Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-09-10

can no longer be swayed to the same
extent. Thinking people refuse to be
lieve that God for centuries has sal
calmly viewing tie situation, allowing
millions to 90 to eternal torment
They refuse to believe that theil
hearts and sympathies are more ten
der than those Of their Creator.
Even the heathen are getting awake
to the inconsistency Of what has been
They are finding out that the word
Gospel signifies good tidlngs." and that
what has been preached to them is the
most awful message conceivabe--that
all of the heather and the majority
of their civilized neighbors and friends
and relatives have been decreed. sen
| fenced. foreordained. to eternal tor
ture because OF ignorance, because Of
a misbelief in respect to which they
were thoroughly honest Perplexed,
the missionaries ask. What shall we
preach? The message of damnation
does not sound good to the heather,
and they do not run after it nor feast
|
comes to the ministers and professors
Of colleges throughout Christendom
and they are perplexed what answer
to give. The majority of them have
become higher critics and no longer
accept the Bible as the Word of God;
they are Evolutionists and no longer
believe the Gospel which the Mission.
airy Societies were organized to pro-
claim. They are In perplexity. And
many of them are prepared to aban-
don the former theory of missions and
to continue their work henceforth
merely along humanitarian lines. In
deed. within the last twenty-five years
missionary effort has turned gradual
ly to secular education and medical
practice in the interests of the heath
en-, with little religious doctrine-and
so much the better.
Everybody is agreed that the King
dom of Messiah cannot be brought
about by the wholesale conversion of
the world. And logical people see
that larger numbers have been lost to
Christianity In civilized lands during
the last twenty-five years than were
ever claimed to be converted amongst
the heather. We say lost to Christian
ity, because why should anyone be
called q Christian who has lost all
faith In the Bible-in the Law, the
Prophets and the teachings of Jesus
and his Apostles? The great cloud
of bewilderment which encompasses
Christendom is realized by all earnest
people-churchmen and others. And
no wonder there is certain dread
associated with the dark cloud. What
kind of storm will result? And what |
will be the effect upon the great re-
ligious systems of civilization? It is
to join hands against these ominous
conditions that the clergy of all de-
nominations are arouslng themselves
in favor of Church Union or Fedora
tion of some sort. But the people
the people feel comparatively little
interest In the proposition, which they
win not oppose, however.
"The Hour of Temptation"
--REv. 8: TO-
The difficulty with the present situa-
tion is that we have stupidity and blum
derlngly misread the Bible. We have
twisted what we did read and picked
out certain portions which pleased
best our fancies and supported best
our various creeds, We have neglect
ed the honest. truthful study which we
should have given to our Heavenly Fa-
theirs message. The confusion OF
Is the result. That con
fusion and perplexity the Scriptures
portray, assuring us that we are In the
midst of great falling away from
We see fulfilled all about us the Won
ierful prophetic and symbolic picture
Df Psalm 81, A thousand fall at our
side and ten thousand at our right
the "lsraelites indeed" in
whom there is no guile. will be kept
rom stumbling In this evil day. The
'haos which We already see every
where In evidence is only beginning.
Gods Great Remedy at Hand.
The fault of Christendom has been
he rejection of the Divine Plan aud
he acceptance instead of a human
,lan. The Church was going to con
'ert the world-going TO conquer the
world for Jesus and present it to him
Is a trophy, Alas, we have not been
lbe 10 convert ourselves, which is
he particular work the Master gave us
o do. Greater humility would have
hown us our folly long ago
Bible Students do not need 10 be re-
minded that all through the Old Tes-
ament Scriptures Gods promises
bound, telling Israel and all who have
airs 60 hear of the glorious reign Of
Iessiah and OF the success Of his
Kingdom and how the result will be
hat every knee shall bow and every
ongue confess 10 the glory of God"
Il how "0ll the blind eyes shall be
pened ana all the deaf ears shall be
OF how the blessing OF the
4ord will be with Israel restored TO
iis favor ana operate through Israel
O the blessing OF all peoples. We re
member the prophecies which picture
arthly governments aud show as their
and the establishment +
he Kingdom OF Heaven on their ruins.