The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-18

o OCfs"s"s"s-s-s-s"s"s-s"
to be generally recognized because or
the influence of Christ's message or
liberty, which effected their every IN
terest with its enlightening influences.
We read that the people took knowl-
edge of them that they had been with
Jesus and had learned of him. They
learned of Jesus no lessons of anarchy
or strife, but those which taught the
proper relationship between man ana
man. They were also taught to live
peaceably, to endure. to suffer- to wait
for justice until Gods time would
come: when, at the Second Advent OF
Christ, his Kingdom would be estab-
lished and Justice would be laid to
the line and righteousness to the plum
met" OF the Apostles we remember
that it is written that the rulers were
astonished at their courage in standing
up for principle in faithfulness to the
Divine Word. They marveled at such
courage in men whom they perceived
to be Ignorant and unlearned." the
fact is that having learned in the
School of Christ the real principles OF
righteousness and the relationship OF
the things of the present time to the
things eternal-theSe were transformed
men, whose balance Of mind, of judg-
ment, was in accord with their knowl-
edge-lessons in the School of Christ.
A Great Falling Away.
st. Paul, and indeed all of the apos-
ties, prophetically declared that before
the Second Coming of Christ a great
falling away would occur in the
Church, which would affect the whole
world These declarations came true
In the period known as the dark
ages, when the Word Of God was in
accessible to the people and when the
teachers of the Church turned aside
from waiting for the Son of God to es-
tablish the Millennial Kingdom, and
co-labored with earthly princes to use
the name of Christ interviewer with
ignorance and superstition and chain
of slavery, whereby the people would
be restrained of their religious liber-
ties, in order that they might not APP
preciate their political liberties. The
School of Christ and its enlightening
power belong by right merely to the
fully conSecrated, 1.-The sanctified in
Christ Jesus" But others, their rela-
tives, neighbors and friends in large
partoOk of the spirit Of liberty
without accepting the spirit of cOnse-
Grafton The result of this spirit I'M
der present conditions, it may easily
be seen, would be anarchy. Hence
the princes. kings and emperors were
glad to have the ministers of Christ
come to their aid in binding and re-
the people. Nevertheless,
has occurred that God did not
foresee and that he is not able to
overrule eventually for the advantage,
the blessing Of such as are truly his.
Lifting the Veil.
Evolutionists tell us that the liberty
and attendant blessings of our day,
are because of Evolution; but they do
not explain why or how Evolution
should so suddenly lift the veil of ig-
norance and superstition from the
race; why it should so suddenly bring
to us the blessings Of invention, skill
through machinery ministering to our
comforts in ten thousand ways un-
dreamed of generation ago.
The Bible answer to the question is
that Gods due time has come, and
therefore these blessings, which are
a part of and leading up to the Mil
lennial Age conditions, are ours. The
great clock of the Universe, under Di-
vine regulation, has been keeping per-
hour the Jewish Age began, at the
death of Jacob, in the close of the Pa
triarchal Age. Again, at the proper
stroke of the hour the Gospel Age be-
gan, at the close of the Jewish Age, at
the death and resurrection of Jesus.
And now likewise at the dawning of
the Millennial Age and the close of the
Gospel Age-coming exactly on time,
all the events properly connected and
understood show that our great
Creator is working all things accord
ing to the counsel Of his own will and
that the worlds present experiences
are wholly of Divine Encouragement
Looking from this standpoint, we no
tice that in Divine providence America
was hidden from the world until Gods
due time for it's discovery. 1t was
opened for settlement at time when
religious persecution was rife in Eu-
to think for himself-no liberty to wor-
ship his God according to the dictates
of his own conscience. 1t was under
Divine providence, doubtless, that the
Pilgrim fathers reached these shores
and cast their influence with that of
others in bringing forth the child of
Liberty. In Gods. providence various
religious sentiments were at that time
so evenly balanced that all of the col
Onies gladly arranged for religious
freedom, which really meant a higher
standard, more Christlike standard
than had been known in the world
since the days of the apostles. 1t is
this spirit of Liberty in which there
has mingled considerable measure of
rne ngnr OF the cross the night or the
world, that has brought the bless
ing and enlightening effect upon this
land and upon the world; and with it,
in Gods providence, has come men
tai enlightenment born partly Of that