Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-12-03

Iel 'ne i,Y.u' ~ r,e,rv
aailik .kg.2,S.EkL9 cndureth forever
Psalm evil. l.
Thanksgiving Day appeals to all OF
ms and we are glad that the Pilgrim
Fathers long years ago started the
custom. They placed II at the END OF
the harvest aud In recognition OF the
same. The Keeping of such a day APP
peals to all civilized mankind In con
siderable degree, because our Great
Creator 80 organized Us that the quail
ity OF reverence, Of worship, lies prom
inently on the top OF our heads The
man or woman. rich or poor, educated
or ignorant, bond or free, who has not
this organ of veneration developed In
considerable measure cannot be appre-
ciatiye and deferential toward bis Gre
ator, and hence would not enjoy
Thanksgivlng day. We are glad that
these are comparatively few. We are
glad TO suppose that the majority OF
this great nation Of civilization looked
up TO God with grateful hearts and
rendered him, thanks for blessings
manifested. NI
Hindraness. to True Reverenee.
Nevertheless, the numbers increase
yearly Of those who are losing their
reverence for the God OF the Bible and
vagnely turning towards God OF Ma
ture, Of whom they profess to know
comparatively little. These irreverent
and unthan,ful fellow-creatures are
not generally the most ignorant OF our
race. nor the least favored in temporal
mercles and blessings, Among them
are many learned. wealthy, influential.
Their condition Is well represented by
that OF a young woman who called at
my study recently. In substance she
said, II have lost my God. | am un-
happy. am hoping that you will be
able to assist me in nndLng him
again" Thank God. we were able to
assist her, and now she is able to give
thanks to God In all sincerity.
am not speaking TO thu, irreyerent
In this audience. nor TO those Of this
class in my larger audience Of millions
all over the world, TO whom | speak
through the public press. am speak
ing TO others who. while not yet fully
In the faith, are still disposed to
give thanks. | speak TO these be-
cause realize that each day Is
bringing to the world greater intelli.
gence, more independent thoughtful.
ness. In wider use Of reason. |
speak because my experience teaches
that unless these be fully armed with
the Truth and awakened TO independ-
ent thought. they are almost certain to
fall into Evolution, Higher
Criticism, and mere form OF godli-
ness, which denies the real power
thereof.
The Truth Shall Make You Free.
The Great Teacher prayed for his
followers, "sanctify them through thy
Truth; thy Word is Truth gohn xvii.
10 10 be forearmed with the Truth
is TO be safeguarded against the error
To bo ignorant of the Truth Is to fall
a prey TO the error-especlally In this
"eyil day" when "a thousand shall
fall at thy side aud ten thousand at
thy right hand" psalm xci n. The
difficulty with us has been that many
have supposed that the conversion OF
the world aud It's snnctlncatlon can be
better accomplished by misrepresenta'
tion OF Divine Character md Justice.
Unconsciously we have learned to
twist and interpret our Bibles 10 az
the erroneous crceds which were hand
ed to us by our well-meanlng fore
fathers. The Day OF Judgment upon
these false creeds Is upon us. I'm
less we learn that they do not prop
erly interpret the Bible, we will re-
1ect the Bible when we reject the
creeds-and that must be very soon
for an thinking people. ''fo the Law
and to the testimony; n they speak not
according 20 this Word, II IL because
there Is no light In them isaiah Will
2Ol.
Causes For inarAtitude.
Come, let us reason together, saith
the I.ordF" II our creeds tell us truly
that we were an born damned, either
60 Purgatory or 10 eternal torment
should we give thanks on this ae'
countf II our creeds tell truly that
an elect handful Of saints will escape
the torture. how do We know wheth-
er or not we belong 90 that elect hand
ful? Have we sufficient information
on this subject TO give thanks there
for? II our creeds tell truly that near
ly all the members of our families,
nearly all OF our nelghbors and friends
being insanity not "sanctihed in
Christ Jesus not followers In the
footsteps OF Jesus. not OF those "who
walk not after the flesh, but after the
spirit"-these all. except n mere hand
ful, are doomed 10 more horrible tor
ture than the worst earthly sufferings
we could possibly imagine for them
and are doomed 60 these for centuries
In Purgatory, according 10 the Catho
lie, or for all eternity, according "a
our Protestant theories can we hon
estly thank God for any OF these con
ditions. II we believe them 20 be true
Can We worship IN spirit ana IN
truth" Creator who would max,
such an atrociops plang And could
ArficIea OF incorporation.