Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-10-09
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

A general realization of this fact
prevails amongst intelligent people
whether the how and the why, the
philosophy Of the matter be discerned
or not, the fact is recognized. How
ever we may theorize that the same
Creator who made the angels pure.
happy, holy. slnless, also made us.
we nevertheless are aware Of the fact
that we are not pure, holy, sinless.
undefled. Righteousness should not.
however, be considered the phenome-
non, but the original, proper condition
Of things. Sin is the phenomenon.
the peculiarity. the disorder-the dis
arrangement Of the proper order
which previously prevailed and by
right should everywhere prevail.
Nowhere I'm the world do we find
any explanation OF present conditions
that Is satisfactory to us, except In
the Bible. which teaches that Gods
Work is perfect: that he made man In
his own image and likeness; that sim
full ambition brought In rebellion
against the Divine regulations and
that present disorders are the result
OF that rebellion-human degradation,
mental, moral. physical-dying--death.
IL is true that human philosophy has
sought to solve the question OF mans
condition Of sin and imperfection
aside from the Bible. Its claim is
that the Bible record is untrue; that
man was never perfect; that man
never fell from perfection into sin
and death: that man, consequently
needs no Savior from sin and death
and no restitution to original perfec-
tion-to original Edenic perfection.
Its claim Is that II there Is n personal
God, he is not exercising any special
powers, but merely allowing so-cailed
Laws OF Nature to operate.
IL claims that in the surging OF the
salt waters OF the ocean photoplasmic
life was generated, and that the micro
scopic germ polly-wogged and evolut-
ed into a thousand different forms
worms and snakes. fish and whale,
beasts and birds and reptiles; and that
finally one division OF the pollywog
family attained to monkeyhood, and
gradually getting used 10 stand on his
hind legs. became a man. II Ignores
II Il does not deny. sin and Its down
ward tendencies, which we all know
afflict the human family and must be
struggled and fought against. lt de-
nies the need OF a Savior, an Advo'
cate, a Mediator; and II holds that
each generation OF humanity dying
helps onward the succeeding genera
ton 20 grander development and that
eventually human perfection will be
attained by the evolutionary process,
by mans own exprilon. regardless OF
whether there Is n Creator or not.
We eau only assume that this Evo-
luton theory found friends and advo-
Gates because the Bible teaching has
been so grossly misunderstood. II has
been mlsrepresented ns teaching that
practically all OF the human family
were born under a Divine sentence OF
eternal torture aud thar only the few
reached IN the present life by the Cos
pel can by faith In the Savior and by
a thorough-golng conversion TO saint
shin escape eternal torment and gain
eternal blessing. Thinking people. not
surmising that the Bible is misrepre-
scented by It's own friends. by the
creeds In general. have looked about
for a substitute Evolution. although
quite unsatisfactory to them, furnish
ed the only substitute they could think
Of while II ignored the Bible.
What the Bible Teaches.
Now as the electric lights supplani
the tallow dip, cOncordances and othel
Bible study helps assist us TO a proper
understanding of Gods Revelation. One
Scripture throws light upon another
and thus gradually the errors Of gross
darkness aud superstition which pre-
vailed SO generally In "the dark ages
Zee away. and the Lamp OF Divine
Truth gives forth brilliant ray which
fully satisfies our heads and shearts
and glorihes our Creator.
In the light of this newly-trimmee
Arc-light OF Truth. Gods Word, We
may now see that the real penalty fol
sin is not coming eternal torment al
the hands OF fire-proOf demons, but in
stead the reign OF sin aud death. Now
we may see how disObedience on the
part of Father Adam brought upon
him death sentence, a dying eondi
tiou. and that these. transmitted from
parent TO child. have increased the
calamity. century by century, until to
day, amongst the most civilized, one
ont OF every one blndred aud hfty
adults Is In an insane asylum,-men
tally dead 10 the extent that he is un
able 10 care for himself Millions mor'
OF our race are IN prisons and peni
tentiaries because OF moral blemlshes
lrcause born in sin aud shapen IL
iniquity." they have inherited vices
which have been accentuated by asso
citation with each other. All over ths
world. too. we have hospitals ana In
firmaries aud cemeteries. The reasoI
is exactly what the Word or Goo
teaches, namely. ''The wages OF sin Il