The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-10

1-SaSlSsGEAeeS.S92lSs-ssE iuat u-o -hit
Mindful of Him."
psalm viii. ~ The large audience
listened with intense interest, so that
a pin-drop could have been heard.
The speaker said
For some weeks our city will be in
the throes Of Revival OF Religion.
Hundreds OF ministers have placed
themselves and their congregations
under the leadership Of the Rev. DR..
Chapman and Mr.. Alexander, the IA
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 il thou
sands OF dollars are spent in freight
ing apparatus for the protection of hui
man life for a few years, the services
Of MeSsrs. Chapman and Alexander
will be cheap if they carry away TWEEN
ty-five thousand dollars for a months
work. provided the results show
goodly number rescued from eternal
torment.
We sympsthize with some OF these
large hearted and open handed bust
ness men who give their money Tor
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
Ix.
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 signified by a
response TO an invitation which i'm
plies preference for heavenly bliss
rather than for eternal anguish How
ever. il is for those who pay the mon
ey 10 exercise their own consciences in
this matter. and il is none Of our bust
ness what they decide.
We sympathiZe also with the hun
dreds Of Pastors of this city who have
Joined III this movement, which they
hone 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 Critical-lnfidelity
Theirs is an unhappy and stultified
position.
We sympathiZe still more with the
poor people whose education along
spiritual lines is almost wholly neg
lectcd. and who live i'll constant fear
If the God who loves them and in
dreadful misunderstanding Of the BIZ
BILE. which he has given them. Be-
tween the imperfectness Of the trans
latiOn and the coloring of prejudice
and the twist of misunderstanding Of
some parallels and symbols they are
helpless i'm the presence of educated
men who teach inferentiaIly 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. g..
Sympathzes Still More With God.
But still more we sympathize with
God. whose name is dishonOred. whose
Justice. Mercy. Wisdom, Love and
Power are traduced. nay, vilified. We
say 10 ourself. How wonderful the
patience of God. which for centuries
has endured blasphemous misrepre-
sensations of his good character and
Divine Plan of the Ages, Well does
he tell us that as the heavens are
higher than the earth. SO his plans and
methods in respect TO our salvation
are higher than ours-nOt lower Well
does he tell us that human fear to.
ward him is taught by the precepts OF
men. not according TO his Word lisa
iah xxx. 49,. We can see reasons
the heather, but we are perplexed that
judgments have so long delayed to
come upon those who. knowing bet
ter still SANDER the great and holy
name and misrepresent the Divine pur
poses.
What would chief shepherd do tC
an under-shepherd found misleading
the sheep, guiding them into poison
Gus pastures? We believe that lie
would take the sheep from them, ever
though he allowed them still to shep
herd the goats. And it is quite Oul
thought that such a Judgment impends
over Christendom and that all shep
herds. false to their trust, will be dis
missed ANONYMOUSLY. and that YER.
soon.
Some urge that we should do evi
In order to obtain good results: tina
we should misrepresent the Divine
character i'm order 10 get people to joiI
the Church Is 1t urged that som,
may, as a result OF this evangelisti'
movement, lead more orderly ant