Milford chronicle., 1909-07-30
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Seattle, Wash, July 25.-Pastor Rus
sell. of Brooklyn Tabernacle, addressed
the Bible Students Convention twice
today. We publish one Of his ad-
dresses as follows:-
The theology which came down to us
from the dark ages was wonderful in
its extremes 1t pictured Divine t0rqtb
as unsatisied 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-
Interpretation Of our text o. The
Divine character and government have
thereby been traduced and measurably
brought into contempt as unphilosoph-
ical, 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 I
few minutes, during which he had op-
pOrtunity to say, "GOd be merciful to /
me a 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- /
eoh9hAp hAtu tuG pure anu uOly .
throughout eternity. The other, we
are told, though less vile. went in
stantly to eternal torture and despair,
without a single ray Of hope.
Is 1t any wonder that such unrea-
sOnable conclusions have driven many
Of the brighter minds of Professionalism
unto infdelity. and led others back to
fba faoohfnre op tho Cburob 81 Tpop,o I
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-
tiOn in righteousness they might be
prepared. either or both of them for
heavenly glory. We are not advocat-
ing either infdelity 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
(2l 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
repentance will straighten it all out?
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 un-
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
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 II ria the strait gate and
narrow way and self sacrificing expe4
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 I.
who are saved after a life Of sin and :
,arelessness by mOmentary prayer in :
he dying hour; but the philosophizing G
IS. that the pleasures Of sin for a sea- !.
son more than compensate for the .
higher glory Of the saints, since even :
he sinners are to get to paradise at =
he small cost Of nine lCords-the sup :
Dosed teaching Of our text. !
The True Interpretation. =
Before proceeding to discuss the !,
principles involved as between the =
igh and the wrong Interpretation Of q
,ur Lords words. let US notice what =,
ie really did say and really did mean, -
nd how it happened the true meaning -
ras lost sight Of and the erroneous one =,
dopted generally. The Bible teaching =,
hat "the dead know not anything" .
ogether with the doctrine that the res =,
ERECTION OF the dead is the Divine pro- =.
ision. has long been lost sight OF. II
iur Lords own words that mo man :,
ath ascended up to heaven" have been
veriooked, and so has his teaching re- =
)ecting his Kingdom-that the bless :,
lg Of the Church and Of the world =
waits hfa eeoond coming whom he will p p