The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-11-03
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
I abenacle.


Sunday. October 31.-Pastor Russell
II Brooklyn Tabernacle preached to-
lay from the above text and said in
BART
tomorrow will be observed by our
friends of the Catholic Lutheran and
Episcopal churches as "Al Saints
Oay' at an early date after the death
of the apostles. probably in the third
century, the custom crept into the
Church of invoking the blessing of the
saints. Some held in remembrance
patron saint whose influence and
memory were of merely local char
acter, and certain day in the year
was set apart as a memorial and for
hvoking his influence in the heavenly
courts. When subsequently papacy
was organized. gradually the majority
of the Christian congregations acceded
ITO papacy's claims that it's bishop is
the special vicar of Christ, reigning in
MS stead and exercising his authority.
Many submitted themselves to this
Rule and thus were absorbed into that
4 great system which still holds sway
in the world. 1t was papacy that es-
cablished "All Saints lay" as holy
Y day for the invocation of all saints not
otherwise particularly provided for by
separate days of invocation.
IL Although saints admittedly are rare
few in comparison to professed
ChristianS-neverthele it seems there
\. were enough so considered in the time
Of Gregory Nv. to appropriate nearly
all the days Of the year. In other
words, there were about $50 recognized
in Gregory's time-after Christianity
had been in operation for 800 years.
Hence tomorrow will be the day for
Invoking the blessing of all the saints
bf the past one thousand years. But
)ust how many or how few they are.
ccOrding to the records of the cele-
rating churches, we do not surely
now. If the records of the first eight
enturies were correct. in the same
rOportion we should not expect that
be total number of saints recognized
fould be above one thousand. One
Id thought connected with the cele-
ration tomorrow must present itself
all thinking minds amongst the cele-
rants; that is, that only the sanity
they acknowledge as of holy char
cter fit for heaven. because the I'M
Unity, the unholy. would certainly be
nit. The teaching of papacy is that
nee only the sanity can be ushered
ITO heaven at the time of their death,
Il the insanity. the undeveloped,
ley hold, must first experience awful
rtures in Purgatory-to purify them,
make them ready for heaven.
1ProteStants en- the contrary have dis
fded Purgatory. claiming that it is
n unscriptural doctrine. They do not,
bwever, claim that any but the saint
are prepared for heaven at death.
or that God has promised heaven to
Ne untaught or undeveloped in Chris
ian character. Hence in some respects
be Protestant theory is still more
rievous, more terrible. more awful.
or the bereaved than the Catholic
lew. in that it offers no hope for all
Pternity to any insanity. Prayers to
he saints. we believe to be unScrip-
ural and unreasonable. Nowhere in
The Bible are we authorized to pray to
Ne dead-either saints or sinners. On
khe contrary the Scriptures set forth
o<r Heavenly Father as the supreme
1bject of worship. though they do in
INNATE the propriety of praying TO our
kord Jesus also. AS we read. "All men
mould honor the Son ever as they hon
b. the Father" John V. 23,. But pray
rs to the dead are unreasonable. ac-
eprding to the Bible. which teaches
That 1.-THE dead know not anything
Ecclesiastes tx. 81: that their sons
come to honor and they know il MOTTO
diShonor and they perceive ii not Of
&,pnl" CIob xiv. 21,: and that there is
E1o work. nor device. nor knowledge.
nor wisdom. in the grave whittier
XEluu goeSt" 0Ecclesiastes ix. 10,.
M The Scriptures do recognize the diff
Nference between the saints. the Lords
EhGly ones. and the remainder of man.
kind. And it is assuredly true that the
Sgreat masses of humanity are totally
unit for the glorieS and projections of
the heavenly state. 1t is true that the
s4Churh is called upon to develop the
e fruits and graces of the holy Spirit
Il ind is assured. as ST. Peter declares,
A'If We do these things. We shall never
Ffall: for so an entrance shall be min
fstered unto you abundantly into the
4 everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ" I'll Peter i. III.
T. But we hold that it is not only un-
scriptural. but irrational. to believe
Y that all mankind except the sanity de-
serve centuries of torment in l'urga-
tory or an eternity of torture in a
4 worse and hopeless place. Let us take
the Scriptural proposition. the only
consistent one. the one which agrees
4 with our five senses and with the BIZ
ble-that the dead are dead. and that
resurrection from death is what they
I need and what our Lords death will
secure for every member of our race.
Let us accept this statement of the BIZ
4. bic, BLESSED and holy is he that hath
| part In the First Resurrection on such