The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-07-29

Starting from their misunderstood
ing of Bible teachings respecting the
wages of sin, Brother Luther and his
noble companions battled bravely fol
many truths. but made one great blum.
der. When they concluded that Pur-
gatory was contrary to the Scriptures
and threw 1t away, not seeing the
Bible hell the tomb, they adopted an
other he'll and thereby went from bad
TO worse ON this subject They said.
The heathen and the masses OF the
civilized are surely not saints-surely
they do not follow tn the footsteps Of
Jesus-sureiy, therefore, they cannot
be of his spiritual flock Concluding
that these could not be taken to heav-
en-, they said, We must take them out
| Of Purgatory anyway, wherever we put
them, because we have found out that
there is no such place as Purgatory.
After Conferences, seriously dislfk-
ing 10 make out Gods character worse
than they formerly supposed, they
said under their breaths, We must
take them out of Purgatory and quick
~ put them into a hell Of eternal tor
ture and say as little about the mat
ter as possible They were greatly
relieved when long-headed Brother
John Calvin explained to them about
the mere handful going to heaven and
the great mass going to eternal tor
ture- He explained that God had fore
ordained and predestinated these aw-
full results-that he might show his
wisdom and his power. AS to
Love divine. all love exceiiina"
Brother Calvin seems never to have
thought Of that Brother Wesley and
others since, though less logical and
theological, did stand UP for and de-
clare the Love Of God. even though
rather absurdly they claimed that he
was neither wise enough nor powerful
enough to do more than rescue a mere
handful of Adams race from the eter-
nal torture to which they thought God
damned them all because Of the DISC
bedience In Eden
"At In Adanr-AiI In Christ"
In the light of our better Bibles and
Bible Study Helps and minds freed
from the ignorance and superstitions
of the past we may understand the
Apostles words and find tn them, not
beauty. Instead Of all mankind going
to eternal torment for Adams sin, all
go into the Bible he'll, the grave, on
account Of his stn-and all of the men,
tai. moral and physical blemishes of
our race are a part of this heredity.
There would have been no hope Of a
future life, good or bad, had not God
In his mercy provided the Savior-the
Life iver," as the Syriac renders the
word. In Gods due time he set before
his Son the opportunity of becoming
mans Redeemer. The Iogos was made
flesh John 1, 14 and o5ediently gave
himself In death-''tasted death for
every man. AS by one MANS disohedf |
epce the sentence Of death BASED upon |
all of the race. even so by the obedience
Of the man Christ Jesus unto death |
justification to life passed for all of |
lllul 4NOm nO ONNI Tie WISE LEu-
son for permitting the Sentence to pass |
through one mans disobedience to |
all of his posterity. 1t was In or
der that one sacrifice for sin might |
make possible the reconciliation of the |
entire race.
Now read our text and drink in its |
depths and beauty and force. The |
resurrection of mankind from the sin |
and death and tomb Condition to the |
full perfection and image of God from
which the race fell Is the salvation |
which God has provided for all Who
ever Will fan to attain the full recov.
cry from sin and death Conditions will |
have himself to blame because of re-
lection of the glorious ARRANGEMENTS
which God made In and through Christ
Tho First Resurreotion.-
God divides the salvation Of man
kind into two parts-the Church TO
spirit nature and the world to perfect
ed human nature. The first he is ac-
comprising during this Gospel Age:
the second be win accomplish through
Christ and the Church during Mos
siah's reign of thousand years
The Church, the little flock" OF
saints, called tried. tested, In the mar. q
row way during this Age, are to con.
stftute the First Resurrection Glass
and 10 become the Bride of Christ. I
the Church Of the First osns."
These are to be associated with the 7
great Redeener IN his future Work
These shah be like him. changed from !
earthly 70 heavenly nature and Inada :
sharers Of his glory. honor and I'm
The Kingdom OF God nm .
der the whole heavens win be inaugu. {
rated after the giorf1cation Of the 1
Church and then VIII begin the bLass- e
ne. the safvatiOn. the uplifting, the &
Of mankind In general 2
from sin and death cooditions-u,t IN q
spiritual conditions, but 30 perfect !,
sarthly conditions.
All the willing and obeiient shan ba
blessed by the great Life-Giver who
eighteen centuries ago died, the Inst 2
or the unjust and who during the 2
'erfod since. has been selecting, the !
Bride class With his Bride be win a
eign 10 bless the world. 10 make the I