The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-17

1ze6 z2zz2z2A " abideth forever"
lRASI0R RUSSElll and claimed er-
rors were built
upon neutrality-suspicious. of Scriptures
We report him on Revelation X, u,
z as follows:
Our text, with other Scriptural state
ments respecting the end OF the world
Sfor instance, st. Peters statement,
'aThe heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved'D, have led Christians In
general to accept the theory that
God has decreed that shortly, or at
some time, our earth Is to be burned.
The early Church expected and prayed
for the second coming of Messiah, to
establish the Kingdom of righteous
ness, to overthrow sin and to release
mankind from its bondage and weak
ness and from the power of death, and
thus to bless the whole earth, restoring
all things to the glorious condition
represented In miniature in Eden: man
in perfection, with Paradise home
Acts iii, 1921.
But as centuries passed without the
manifestation OF Messlahs Kingdom,
those expectations yielded to another
suggestion. namely, that Jesus had not
meant what bad been understood, but
meant that the Church should convert
the world. under His supervision, dur
ing a period of thousand years, and
that then He would come and give
their work His stamp of approval and
wind things up by taking all the
snintly to heaven, setting fire TO the
earth TO entirely consume IT,
Catholics and Protestants Much Con-
fused.
Both Catholics and protestants have
been operating in harmony with this
erroneous thought Catholics claim
that the Kingdom of Messiah was set
up long ago and that the popes aud
cardinals are representatives Of Jesus
and the Church They claim that the
Pope IL Christ's Vice gerent-that Is TO
any, He relgns instead of Christ, as
His representative. They claim that
''the thousand years" is already In the
past. since 1909, and that we are now
In the ''littie season" mentioned In
Revelation XX, 3. In which Satan was
TO be loosed, at the close OF the
thousand years
Many of them understand that Prot.
ehtanism In general, and, particularly,
Socialism and Free Masonry, are
organizations of Satan, which will
soon be destroyed In the burning up
OF the world.
Protestnnts are also much confused
ON the subject. They claim that we
are in the reign of Messiah, but they
are not sure when II began or when 1t
Will end, Before Luthcr's day the
Catholic view prevailed, but accord
ing To Luthers preaching the Pnpal
claims were false and later the Papal
system was branded as Antlchrlst,
Since then Protcstants are In con
fusion. Some recognize the Church OF
England and its kingly head as Gods
Kingdom in the earth. but they admit
that Il has not yet conquered the
eurth, nor Is Gods will done as IN
heaven, even In the British Isles The
Church of Russia makes n similar
claim TO being the Kingdom of God
and honors the Pope rs the reigning
representative OF Messiah. Emperor
william OF Germany also has on his
coins the legend that he is rclgninG
''by the grace OF God"-that his king
dom IL a part OF Messiahs Kingdom
hut all these theories Catholics and
Protestants are now ignoring. In the
hight OF our day none dare preach such
fheories. With present-day enllghten-
1nans II seems foolish TO declare that
ahe various kingdoms of Europe are
Wessiah's Kingdom, and that they are
establishing reign OF righteousness
Tho costly preparations for war made
~ these very nations discredit entire
~ the claim that they are parts of
Messiah's great Kingdom OF righteous
ness and peace
All denominations engaged In mis-
eiDnary work are processing the
Thought that soon the world win he
converted; that the second coming OF
Christ Will then take place. ana then
viii come the consummation. and the
burniag OF the world. How strange
how illogical The henthen. according
60 reliable government statistics, ar'
twice as numerous today as they were
a century ago. Six hundred millions
.shere were then: there are twelve hun
dred millions now. How long woulC
+ A require, Mt this rate. to convert IN,
world? And II the heather were con
perted 10 the same condition Of civ