The Detroit times., 1910-07-29

ready swallowed up more than one
half OF the ministry and of the most
intelligent part OF the laity, The only
hope for any OF these is In leaving the
Expectations OF Gods Word and in
finding It's true meaning. In which 10
refreshment. strength and new life.
'sThe Wages OF sin Is Death"
However we read our Bibles In the
past we read into them from the creeds
of a darker time the mischievous error
Nthat when the Bible declares a death
penalty for sin II really means the re-
nal torture. Who had the right to
twist the inspired words In such a dew
ilish fashion, Who had the right TO
void IT'S true teaching in this manner
Hear the words OF the. Apostle. Tne
wages of sin Is death: but the gift of
our Lord (Romans VI 23). what
statement could be more simple? The
wicked Will not be granted life at all.
are under Sentence Of deat n ney
tion. Eternal life is-a gift. And II
Will be given only TO those to whom
accept 1t through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Let us turn TO Genesis and note the
statements made to our first parents
respecting sin and it's penalty. Let us
note that without the twistings of the
ology we should have no difficulty In
understanding the Divine sentence. as
our first parents evidently had no DIFF
ficulty. The sentence upon Father
Adam for disobedience was. Dying
thou shalt die Dust thou art, and
is the ground for thy sake "Thorns
and thistles shall IL bring forth unto
thee until thou return unto the ground
from, which thou vast taken Genesis
upon Adam and his race was that they
should rs5urn to the dust As we read
tion" psalm &c. 81: And this penalty
is sufficiently awful when we think OF
what II means to die. to lose mental:
gradually go into the tomb-into the
Bible hell (sheol, throughout the Old
TestamenD. And this sheol. the grave,
go. good and bad, rich and poor. holy
and unholy, was the only hell known
amongst any OF the people of God for
represented by the teachings Of the
Old Testament. Then came the New
Testament times and the teachings OF
effect. In the New Testament the
Greek word hades, representing the
tomb. the death state. takes the place
OF the Old Testament sheol In every
ament into the New Testament.
II was nearly three hundred years
after Jesus and the Apostles. after the
the doctrine of Purgatory was In
vented And for this reason neither
the word Purgatory nor the Purgatory
But bibles were few, and the people
could not have read them even II they
had possessed them: hence for long
were accepted without Bible proofs.
and the doctrine OF Purgatory spread
all over Christendom All of our fore
fathers believed in II. 1t became the
the mere handful Of saints. instead of
dying when they seemed to die. went
to heaven and that the great mass of
seemed to die. went in some mysteri-
called Pursatory of which NOBODY
taught. The teaching is that practic-
ally all OF humanity go to Purgatory
there to be roasted and otherwise tor
tured for centuries--ultimately to gain
for heaven. Upon this doctrine In turn
sprung the doctrine OF saying masses
for the dead" who were believed not
fear OF Purgatory drew the people very
close to the priests as the supposed
councillors OF the Almighty and the
close to the people; They were all
honestly intentioned. but all deceived
by the great deceiver--satan.
A Bad Matter Mndc Worse.
BY and by a priest, a Catholic theo-
logian and teacher In one OF their col
leges. by name Martin Luther. acci-
dentally ran across a copy of the New
Testament in the Latin language Be-
ins an educated man he was able TO
read II; for there was not one copy I'm
the German language anywhere. Luz
ther tells us OF his perplexity in not
finding Purgatory In the New Testa-
ment. He tried to interest the Pope
in Bible study, but failed. and instead
was branded hereto. He protested,
and others protested: hence came the
name Protestantsi
These Protestants were undoubtedly
REsORTs