The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-08-03

ieet. they found. rs Tidy had always
believed as Catholics. the bible teach
ing that only The sanity. the footsiep
followers of Jesus. tle 'ovcrcomers'
of the world are 1T 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 It was sorrowful matter.
quite contrary to their generous
hearts.
Greatest Theoloeian--John Calvin.
IL was when the Reformers were
feeling very sad for what they felt
they had been obliged to do with the
heather and with their neighbors aud
friends and the vast majority OF their
own families. that Brother Calvin ap-
peared. "Checr up" said Calvin. "Of
course we all are sorry. but 1t Is not
our fault. The shame of such q CON
cluson Is not ours. will show yon
the way out of the dilemma. charge
the whole terrible business upon Al
mighty Godl Say that He forcordain-
q ed and predestinated things thus, and
that we cannot help it!'
Pastor Russell said that these good
men hesltated for time about charg
ing against God what they bad 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 n philosophy and his doc
trine became the basis of all creeds OF
the Reformation period. including the
Westminster Confession of Faith.
which Is generally acknowledged by
Presbyterians. Baptlsts. etc. Thus'
said Pastor Russell, we Protestants got
our diabolical theory respecting the
dead. We "must confess that 1t ~
much worse than the theory OF our
Catho.ic friends. II we could not ac-
cent theirs because It was unloving.
unmerciful, unjust and ungodly. surely
we cannot accept any longer our own.
Brother Wcslcy's Gospel OF Love.
The blessings of the Reformation
were considerably overshadowed and
handicapped by the great Calvinistic
error Of an all-powerful God. desti-
tute OF love. vlndictlve and devilish
to degree never approximated by
any human degenerate. Centuries
later that good man. John Wesley. ap-
peared. His soul cried out against
the injustice and lovelessness OF Cal
vinism: and his claim that God Is tore
has permeated Christend0m 10 such an
extent that even those denominations
which profess the Westminster Con
ression of Faith and Calvinistic thco-
rlcs do not really believe II. We must
love Brother Wesley for his lalgencsS
of heart even though we must con
fess that he had Il less logical head
than had Brother Calvin.
Brother Wesley and the majority OF
his followers failed To see the inc0n-
sistency of his claim that God IL love-
and yet that nine hundred and ninety
nine out of every thousand are to bg
eternally tormen:ed becausc the maS'
of them had never heard OF the onlJ
name whereby we must be savcd:' and
because others who had heard did not
live contrary to their tendencies: did
not live sanity lives.
Pastor Russell declared that Wesley
and Calvin put exactly the same saint
ly few into heaven. and PIT all the re
mainder into eternal torment. llenc,
Il was mere question between theS'
| two men as 60 W.v this was so. ant
| not MS TO the fact. Calvin said. ut i'
| Gods will and He forcordained 4
thus" Wesley said no, God IS love
and love would never do thus. II wat
| the result of Divine lack of wisdom II
their creation. and lack Of rower Il
help after their creation. Hence tn
! fate Of the masses"
Brethren, We Do Not Go Believe!
Pastor Russell said. There Is n grea
mistake None Of these theories salts
~ your heads and hearts. nor mine
The difficulty is that we have been try
Ing to accept the errors of the Earl
Ages instead of going clear back an
making our theology nfresh from th
words OF Jesus. the Apostles an
prophets. Let us do this now and lin
the beauty Of the Divine phn In III
Bible. and n glorious Divine characto
such as we know It should have-fa
beyond human wisdom. justice. iov
and power. So the I.o:d says: "As IN
heavens nrc higher than the earth, $
are My ways higher than your way
and My plans higher than your plans.
Where Arc the Dead?
The Bible confirms the ablest fine
lngs of science when II tells US tha
the dead are dcGd and not alive at nj
anywhere. The Scriptures declare
"'The dead know not nnythlng:" the
sons come to honor and they know
not: they come to dishonor but the
perceive It not OF them" Again T.
BibTe says, "'rhere IS neither wlsdol
nor device nor knowledge in the gray
[sheol, the Bible hell whittier the
goest" (Eccleslastes tx. 1m.
Where. my dear friends, Is the Ike
| IN fha uhola nrolhaul Tho Biblp lp