The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-21
New Theology"

NCW 4ASVAVSJs
Editor The Washington Herald:
Kindly permit me a little space In your
valued columns in regard 70 Mr.. Russells
New Theology.
1t is said of him that he has Knocked
- out Of the Bible" It is quite true
perhaps. that It has no existence in his
philosophy. One may reason an un-
pleasant truth out OF his system of teach
ing. but If the thing itself has no exist
ence In fact, why rail against the ex-
ponents Of a fallacy? II the orthodox
representatives Of the old theology have
been misled II Is not because the Bible
has not been sufficiently plain, for hell
is the common English name for q place
Of punishment-a place the Bible is re-
sponsible for the Information we have
about IL
For example, Jesus Is reported by ST.
Matthew TO have said to the Scribes and
Pharisees CT His time: ''Ye serpents.
We generation OF vipers. how can We
escape the damnation of hell Matt,
xiii :33l. The word hell In the
place Is "gehenna" which stands for all
that the English word Is meant 10 convey.
Woe unto you. Scribes and Pharisees,
hypoerites! for ye compass sea and land
TO make one proselyte. and when he is
made, ye make him twofold more the
child of hell (gehenna) than yourselves"
W10.
The antedIluvians were disobedient"
In hn las Of IL LII
now in prison" because they refused
the preaching OF the patriarch, who. how
ever, preached as the Ambassador for
Christ Whose Spirit strove with men 40
years. in Noah's person. who VIII be
Judged" In the final day" q. Peter,
iiIs-2o; i've; Cen, vi:s).
Chroazin. BPethsaida, Tyre, sldon. So
dom, &C. viii be raised in the last day
Matt. xi;2l-2D. and, together with the
incorrIgible OF the nation. shall go away
into everlasting punishment" (xxv:4s)-
judged according 10 their works" (Rev.,
xxl3l. and cast into the lake OF
fire" (v:1D. This is the true anti-typical
"gehenna" referred TO by Jesus Himself
who is THE Truth" John, xiv:s). This
is the place OF final and everlasting pun
ishment."
There shall be weeping and crashing
Of teeth" Matt. xxiv:5l). because this
judgment and punishment takes place,
after the bodies OF men shall have been
raised immortal and when death viii
have ceased to DO possible, for in eter-
nifty people cannot die.
But this teaching is not confined to the
pages OF the New Testament only. Isaiah.
the prophet Jehovah. is likewise re-
sponsible for the othordox view of it, and
he in turn claims that the Lord God.
the Holy one of Israel" lisa. xxx:15).
is responsible for the prophecy he utters
when he puts these words into the mouths
Of the "hypocrites" Of his day: 1.-THE sin
ners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath
surprised the hypocrites. Who among us
shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who
among US shall dwell with everlasting
burnings?" (xxxiii:lD.
Further, as to whether these trans
gressors can be seen while in their help
Of punishment. he says: And they shall
go forth, and look upon the carcasses
(bodies) Of the men that have transgress-
ed against me. for their worm shall not
die. neither shall their FIRE be quenched;
and they shall be an abhorrlng unto all
flesh" Qxvi:2D.
Granted that this points TO a period of
time q Will not say when) when "all
flesh" still living may go forth and look
and see the transgressors and fear the
doom and the punishment Of the wicked,
/ stu press that the Bible proves there
is a place OF punishment which we have
anglicized as hell" which has all the
terrors presented in terms which we mod
ern opponents of orthodoxy are not re-
sponsible for;
Jehovah Himself has solemnly warned
US in His own terms in the Bible and He
is responsible for all that we can pos
sibly know about it,
The "Tophet ordained of oId' and the
"gehenna" OF the New Testament are
Identical. and hell is term plain
enough TO be understood by us aII-too
plain TO suit Pastor Russell and many
others, but the truth remains the same.
and the place still exists and many"
will find out where it is-by and by.
I am fully aware that the Bible speaks
Of punishment which is only tempo
rary, such as is understood by physical
death at the hands of soldiery or under
the judgment Of God. as by 'hailstonesF
and fire from heaven in the day of His
wrath" But this is not the "gehenna"
fire OF which the hell" speaks, known
in New Testament terms. which is. to
quote again. after death, the Judgment"
(Heb.. ix;zD.
The same authority which speaks of
heaven speaks equally of hell" If
we reject the one, we may as well reject
the other, and be consistently agnostic.
One who now occupies the pulpit Of the
Brooklyn Tabernacle" though we are
bot told that the plymouth church cali
ed" him. should announce himself openly
SIS opposed TO the Christ OF the Bible. to
the heaven. and the hell of the Bible 70
the Christians of the Bible. so that the
common people may at least know that
he Is ''anti-Christ" anti Christian.
I happen TO know, from Mr.. RusseTs
own pen. that he denies the Godhead of
he Lord Jesus Christ. His new
theology" is new" only in the sense that
[ is positively heretical and misleading.
He is not the only one who has betrayed
his Master with kiss
s. a. WHITE