Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-10-21
AN OPEN LETTER.
Ia Favor Of Pastor RUSSELL Doctrines
Communicated.

Mr.. Editor Since you punllsneu
one side of the argument, no doubt
YOU would like to be fair and publish
the other side also. This letter IS
Pastor Russell's answer to all such
letters as appeared in The Capital Of
Saturday, October 70.
Yours in favor of fair play and of
the truth,
MRS. II. l.. BOYD.
To Bible students of all Denomina-
tions, and all Lovers of Truth and
Righteousness:
In my sermon of May charged
that the Christian ministry is hiding
the Key of divine knowledge from the
people, as did the doctors of divinity
of Jesus day. This has aroused much
comment i am asked in substance:
Why, Pastor Russell did you not
specify the particular subjects on
which the pulpit is seeking to keep
the pew in ignorance hiding the key
of knowledge? If what you say is
true the laity must awake to this I'M
suspected danger But prove to US
that it is true?
Sad | am that it is true that the
ministers of all denominations with
some noble exceptions) are the chief
foes to real Bible study. Christians
of all denominations love and reveT-
ence the Bible as the Word of God.
Under the light now shining from
one page of it to another, they would
soon discard the creeds of the darker
past and become one united church
with lone Lord, one faith, one bap-
tism, were il not for thu ministers.
The preachers having lost faith in
the inspiration of the Bible are
"higher critics. They do not wish
to show their unbelief, hence avoid
Bible discussion. They await the
ripening of unbelief when they can
publicly say, "We educated ministers
have not believed the Bible in
spired for many long years. We kept
quiet until you would not be shocked
by the statement. !" But to the
proofs:
l. The preachers know that the
| only Hebrew word translated hell in
our Bibles has no reference whatever
to a great torture-chamber such as
their people believe contains nearly
all humanity. Privately they will
admit that "sheol" means the tomb,
and that its equivalent in the New
Testament Greek is hades." They
will admit. too, that Gehenna" is
the name of valley outside Jerusa-
lem where rubbish was consumed and
explained Biblically to symbolic the
/ second death--Rey. 20:I4.
2. / charge Rev. Haldeman, ID. D.,
with attempting to throw dust into
the mental eyes of Baptists by hor-
Iibly disappearing my teachings,
to hinder his people from studying
Bible teachings to which / call atten-
tion, by cracking over their heads
the whip of fear. When he declared
my TECHNICS to be 1.-The plasphemous
religion which teaches the annihia-
tion of Jesus Christ" he intended his
untruthful words should scare timid
sheep" and hinder Bible study. He
not only helped to hide the "key of
knowledge, but in this INSCRIPTIONS
way he tries 60 keep the Lords peo-
pl from finding it. l am positive
he would not think for a moment of
defending his own church creed in
| public The misrepresentation of
my teachings is to rally the old spirit
of the lark ages, the spirit of
hatred and sectarianism. His follow
ers will not so closely, examine their
own creed if they are busy fighting a
supposed enemy, and DR.. Haldeman
misrepresents me to be that enemy.
Il A Vryh he
| fear at the hands of the Lord upon
those who, posing as light-bearers,
are serving the cause of darkness
hating the light and misrepresent-
ing it.
might multiply facts, but these
may suffice for the present. If
Christian people once realize the ex-
tent to which they are being hood
winked by the clergy they would soon
find abundance of proof. If they ask
for Bible instruction along simple
lines (bread) they will be given a
stone of evasion. If they ask for
stronger meat (ish) they will get a
serpent-a striking rebuke, for med
ding in matters theological, as
though they doubted that the preach
ers knew everything and as though
they supposed that the laity were
capable of understanding anything
Abraham Lincoln we'll said, "You
can fool all the people some of the
time, and some of the people all of
the time, but you can't fool all the
people all the time.
Faithful to the morning light e
Pet. 1879