Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-02-21

Difficulties In the Way, Says Pastor
Russell.
The words of the Wall Street J0ar-
nal respecting the need of the old-time
religion are along proper lines. The
Bishop sees clearly what l also have
SO frequently pointed out, namely,
that the so-called New Theology, High
er Criticism and Evolution theory have
so undermined faith that it would be
folly to look for return of the pious
earDestness of the past, which was
built upon living faith, even though
it was not the pure faith 'once deliv-
cred unto the saints" Jude 81.
We do not admit that none today
are pious; that none are what st. Paul
styled 'sanctified in Christ Jesus"
q Corinthians i, y. We claim that
there are as honest, as upright, as
loyal children of God today as ever
lived in the world But they are few.
The vast majority, under the false
teaching mentioned by the Bishop,
have utterly lost the faith once de-
livered to the saints" The great ma
jOrity Of professed Christians are drift
ing. Long ago they gave up the creeds
of the dark ages" and, believing that
the Bible taught the same things as
the creeds, it also is being abandoned
as too absurd for present-day intelli-
gence. Higher Criticism another name
for inf1delity and opposition to the BIZ
ble), Evolution, Christian Science,
Theosophy and Atheism have swallow
ed up the majority of the intellectuals
of the Churches, ard the mediocre
masses are rapidly following them into
the outer darkness of unbelief and
godlessness.
1t is impossible Tor an honest man
who has lost his faith in God, and in
the Bible as the Word of God, to take
q real heart-interest in prayer-meet-
ings. in Bible study and in attempted
holy living. he finds nothing substan-
tial for his faith to rest upon. He
scorns to be hypocrite. Hence the
old-time religious life is not to be gen.
orally expected.
Modern Rev:vals Unsatisfactory.
MOueIA ISN1N dl llcluONS lolhf
clownish actions and pretense that
rising to ones feet in a public assem-
bly, means Christian reformation and
spirit begetting) is too foolish for think
ing people of the class represented by
the Editor of the Wall Street Journal.
1t is not for us to say that absolutely
nothing is accomplished, and that all
fall away who, under excitement,
stand up to be prayed for, or to indi-
cate that they prefer to spend eternity
in bliss rather than in torture. We
do, however, mean to say that such
persons are bewildered, if no worse,
and a year after, we fear, are as bad
or worse than the year before. This is
because they are not really converted
because they have no real foundation
for faith given them, and have no
faith to put upon such a foundation
They are not even what st. Paul styles
''Babes in Christ" q Corinthians iii, u,
for only the spirit-begotten belong to
that class.
What Is Really Needed.
The revival really needed should not
be looked for nor expected amongst
worldly people. They have nothing of
Christianity to revive. 1t should begin
with Christians who have not yet lost
all their faith in God and in the Bible
These should become awakened to the
fact that spirituality and faith are at
low ebb. Their prayers should as
cend to God, and their Bibles should be
studied as never before. They should
make use of present-day helps IL their
Bible study and become fervent and
revivified Of spirit through a better I'M
Outstanding of the Scriptures. They
must see that the Bible was not prop
erly represented in the creeds of the
past; that 1t is in direct opposition to
many Of the doctrines of the past
which have justly become repulsive to
intelligent minds.
When once they get the proper focus
on Gods Word, one passage illuminat-
ing another, their faith in God and In
the Bible will become a living one, q
moving one, and, with this spirit, faith
and works will Gomez Christian zeal,
fervency Of spirit in the service Of the
Lord. With these in turn will come
activities in helping one another ac-
dvities in family worship, in Bible
classes, in prayer and testimony meet
ings, etc. Then. as the Master said,
they will let their light shine and the
worldly will see and be influenced by
vi M let lbs
Of all III Corinthians iii, y.
Most Important Points.
1t is useless for any to attempt to
believe, or to attempt to teach others
that God is great, and just, and low
ing, while at the same time teaching
that He prepared, before the founda-
ton Of the world, an immense torture
chamber in which thousands of mil
lions would be forced to spend eter-
nifty. How our forefathers could be-
lieve this and yet believe somehow or
other that God is Love we do not I'M
derstald. 1t was their faith in Gods
Love, and not their faith in eternal
torment, which constituted the power
of God working in them for good and
which offset the errors of their creeds
TO large degree. But no one Of to-
day who is at all awake can any long
er think of worshipping a God inferior
to himself. A God unjust and unlov-
ing, or unkind and powerless, can no
longer be worshipped in spirit and in
Truth.
What the world needs, and what
first Of all the Church needs, is to get
doctrinally straight in respect to the
Almighty's character, and in respect to
His purposes for His human crea.
lures. As soon as that condition of
mind shall have been reached there
win be no need to pray or ask for re-
vivals of religion-they will follow IT.
resistibly.