Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-06-28
a WORD TO THE CRITICS.

unpatriotic. No allowance is made for
the time In which they lived or the cir
cumstances under which they spoke or
wrote Their sentences are torn from
their connection ana II necessary an
interpretation is put upon them which
the authors never intended and in this
way point Is made. How would our
critics like to be measured by the
same rule? And Why should IT not
work both ways7
Suppose that. Following tho example
OF our friends the ministers, VIC quote
from few of the utternnces of the
leaders OF their faith in times past, as
they have quoted the utteranccs OF
former leading men in this Church,
what answer would they make tn Call
wins endorsement OF the doctrine of IN
FAINT dsmnation? In his institutes, 3"
Book III, chapter "a. this great leader
says; THAT the fall OF Adam should
involve so many nations with their in
FAINT children in eternal death :.
is. | confess, an awful decree" But
he iustifies that decree as the result
OF certain divine predestinatlon
Whereby God has determined in him
self what he would have TO become Of
every Individual OF mankind. For they
are not all created with similar des-
tiny; but eternal life is foreordained
for some, and eternal damnatlon for
others He declares further that to
those whom God devotes to condemna-
ton. 1.-The gate of life is closed by
just and irreprshensibe but incompre-
hensible Judgment"
II is, of. course. unnecessary to re-
mind our ministerial friends OF their
present Indebtedness to the doctrines
OF this justly renowned and venerated
leader of the Reformation. He taught
the truth" says Boza (Eccl Hist, vol.
], PIP. s. az mot with eloquence, but with
20 much solid gravity of style that
there was not a man who could hear
him without being ravished with admir-
atom se
We do not cast any imputation on the
genius or the life OF this great thinker,
who literally wore out his life to a
noble conclusion by the unremitting
toll and study to which he was devoted
AS reasonor. he has seldom been
equaled. AS theologian, he stands
on all eminence next TO Augustine HIM
self. In a certain sense. we may fairly
say that he was inspired. Yet who
would like, among all his disciples. to
be bound by every word he ever wrote
or uttered? Will our Christian friends
assent even to what they have received
from him as established church doc
trlne? Probably not: yet they will
NOT accord the Latter-day Saints the
freedom OF reason they claim for them
selves, though none appreciate this
divine gift In man more highly than do
the Latter-day Saints.
The Church fathers, and especially
the so-called apostolic fathers. are gem
orally quoted as authorities by all sects,
and yet no one viii accept all they say.
or are alleged to have said. To give one
illustration. Clement OF Rome Is a
writer whose pure motives cannot be
doubted. The fear of God Is always up
permost In his mind and in his heart
burns the love of the brethren He Is,
moreover, no close 10 the apostolic age
that his testimony ON any theological
question has great weight, But who
will accept his reasoning about the res
direction? This great Father actually
alleges that there Is a bird I'm eastern
Arabia called the Phoenix. This" he
says. being unique. lives 800 years
and when about to depart by death, II
makes a sepulcher OF frankncense and
myrrh, and the other arnmatlcs into
which, when its time Is up, II enters
and dies. But OF its corrupted flesh "A
worm is generated. which. nouTIshed
by the moisture Of the dead creature
becomes feathered, Afterwards, being
vigorous. II bears mlofD that sepuIchcr
IN which are the bones OF It's progeni-
tor and carrying them of removes
from the Arabian territory TO that Of
Egypt. TO what Is called lIeliopolls;
and, by day. hying In the sight of an.
deposits them on the altar OF the sun,
and go goes back again, The priests.
therefore. inspect the records Of the
times. and find that It has come when
the ave bundredth year is completed.
And SHAH we then" the great Father
asks. think II great and wonderful. II |
tNe NfehluI OF lne universe hnhll btGplNT /
plish the resurrection Of all who holly |
serve Him. In the confidence OF o. right
faith, whom. even by bird. be sheNs
MS the magnitude OF his promiso2"
Clement argues, apparently, only for |
The resurrection Of the believers. and |
his argument Is based ON a fable which |
no, however seems 10 take for grant |
es. That It is unmitigated paganism is
clear Shall We Therefore be Justified |
IN saying that all Christians are pagans
or that they were pagans at a time
when the writings OF Clement were
read IN the churches as scripture? And
Clement % not the only one who ac-
oepted the story as true. Tertulllan
tried 10 prove It by the scriptures, Eu-
sebIus, Laetautius, Ambrose. all found
In that yarn a great argument for the
resurrection.
but the critic win say that neither
Calvin nor the Fathers were inspired
men let them consider the little eps-
ode from the time of the nrst apos-
ties mentioned IN Gal II: ais. There
IL on record controversy between tho
Apostle Peter and Paul, the latter re-