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

Throne" We re-
port the former Each address lasted
for nearly two hours. but 30 deeply In
terested were the audiences that they
seemed not to note the Digit OF time.
He said:-
No other question could be Of deeper
interest TO thinking people than the one
now before us-"Where Are the DeadW
Our ancestors, our neighbors, our
friends, are dead or dying, and our
selves with them. What will be our
condition when the spark of life flick
ers out? l have no new revelation on
this subject. / have merely for my
guide what Is recognized by all Chris
tians as the Divine revelation on this
subject-the Bible. hold that there
is no other source OF information com.
parable to 1t.
Before presenting his own findings
on the subject, In the Bible. Pastor
Russell reviewed the findings of 9th
ers.-Christlan in general. The agnOs-
tic view, that there is no iife beyond
the tomb, he could not entertain. He
believed that mans organism. so much
higher than that of the brute, implies
not only an all-wise Creator. but His
benevolent intention for mans future.
He examined the Catholic view, and,
while according full liberty to every
Catholic TO believe what TO him seems
reasonable respecting the dead, Pastor
Russell could not agree with Roman
Catholic teachings. He summarized
their view to be that very sanity
few were fit for heaven and that they
went thlther. He complimented the
Justice of their intentions. that com
paratiyely small number OF humanity
were worthy of eternal torture
For his own part, he could not imag-
Inc any human being. on account OF
any human weakness or depravity. AS
meriting endless torture. The Catho-
lie view, that all heuthcn and prac-
tically all Protestants and Catholics
go In death to purgatory. he could not
agree with for two reasons. First. he
finds no Scriptural authority for such
view, and secondly, his mind cannot
accept the thought that an all-wisc,
ADJUST. all-loving and powerful Gre
ator will torture His creatures for cen.
turtles In any such manner as Catholics
generally believe, and as Dante's great
poem. "lnferno" 80 graphically de
plcts
Our Protestant View Is Worse.
Pastor Russell declared that he was
a Protestant, In large measure be
cause his parents were such, But he
declared that while he secs many
truths both In Protestant and In Cath
Ollie teachings he considers that the
Protestant view respecting the here
after OF the dead the most diaholiCa
conception TO be found on the face
of the earth the erossest blasphemy
against the Divine character and pro
vision for humanity. Had he nothing
better to offer he would not be address
ing his audience on the subject.
Perplexed and disconnected by hi
early teachings, he had. when a youth
discarded all human creeds, and th,
Elble as well believing that the latte
was the bnsi8 for the former. II wa
happy day for him when he lcnrne,
that this was n miSlake-when IN
learned that the crccds of the Darl
Ages are dlametrlcally opposed TO tn
teachings OF Gods Word Now hi
Bible has become 10 him new boo
the most wonderful book In tn
world. Its teachings he now sees (
be. beyond al comparison. the mos
iogical-thc only rational presentation
aud most glorious one rcspectln
an--cxplaning his past. present an
future Ms preprransed by wise. gr'
cIous and all.powerfui Creator
Two Protestant Views.
Protestant Views respecting the her
after are various, but two IN particulr
represent Protestant thought In gel
eral: a. The oalyinistic theory; c
The Arminian theory
Five centuries ago there were 4
siants-- all were Catholics aud b
In three places for the dead
henysn for the sanity few: Purgatoi
for the general mass OF mankind, m
he'll, everlasting torture, for the inco
rigibie. Luther aud coadjutors got
studying the Bible. and, finding not
ing there respecting purgntory an
mass for the dead, they threw the
out. Figuratiyely, they smashed cOl
pletely the Idea of purgaiory, a III
later they We're perplcXed and said
each other. We have smashed Purp
tory. but now what shall we do wi
all these thousands OF millions W
have been there Ia our imaginati