Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-02-13

1T 1T M IHV VoAIi
-, what Is Man,
seff1 That Thou Art
Mindful OF Himp
Psalm viii, A. The large audience
listened with intense interest, so that
pln-drop could have beea heard.
The speaker said
For some weeks our city will be in
the throes Of Revival OF RellgloA." I"
Hundreds Of ministers have placed
themselves and their congregations
under the leadership OF the Rev. DR..
Chapman and Mr.. Alexander the "a
nous singer. for the purpose Of reViv-
ing religion for the purpose Of rescu-
ing human souls from eternal torment.
as the proposition is generally under
stood. Business men have subscribed
large sums OF money for this noble
work Of rescue, reasoning that II thou
sands Of dollars are spent In 6re-aght-
ing apparatus for the protection Of hu.
man life for few years, the services
of Messrs. Chapman and Alexander
will be cheap II they carry away TWEEN
ty-fve thousand dollars for a months
work, provided the results show a
goodly number rescued from eternal
torment.
We sympathlze with some Of these
large-hearted and Open-handed busl-
ness men who give their money for
so laudable an object. Yet we can
not think that many, nay not even
majority, OF those who contributed
this sum have done so conscientious
ly. We cannot think that one-half Of
them believe in the teaching Of eternal
torture, nor can we think that more
than one.tenth OF them believe that a
practical conversion Is slgnihed by a
response TO an invitation which i'm
plies a preference for heavenly bliss
rather than for eternal anguish How
ever, II is for those who pay the mon
ey to exercise their own conscienCes in
this matter, and II Is none Of our busl-
ness what they decide,
We sympathlze also with the hun
dreds Of Pastors of this city who have
Joined IN this movement, which they
hope will increase their congregations
and church revenues. but these Pas
tors know In reality that the Bible
does not teach eternal torment, and
they have discarded the Bible anyway
- favor of Higher Crltlcal-InHdellty.
Theirs Is an unhappy and stultlAed
position.
We sympathlze still more with the
poor people whose education along
spiritual lines Is almost wholly neg
lected, and who live In constant fear
of the God who loves them and in
dreadful Misunderstanding OF the Bi-
BILE which he has given them. Be
tween the imperfectness Of the trans
latlon and the colorlng Of prejudice
and the twist OF Misunderstanding OF
some parallels and symbols they are
helpless In the presence of educated
men who teach inferentially what they
do not themselves believe. Alas! poor
common people!" that you should be
betrayed by those In whom you re.
pose confidence and whom you unwIt-
tingly pay for keeping you In the dark
by taking from you the key of knowl-
edge. Truly, my people perish for
lack OF knowledge" (HOsea iv. O..
sympathizss still More With God.
But still more we sympathlze with
God. whose name is dlshonored, whose
Justice, Mercy. Wisdom. Love and
Power are traduced, nay vllihed We
say 10 ourself. How wonderful the
patience Of God, which for centuries
has endured blasphemous mlsrepre.
sentations OF his good character and
Divine Plar OF the Ages! Well does
he tell us that as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so his plans and
methods In respect 10 our salvation
are higher than ours--not lower. Well
does be tell us that human fear TO-.
ward him IL taught by the precepts of
men. not according to his Word lisa.
lah xxx. 80. We can see reasons
why the Lord has kept silence toward
the heathen, but we are perplexed that
judgements have so long DELAYED to
come won 'hos' v'hr. sNowmr oet.
ter, sfl1 q Ndcr hr rrpet "nl holy
man ana m'Nrcpreseut the nlvmc ur,
poSes
Wh't would u chic' shnnhcrd d> ia
an undershephCrd found mSlendlnp
the sheep rnldIug them into poison
Gus pastures? We believe that he
would take the sheep from them, even
though he allowed them sim TO shep
herd the goats And II Is quite oul
thought that such a Judgment impeud,
over Chrlstendom and that all shep
herds. false 10 their trust. win he dis
missed igpominlously. and that very
soon.
Some urge that we should DO evi
In order 10 obtain good results, tha
we should misrepresent the Divine
character in order TO get people to jolr
the Church, Is Il urged that som,
may. as result OF this evangelist,
movement. lead more orderly ant