The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-01-09

esthetic taste, a gentleness OF demeanor |
and a loyalty OF heat which fully
appreciate, even though these quail
ties came to the Japal csc, not through |
Christianity, but through Shintoism
and buddhism Indeed. | must apollo
gize for much of the rudeness and
crudeness of the so-called Christian ma
lions, Of which you have heard through
your learned men and of which you
know something through contact with
the soldiers and sailors Of these lands
who come to your ports.
/ would have you understand that
the teachings of Christianity cover
every form of courtesy, gentleness,
brotherly kindness and hospitality.
The very keynote of Christ's instruc-
ton to His followers is lOre. out OF a
pure heart-and that each should do
unto his neighbor as he would that his
neighbor should do to him. The fruits
and graces of the Holy Spirit OF
Christ are prominently set forth in the
Bible-meekness. gentleness, patience.
long-suffering. faith. hope, joy, love.
You should know, moreover, that,
while these qualities are very general
ly ignored amongst the representatives
Of Christendom. there are, neverthe-
less, faithful disciples of Jesus who
study daily to put into practice all
these qualities marked by Divine ap-
prevail. The difference seems to be
that these esthetic qualities or graces
in your land have become a national
trait with the japanese. while In
Christendom. so-called. they are prac-
ticed only by a proportionately small
number, the remainder rather boasting
of and cultivating qualities the reverse
of these, as more helpful In the battle
for life and for money which is mani
fest everywhere among them.
Disaqrees With Missionaries.
l find myself unable to agree with
the teachings of the missionaries
which have reached you, however hon.
est some of them may have been.
Knowing that an essential feature OF
Shintoism is reverence for deceased
ancestors. many missionaries, | fear,
have done violence to your tenderest
feelings and most deeply seated con-
victions when they told you that your
ancestors, instead of being objects or
worship, are damned of God and Fave
begun their experiences of torture
which will last to all eternity, because
they did not know and therefore did
not accept Jesus Christ as their Mes
siah and Savior, and did not become
His followers.
| will not discuss the sincerity OF
these brethren in thus doing violence
to your most sacred and tender sent1-
ments; | will merely say that to my
| understanding they have misinterpret-
ed our great Creators Plan and the
explanation thereof furnished US In our
sacred Scriptures. Instead, give you
| the Bible Message, that your forefa-
theirs, whom you so deeply venerated,
are, according to the Bible, asleep In
| death, sweetly resting from all labor,
strife. vexation and turmoil, awaiting
| the morning light of new Epoch.
That glorious period. when they win
be awakened and come forth under
| LuOEG ldfOTdDtG CO4N1lAOAS SAaA bAA0
present, under a reign Of righteousness,
and to a clear knowledge Of the Truth,
is to be inaugurated by the coming OF
Christ the worlds Messiah He comes
to establish His Kingdom and to over
throw the Prince of darkness He
comes to break the shackles Of igno-
rance and sin. sickness and death. and
to set mankind free from these His
Kingdom with set up the glorious stand
ard of righteousness and truth and rem
der every assistance possible for hui
manity to come into harmony with the
| Divine will.
In that glorious Day. which. I be-
iieve. is very near at hand. everything
that you and your ancestors have learn
ed in harmony with meekness. gentle
ness, patience. long suffering, brother
Iy kindness, love. will be that much Of
an assistance in your uplift toward the
| full perfection Of the Divine require
ment Of character And. similarly, be
1t noted. those who have failed to cui-
dvate these heart and character quail
Ties, whether they were japanese or
nominal Christians, will have that
much whereof to be ashamed, and to
overcome and rectify.
Does Not Wish to BE Misundsrstocd.
Do not misunderstood me. / am not
ignoring the fundamental Christian
doctrine that Christ died for our
sins. according to the Scriptures, and
rose again for our Justification" / am
affirming that doctrine and carrying
It to its legitimate conclusion. The
Bible, the inspired Authority Of Chris
tendon, clearly teaches that the sac
rificial death Of Jesus, the Just for the
unjust, was not for a mere handful,
but for the entire race. That sacrif-
cial death took place more than four
thousand years after Adams sin, but
it is to be made eficacious for Adam
and all Of his race-not merely for
those who have heard the Message Of
Divine grace, nor merely for those who
have lived since the sacrifice took
place, but, as the Bible declares, "Je-
sus Christ. by the grace Of God, tasted
death for every man." (Hebrews Ii, o.
Another Scripture distinctly shows
that the Divine favor and blessing re-
sulting from Jesus death is not only
to be benefit to the Church, to those
who now believe and walk in the foot
steps Of the Redeemer. but will ultt-
mately benefit all the remainder Of
mankind. Thus we read, "He Is a
Precipitation (satisfaction) for our sins
the Church's SINS, and not for ours
only, but also for the sins Of the whole
world" q John Ii, o. All mankind.
therefore, must ultimately receive a
benefit, a blessing, as a result of Je-
sus' death, and this viii include your
ancestors. This is the method God
has adopted for the fulflment Of His
glorious promises of thirty-fve hun
dred years ago to Abraham-to which
promise our Creator gave His oath,
that we might have strong consolation
and faith In its fulf1lment The prom
ise is that "All the families of the
earth shah be blessed" and, addition
ally, that the blessing shall come to
them through Abrahams Seed
Christendom's Great Mistake.
The great mistake made by Chris
tendon has been In overlooking the
fact that Gods great work thus far
has been only the finding Of the prom
Used Seed Of Abraham, through whom
the blessing will reach all peoples.
Primarily, this gracious offer was made
to Abraham's natural posterity, the ma
ton of Israel. If they could keep per-
fectly the terms of their Law Cove
nant But they were unable so to do