The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-08-01

hoping some day to attain an eternity
Vt bliss.
The thought of their responsibility
In connection with the thousands of
millions blanched their cheeks and
made their hearts quail. They looked
at each other In terrified bewilder-
ment. Their noble, generous hearts
led them to desire to put the whole
mass directly into heaven, but. as they
searched the Scriptures on the sub
ject, they found. as they had always
believed as Catholics, the Bible teach
ing that only the sanity, the footstep
followers of Jesus, the "overcomers'
of the world, are fit for the Kingdom
Of Heaven. In despair they said to
each other, This leaves nothing for us
to do but enlarge hell many times
and stuff the entire mass therein,
writing over the doorway. "Who en-
ters here abandons hope" They did
| it, but 1t was u sorrowful raatter.
quite contrary to their generous
hearts.
Greatest TheoIog gian-John Calvin.
|
feeling very sad for what they felt
they had been obliged to do with the
heather and with their neighbors and
friends and the vast majority of their
own families. that Brother Calvin APP
peared. "Cheer up" said Calvin. "Of
course we all are sorry, but 1t Is not
our fault. The shame of such con-
| lie I
the way out of the dilemma: charge
the whole terrible business upon AL
mighty God. Say that He foreordain-
ed and predestinated things thus, and
that we cannot help it!'
Pastor Russell said that these good
men hesitated for time about charg-
ing against God what they had been
ashamed to acknowledge as their own
plan and doing; but seeing no way out
of the difficulty they finally agreed,
and then extolled John Calvin as the
greatest theologian the world had ever
known. Calvin arranged the entire
matter into philosophy and his doc
trine became the basis Of oil creeds OF
the Reformation period, including the
|
which is generally acknowledged by
Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. Thus,
said Pastor Russell, we Protestants got
our diabolical theory respecting the
dead. We "must confess that 1t Is
much worse than the theory of our
Catholic friends. IL we could not ac-
cept theirs because It was unloving
| te,,I nd
we cannot accept any longer our own
Brother WesIey's Gospel Of Love.
The blessings of the Reformation
were considerably overshadowed and
handicapped by the great Calvinistic
error of an all-powerful God, dcsti
tute OF love, vindictive and devilish
to degree never approximated by
any human degenerate. Centuries
later that good man, John Wesley, mp
peared. His soul cried out against
; the Injustice and lovelessness of Cal
vinism; and his claim that God Is top'
has permeated Christendom to such al
extent that even those denomination:
which profess the Westminster Con
: fessiOn of Faith and Calvinistlc theo
ries do not really believe it, We mus
love Brother Wesley for his argenes!
of heart even though we must con
: fess that he had n less logical heat
than had Brother Calvin.
| Brother Wesley and the majority o
, his followers failed to see the incon
! sistency of his claim that God is love
I and yet that nine hundred and ninety
, nine out of every thousand are 10 b
; eternally tormented- because the mas
i OF them had never heard of 1.-THE onl
; name whereby we must be sayed;' an
l because others who had heard did nc
! live contrary to their tendencies; di
not live sanity lives!
Pastor Russell declared that Wesle
s and Calvin put exactly the same sain
= ly few into heaven and put all the n
0 malnder into eternal torment. Henc
Y it was n mere question between thes
/. two men as to 1rhv this was so, an
g not as to the fact. Calvin said, ut
;. Gods will and He foreordained
Il thus" Wesley snid. mo, God is low
e and love would never do thus. II wa
y the result of Divine lack of wisdom
J. their creation, and lack of power
4 help after their creation. Hence III
& fate Of the masses"
Brethren, We Do Not So Believe!
" Pastor Russell said, There Is a gre'
" mistake None of these theories sati
=. fy your heads and hearts, nor min
- The dinicuty 81 thnt we have been tr
=, ing to accept the errors of the Oar
~ Ages instead of going clear back an
!, making our theology nfresh from Il
~ words of Jesus, the Apostles az
~ prophets. Let MS do this now and III
=. the beauty of the Divine Plan in Il
~. Bible, and glorious Divine charact'
-, such az we know Il should havc-fI
~ beyond human wisdom, justice, 10y
- and power. SO the Lord says: "As Il
-, heavens are higher than the earth.
,d nre My ways higher than your wa!
md NV Dlans higher thnu yOur plans