The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-07-30
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
{, Tabernacle.

sell, OF Brooklyn tabernacle, addressed
the Bible Students Convention twice
today. We publish one of his adj
dresses as follows
The theology which came down to us
from the dark ages was wonderful in
its extremes. 1t pictured Divine s1ratlI
as unsatisfied with anything short of
an eternity of torture for the sinner,
and in the next breath assured us of a
Divine mercy which would take the
vileSt sinners to an eternity of glory
without character development, merely
at their request. One would suppose
that neither of these doctrines could
command support amongst reasoning.
intelligent people, but they do; and the
only explanation of the matter is that
by reason Of the fall the balance Of
human Judgment, on moral questions
particularly, is sadly undone. 1t is
fair, however. to suppose that the ma
jority of intelligent people have never
so much as given these subjects con-
sideration. Receiving them through
the various creeds from childhood's
hour, they have swallowed them with
out reflection, taught that to doubt them
would bring the doubters under the
ban of Divine displeasure, and make
sure that Divine mercy should never
reach them.
Bad Effects of Error.
It Is difficult to measure the bad re.
suits which have flown from the mis-
Interpretation of our text. ~ The
Divine character and government have
thereby been traduced and measurably
brought into contempt as unphilosoph-
1cal, unreasonable, arbitrary. instead
of wise and just. Two vagabonds
gambled and quarreled. drew their re-
volvers and shot each other. The
more contemplate of the two killed
his antagonist instantly, while he him.
self fingered in consciousness for a
few minutes, during which he had OPP
portunity to say. "God be merciful to
me sinner" The creeds of Protes-
tantism tell us that the one who used
the magical words was instantly ush-
cred to heavenly glory and compan-
1onship with the pure and holy
throughout eternity. The other, we
are told, though less vile, went in
stantly to eternal torture and despair,
without single ray of hope.
Is it any wonder that such unrea-
sonable conclusions have driven many
of the brighter minds of Professionalism
unto infidelity, and led others back to
the teachings of the Church of Rome.
which, to say the least, is more con-
sistent, in that it would put both of
the culpritS into "Purgatory." where
after centuries of torture and instruc-
ton in righteousness they might be
prepared, either or both of them. for
heavenly glory. We are not advocat-
ing either infidelity or Romanism; we
are defending the Bible, but inciden-
tally must admit that our Protestant
views of some portions Of Holy Writ
have been very unsatisfactory and
very baneful.
60 Who can measure the evil effects
OF this doctrine upon thousands, lead
ing them to believe that whatever
their crime, a few magical words of
Can it be doubted that this wrong
theory is accountable for much Of the
Wickedness committed by those who
know better, who reside in civilized
lands? First Of all they doubt the
doctrine Of eternal torment, being I'M
able to imagine how any one could
burn forever and yet not be destroyed.
Secondly, if there be such a place of
eternal torment, they reason, it is
quite improbable that they will die so
suddenly as not to have time to offer
a petition for mercy-a petition which.
If offered, will surely be heard and an
swered, and bring them to the regions
of the blest.
The further reasoning is, that while
heaven is certainly desirable, it is use
less to seek it UiG the strait gate and
narrow way and self sacrificing expe-
riences of Jesus and the Apostles and
all the saints. The reasoning is, that
these sanity ones may indeed occupy
a higher position in heaven than those
who are saved after a life Of sin and
careleSsnesS by momentary prayer in
the dying hour; but the philosophizing
is, that the pleasures of sin for a sea-
son more than compensate for the
higher glory of the saints, since even
the sinners are to get to paradise at
the small cost of nine aoords-the sup
posed teaching Of our text.
The True Interpretation.
Before proceeding to discuss the
principles involved as between the
right and the wrong Interpretation of
our Lords words, let us notice what
he really did say and really did mean.
and how it happened the true meaning
was lost sight of and the erroneous one
adopted generally. The Bible teaching
that ''the dead know not anything"
together with the doctrine that the res
direction Of the dead is the Divine pro-
vision. has long been lost sight of.
Our Lords own words that "No man
hath assembled up to heaven" have been
overlooked, and SO has his teaching re-
specting his Kingdom-that the bless
ing Of the Church and Of the world
awaits his second coming, when he will
establish his Kingdom under the whole
heavens in power and great glory.
Losing sight of these truths has led
directly to the acceptance Of the gen.
eral error respecting our text.