The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-02-07

Al-eA9 IoG.IXtl22CLlzD Inat hOu ART
Mindful of UimW
psalm will. ~ The large audience
listened with intense interest. so that
pin-drop could have been heard
The speaker said
For some weeks our city will be in
the throes Of Revival o? Religion"
Hundreds OF minister's have placed
themselves and their congregations
under the leadership OF the Rev. DR.
Chapman and MI Alexander. the ia
nous singer. for the purpose cf reyiy-
ing religion for the purpose of rpscu
ing human souls from eternal torment.
as the proposition is generally under
stood B"sinesS men have subscribed
large sums of money for this noble
work of rescue reasoning that II thou
sands Of dolHrS are spent In freight
ing apparatus for the protection OF hu-
man life for few years. the services
Of Messrs Chapman and Alexander
will be cheap If they carry away twen.
ty-five thousand dollars for months
work provided the results show Il
go0dly number rescued from eternal
torment
We synipathl2e with some OF these
large-hearted and 0pen-handed busi
ness men who give their money for
30 luudable an object Yet we can.
not think tlnt many. nay not even
majority. Of those who contributed
this sum have done 80 conscientious
ly. We cannot think that One-lalf of
them believe in the teaching Of eternal
torture. nor can we think that more
than one.ienth Of them believe thnt u
practical conversion Ia signined by a
response 10 an invitation which i'm
plies u preference for heavenly bliss
rather thnn for eternal anguish. How
ever. II IL for those who pay the mon
'ey TO exercise their own conscicnccs In
this matter. and 1t In none OF Our busi-
ness what they decide.
We sympnthlze 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
in favor of Higher CritIcai-in6dellty.
Theirs Is an unhappy aud stultiGed
position
We sympnthlze stili more with the
poor people whose education along
spirituo! lines Is almost wholly neg
iected. Vnd who live. In constant fear
'of the God who loves them and In
dreadful Misunderstanding Of the Bi-
bic, which he has given them Be
tween the imperfectness OF the trans
lation and the coiorIng Of prejudice
and the twist OF Misunderstanding OF
some parallels and symbols they are
helpless In the presence OF educated
men who teach infercntlaily what they
do not themselves believe. Alas poor
common peoplc' that you should he
betrayed Ivy those In whom you re-
pose confidence aud whom you unwit-
fingly pay for Keeping you In the dark
by taklng from you the key OF kn1wl.
edge. Truly "My people perish for
lnck of knowledge" QIosea iv. o..
SymFa,hizes stiii More With God.
BIT stlll more we sympatlli2e with
Goa. whose nnme ia dlshonorod. whose
Justice. Mercy, Wisdom. Love and
Power are tuduced, nay. yilIiied. We
say TO oursclf, How wonderful the
patience OF God. which for centuries
has endured blaHphcmous misrcpre-
aentatlons of his good character and
Divine Plan OF the hges! Well does
he tell us that ns the heavens are
higher than the earth. 80 his plana and
methods IN respect 20 our salvation
are higher than ours hot lower. Wen
does he tel us that numAn fear TO-
ward him Is taught 10y the precepi4 of
fmen. not according 10 hh Word lisa.
tah xxx. l3l. We can see reasons
why The Lord has kept Rlcncc toward
thc henthen but we are perpleXed chat
JUDGMENTS have 50 long delayed to
come upon those who. knowing bet.
ter, still slnnder the great and holy
name and mlsrepresent the Divine our
poses.
What would n chief shepherd dl to
an under-shcphcrd found misleading
The sheep guIdlnG thcr into poison.
ous pastures? We believe that he
would take the shccp from them, oyen
though he allowed them stIll to shcp.
herd the goats. And II Is quite our
n'hought that such Judgment lmpruds
sover Chrlstendom and That all tacp-
herds. false 10 their trust. win be dis
missed ignomlnloilsiy. and that yery
snonl
Some urge that we should Do eva
Ia order 70 obtain good resuiis; G,at
we should misrepresent the Dlvlne
character III oraar 10 get people 20 joln
the Church. Is II urged that some
may. as q result Of thIs eyangeliAtic