the elect and fearlessly said
he was not bound to respect or love the
God Of our pilgrim fathers. In fact il
there was a God, that created a lot Of
human beings for the pleasure" of de-
stroying them, it was his duty to hate
such a God. And what was this scribes
establishment, say nothing of expecting
all in the ruins, to hear some of the
good Methodist "butterin" present dis
tinctly and audibly Thank the Lord"
AlIeI LII laIt II SCtIIlSu StS lilOuSu
the whole audience accepted the speak
er's words and idea of the Christ-like
God that the Good Book so plainly
teaches. And Still more astonishing,
the audience in sympathy with the ut
terances of the preacher! Well. we'll,
perhaps this writer can join a church
even in his old age.
In this column the writer has said
some words concerning evolution of
thought. 1t was a small attempt to
prove that we. all of us saints and sim
ners, think better than formerly. That
we start in our thinking career from a
higher plane. Certainly this referred
to sermon was an object lesson in this
line. This preacher even in wicked
Marshalltown," is filling his church
with interested men and women. And
they are not all Saved" men and wom-
en-, either. They are not all of the elect
And let it be understood they are not
all heather. Some of us feel better in
church where the preacher objects to
demning a man for what he thinks. in
stead of what he does. Some of US like
to go to church where common sense
is used, even in sermons.
IT,. -/n1