The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-01-03

The attempt was made to drive hu.
manity to God. Atrocious doctrines
were promulgated In the name Of God.
Christ aud his Apostles. 81. Paul de.
nominates these doctrines OF demons
q Timothy iv. II. These primarily.
taught n purgntory, to be mltignteh
by prayers and masses. Under the
impulse OF fear. millions accepted
Christ aud professed dl.cipleship In
total ignorance of his real teachings.
and yet no more his followers than
when they were heathcn Later on the
Adversary partially sidetmcked the
Reformation Movement by .eading
Jealous people TO renounce Purgatory
as unscripturul and TO accept In its
stend for the world at large eternal
torment--a still more unscriptural
proposition-a still more God-dishonor-
Ing doctrine of demons.
! Fortunately for ourselves we Prot
estants do not take our own doctrine
seriously. However. much all Prot.
estant Creeds assert that only bap-
tized saints will reach heaven and.
contrariwise. that all the insanity
will suffer eternal torture. neverthe-
less, not one in hundred believes
this. The most sanity. the most con-
scientious of them are troubled by
their fears, tormented by their sym.
pathles. perpeXed to understand Gods
dealings. hindered from having the
peace and Joy which the Master prom
ised his followers. The less conscien-
tious of them stife conscience to their
own injury, gradually losing faith in
the Word of God because of this error.
They thus escape some of the torments
of fear. but they do not attain the
love, joy, contentment and peace which
the Master promised his faithful ones.
Unreliable Subterfuees Harmful.
There is only the one Divine remedy
for this harmful fear. That remedy
Is asso lated with the Gospel of Christ:
but there are numerous subterfuges.
Some drown their fears, disappoint-
ments and sorrows with alcohol or
various narcotics. Some seek to drown
them with sensuous pleasures. some
with business activity, some with
church activity, some with 'devil-may-
care" unroason. or lite considerable
decree of subterfuge success has come
along the lines of deceit-denying the
existence Of sin. denying the facts of
pain and sorrow and death and, con
trarlwise. affirming that everything
Is good. REGARDLESS of the untruthful
ness of this proposition.
The result of this self-deception iu
deed relieves from considerable meas
ure of fear. To this extent 1t proves
subterfuge ard not the true remedy
AS a proposition its influence upon the
mind, upon all the reasoning faculties
is injurious. The twisting of re1soy
necessary TO this philosophy. which
calls Black white. and pain pleasure
and sin rin Eteousness. is destructive q
sou"d reasoning ability. The habit O
peryersion necessary to the calling q
bad good and wrong right not only in
iures the mind but, in attempting Il
sustain itself from the Scriptures. per
verts the entire Word of God Will
reason perverted and the Scripture
perverted, the true message of th
Scriptures cannon be enjoyed Unless
fear be measurably eliminated. tn
proper faith. hope. Joy and spirit of I
sound mind are impossible.
Divine Antdote For Fear.
Gods message through the Law an,
Z. the Prophets. to Israel. as rterprete
by Jesus and his Apostles, gives us tn
, true antidote for fear. 1t does no
deny sin. sickness. sorrow, death: 1t dc
3 nies no fact. but 1t does hold out
remedy for nll of these. an antidote
D 1.-THE balm Of Gilead" Moreover. 1t IL
3 forms us that this antidote can be re
7 ceived only through the cooperation O
3 our heads and hearts.
3 1t informs us that this healing is OF
= tainable by only comparatively fey
t at this time, but. eventually. the Divin
! blessings. worldwide, shall operate tt
( ward all humanity as fully as have tn
, penalties of sin. 1t applies now lin flu
t degree) only to such as have the heal
t ing ear, the eye of faith and the az
= preciative, responsive heart. Other
: may ODtuln II IHeuSure Only OI tulS COL
e ISOLATION. The Great Teacher gave u
e the key to this deliverance from feal
I saying. "Ye shall know the Truth an
the Truth shall make you free. If tn
: Son shall make you free, ye shall b
t free indeed (John viii. 80, 36).
a The first step toward having tn
) Truth make us free is to have the Goa
= ing of ignorance and superstition r.
8 moved and this is difficult matte
:. For instance. the Catholic superstitio
i Of Purgatory and the Protestant supe
4 stition of eternal torment. for practica
d ly all mankind, have been so thorough
a ly riveted upon their faithful that
r break their bonds and get free is
y difficult task. Only those who hunge
: and thirst after the Lord and his righ
o eousness are in any likelihood Of eve
r being properly freed.
d Others getting free from one errc
+ are merely steered by the Adyersar