Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1910-12-08

that every heather who does not be-
lieve and who is not baptzed-some
say, Immersed will be damned to
eternal torture for their unbelief and
lack of baptism. Thus this spurious
statement dishonors God, antagon-
ICES all sensible minds. and makes
narrower and harder those who can
and do believe.
Christian people had their faith
shaken in respect to their own re-
lationship to God because Of the
statements following his text-to the
effect that all believers would have
the poYer to cast out devils, to speak
with new tongues. to handle serpents
without injury, to drink deadly poi
son without injury and to lay hands
on the sick and cause recovery. Many
worldly-minded people. reading these
statements, declare them to be bum
comb. or else the Church of Christ
has lost a power which II should
still posses. And yet intelligent min
listers quote these spurious words in
stead of informing the people that
they are in no part of Gods Message
and that they are not true. Pastor
Russell admitted that the Scriptures
do teach that miracles of tongues,
healings, etc, were permitted in the
days of the Apostles for the purpose
of establishing the infant church.
But he claimed that such powers were
communicated. according to the
Scriptures by laying on of the Apos-
ties hands; hence that, as soon as
the Apostles were dead and those
upon whom they had laid their hands,
and consecutively those who had re-
ceived the Apostolic blessing and
gifts of the holy Spirit were dead,
ALT hose miracles and healings nat
urally ceased, as St. Paul foretold
q Corinthians xiii, 81. r~s'S1
Coming back to his text the speak
err declared that the Gospel was to
be preached in every nation, not with
a view to converting all mankind. but,
as many of the Scriptures show. as
a witness to the world and for the
selection among the world Of a little
flock" of saints-"called chosen and
faithful"- to constitute Messiah's
associates in his Mediatorial King
dom, which shortly is to bless hum
anity with glorious opportunities Of
= knowledge and uplifting influences.
which will restore the willing and
obedient to full harmony with God,
full relase from sin and death, sor-
row and pain. to life eternal as per-
feet men in worldwide Paradise
restored"
Pastor Russell declared that the
object and purpose Of the Gospel
|, everywhere-not to the Jew only, but
to every people-could be easily de-
monstrated to all having faith in God.
E TO claim that God intended the Cos
, pei to convert the world and to know
that it has not done so Is to destroy
faith in God and to destroy hope in
respect to any glorious outcome to
? the Divine Plan of salvation; for
those who claim that God intended
the preaching of the Gospel to ac-
Z complish the worlds conversion must
admit that It has accomplished no
{ such purpose. and II Gods plan has
) been a failure for eighteen centuries
) what hope could anyone have that It
! ever would be a success?
On the contrary, however the
Scriptures declare that the purpose
and object Of the gospel is to gather
out an elect or select class from
amongst humanity to test and APP
prove this little flock" as to their
willingness to follow in the footsteps
Of their Redeemer and to glorify
by the power of the First Resource
ton" I'm the end of this Age. when
the foreordained number shall have
been selected. This, the proper view
OF the Gospel of Christ. is fully up
held and substantiated as true by
the history of eighteen centuries Thus
we are seeing fulfilled the Divine
' Message through the Prophet My
Word that has gone forth out Of my
mouth shall not return unto me void.
It shall prosper in the thing where
TO I sent it," 1t is sent to gather the
elect and it will accomplish the Di-
vine intention.
Then. the speaker said, after the
Z Gospel Message shall have selected
the stunts, and after Cod shall have
glorifed Them as joint heirs vita
, Christ in his Kingdom a totally dr.
p fercnt salvation VIII begin ana op-
F., crate along quite different linesl No
lnnnnr will nnlfnrs he lnfi to lhn