The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-05-13

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tentive audience. Speaking through
an Interpreter, he was heard by all
His address was delivered under the
auspices OF the INTERNATIONAL
BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION.
A profound impression was evidently
made, and Bible study surely received
a considerable impetus. Many inclined
to scoff at religion and the Bible. as
interpreted in the past, said reverent-
ly, IF this be the Gospel of Christ,
it is worthy of all acceptation." The
speaker said:
We, dear friends, are living in day
in which the leading minds of the
world are rejecting the Bible and its
message in all the great colleges of
the world yea. in the theological
seminaries also. the Bible is classed
as antique. Professed faith in the
Bible. as the inspired Word of God,
today calls forth sneers of ridicule and
the comment that such believers are
before you today to contend that ii is
not the Gospel of Christ" that is be
ing rejected by the intelligence of the
world, but another Gospel that came.
not from Christ. neither from the Apos-
ties, neither Is II taught in the Bible.
] am here to claim. and to endeavor to
prove that the Bible is eminently log
., III .,
the message 1t bears to those who have
"ears to hear" is the most wonderful
message that could possibly be pre-
sented to human heads and hearts.
We are not here to claim a new rev
elation, making void the Word of God
through Jesus and the Apostles; we
are not here to twist and turn their
words to mat" them appear to mean
what they do not say. We are here
to show that the Bible taken in its
simplicity. and allowed to interpret it
self is the most wonderful book in the
world, and that the Divine Plan of Sal
walton therein set forth is soul satisfy
ing and, as the Scriptures declare, suf-
ficient. that the man of God may be
thoroughly furnished unto every good
word and work.
Theories Of the Dark Ages"
We are not here. my friends. to set
forth any sectarian views of the Scrip
lures, nor to advocate a new theology
BY no means: we have already too
many theoIogieS; we have already too
many sects or divisions of Christ. We
want no more. Chrstendom Is awak.
ening to the fact that the various con
flcting CreedS cast discredit on the Bi.
Bile. The creeds of ChriStendom uni
versally discredit each other by their
interpretations, and universally they
discredit the Bible. which would he
surely a most ridiculous book. if It
taught all the various conflicting dog
mas.
However. | should not be misunder-
stood as making an attack upon any
creed. or upon the adhcrents of any
creed. Rather | suggest that we may
well look with sympathy upon all the
various creedS and sects. realizing that
Gods people have been in Babylonish
confusion for now many centuries.
Did not the Apostle tell that great
falling away would come? Ql Thessa-
lonians ii. 81 Should we then be sur
prised If we find his words have come
true, that for fifteen hundred years the
Church OF Christ has been deeply en-
tangled with errors and superstitions.
which make void the Gospel of Christ ?
Let us not then stop to find fault with
our forefathers, and to upbraid them;
let us rather, so far as possible, as
sumo their honesty, their sincerity
Let us take the Bible standpoint. and
realize that the difficulty has been the
power of our Adversary, the Devil,
and that he has deuded and ensnared
not only the heather world, but to q
considerable extent Chrstendom.
Mark St Paul's words, THE god OF
this world hath blinded the minds OF
them which believe not. lest the glo-
rious light Of Divine goodness should
shine into their hearts" I'll Corinthians
~. A.. The intimation is that our great
Adversary. Satan. is interested in de.
ceiving mankind. respecting the glo,
riOus character OF our God. and his
wonderful Plan of Salvation through
Christ. Satan uses as his tools the
very best OF humanity that he can
bring under his control. and nothing is
more evident than that he has com
pleteIy deluded the heather world
with what the Apostle terms, doc
trines of devils" Not only so. but
to the extent that he was able to dc
so, he has evidently worked mischief
with the various reformatons and
cTeeds Of ChristpndOm Thank God
that he did not gain entire control OF
any OF these. Thank God that there
is center or nucleus Of truth in each
of these CreCdS, and around that ker
mel OF truth, terminating power may
be felt in every denomination. but the
Adversary has wrapped these creeds
with layer after layer Of mistransa
tion and miSinterpretatiOn
In the light OF our day, many are
able to discern more clearly than die
our forefatherS, the mOnStrouS anC
God-dshonoring fallacies OF the creeds
and, aroused to disgust they have re