The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-08-05

July A.-Once we considered most I'M
kind, unjust, the Bible declaration that
our Creator condemned all Of Adams
race with him on account of Adams
Original Sin" But now, in the light OF
the clearer unfolding OF Gods Word, we
are privileged to see differently. Now
we perceive, not only that God did no
injustice TO Adams children, but. con
trariwlse, that In this very particular,
he did them a kindness-that II was In
the interest of humanity in general.
We are aware that this statement APP
pears paradoXical to those who have
not yet gotten the proper focus upon
the Divine Plan The key which I'M
locks the difficulty is the proper appre-
citation of the penalty imposed upon
Adam and his race.
The erroneous, unscriptural view OF
this penalty which came down to us
from the dark ages" teaches that God
damned father Adam, mother Eve, and
every child born to them to an eternity
Of torture ut the hands OF devils. 1t is
this unscriptural and irrational view
Of the wage Of Original Sin which
caused all our difficulty. Indeed, 1t Is
safe TO say that no other false doc
trine held by Gods people ever drove
away from God. from the Bible and
from the fellowship of the Church so
many intelligent minds. Thousands Of
bright, honest minds, after seeing this
a.. 4 HH,.s., dc, f.
lated in the dark ages have quietly
withdrawn from them In heart, If not
outwardly, saying to themselves, Evil
IDENTITY my reasoning faculties are of a
different kind from those of many 9th
ers prominent in the Church: Without
disputing the point, simply conclude
that | must think for myself and that,
in so doing | am forced out of sym
patty with the majority of fellow
Christians on this basic doctrine.
Where Lies the DifficuIty7
The difficulty is that while the ma
jority of Christian people heartily re-
pudiate these misrepresentation of
God and his Word, nevertheless the
subject is not clear to them and they
fear that to repudiate this doctrine
would be to repudiate the Bible and to
become open intidels. And just here is
their mistake. The majority Of them are
not Bible students Even amongst min
listers Of the Gospel comparatively few
have any degree of knowledge of Gods
Word. They know what they think
about the Bible; what they believe that
II teaches; what they have been told
that II teaches; what the catechisms say
1t teaches; but they have never made
critical Investigations of the Bible
themselves TO ascertain It's teachings
1t is a part of our endeavor to arouse
Christian people everywhere to search
and study the Scriptures and to assis
them with Bible study helps, Bible
keys, etc. And. thank God, there are
thousands in Spiritual Israel who are
not bowling their knees to Baal. bu
who are anxious to know, to rightly
understand, the Word of God. Glasses
In Bible study are springing up al
over the world. These have recent!
adopted the name of "lnternauona
Bible Students Association" God Il
blessing them, not only with the open
ing of their own eyes more and NOR
widely. but also in using them to brin,
others tout of darkness into his mar
velous light" Il Peter ii, 81.
The Scriptures speak OF famine
not for bread nor for water, but TO
hearing of the Word of the Lord.
This famine Is upon us now. Not onl.
are Christian people hungry and thirs
" for the bread Of life and the waite
OF life, but many of the worldly ar
feeling longing for something bette
than the husks which they have. w
do not know that all Church members
nor all of any one Church member
ship, are thus hungering and thirstin
for Truth But we do know that every
where in all the various Churches @
NIL denominations there is a hungr
class which cannot be satisfied to dis
honestly misrepresent itself as In hal
mony with the creeds. These bewi
dered sheep are. Of late years. tindin
the green pastures and still waters c
Divine Truth and grace-near to theI
in the Word OF God-hidden undo
the rubbish OF ignorance and superst
ton, Instrumentation and misnterpret,
ton.
But as for the masses OF all demon
nations: Alas, they are falling int
unbelief! The popular form OF intide
ity known as Higher Criticism has a
ready swallowed up more than on
half OF the ministry and of the mo-
intelligent part Of the laity. The on
hope for any of these is in leaving II
chan and husks of medieval mist
terpretations of Gods Word and
finding its true meaning, in which
refreshment, strength and new life.
THE Wages of Sin Is Death"
However we read our Bibles In Il
past we read into them from the creeC
OF a darker time the mischlevous err
that when the Bible declares ded
penalty for sin 1t really means the T
verse OF this-lite-eternal life In etc
nal torture. Who had the right
twist the inspired words in such a de