Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-08-17

l(RASlC9R RUSSElll this is my first op'
portunity for ad.
dressing you publicly, on the invitation
of your local class Of the international
Bible Students Association. Indeed, If
/ am rightly Informed. Bible students
have not been very numerous in your
gay capital, Splendors and pleasures
you have undoubtedly had or sought
to have, but the great pleasure, the
great Joy and inspiration which come
from an intimate knowledge Of the Di-
vine Word. the masses Of your people
evidently have never fully experienced.
The present Pope, understand, is
not so highly appreciated amongst you
as were some of his predecessors, but
let me speak one good word for him,
namely, that more than any Of his pred
ecessors he has sought to uphold the
Bible, and in America at least he has
urged upon the people Bible study. !
am sure that he is right in this and
that the greater knowledge we have of
the true teachings Of the Bible the
greater will be our blessing and JOY
both individually and nationally.
| have chosen for my topic on this
occasion what / believe is an impor-
tant, yea, vital question Of deep in.
terest to all humanity: "What is ManT'
This great question the Bible alone an
swers distinctly and satisfactorily, as
l hope shall be able to demonstrate
The answer Of Science to our query Is
at eastin one respect right and IN full
accord with the Bible. Science tells us
that man is an animal Of the highest
order-genus homo. The Bible agrees
with this and declares man distinctly
different from the lower animals, and
also distinctly separate from angels
and spirit beings. He is terrestrial, "of
the earth earthy"--he is not spiritual
not celestial or heavenly. The earth
not heaven. was made for his home.
The Bible does tell Of mans fall from
Divine favor and Of his Divine condem
nation, but his fall was not from a
heavenly condition to an earthly con-
dition, but from an earthly condition
of perfection to a dying condition OF
imperfection. The Bible teaches that
Il man had not slnned his life would
have been everlasting, in earthly per-
lection, and that his home would nave
been an earthly Paradise in which he
would have enjoyed the blessing ana
fellowship of his Maker.
The death sentence did not alter or
change his nature, but merely forfeited
his life and all Of his blessings ana
rights which were dependent upon his
life. The penalty was not, TO eternal
torment shalt thou go, to suffer eternal
ly at the hands Of demons" but by
ing. thou shalt die" "Thorns and this
ties shall the earth bring forth unto
thee" "In the sweat Of thy face shalt
thou eat bread until thou return unto
the ground for out of 1t vast thou
taken. for dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return" And Of the faith
mi execution of this Divine penalty
against the sinner we are all witnesses
And Yet How Grand is Mani
As stood by the ruins of ancient
Memphis. where Joseph rose from be
ing n slave to being the Governor, next
10 King Pharaoh. was impressed win
some Of the mighty monuments whicu
persist despite the ravaging hand ol
lime said to myself. What is mani
what a king Of earth he is, and has
been. Notwithstanding his deteriora
tlon through sin and the fall! AS
noted the sculptures Of thirty-fye nun
dred years ago | said. Truly the Biblt
is right when II declares that Goc
made man IN His own lmage-that L
man the highest earthly creature. The
great Creator. Himself a Spirit. I'M
narted nm impress Of His own eharac
fer and a measure Of His own power
so that man really was created goC
Of earth toward the lower creatures
which were put under his care, as MI
Creator is the God Of the Universe.
Nv admiration for onr race ana III
skill was grpatly enhanced as ! thu'
cogitated. The pyramids. and espe
clally the Great Pyramid Of Gizeh
near Cairo. impressed me similarly
When / cons idered the wonderful &C
compllshmen 5 Of that long-ago perlo'
and reflected thqt we could scarcely d'
more today with our most improved
machinery. my appreciation Of our an
cestors was enhanced: and | said, J
would be very difficult for many to &C
cept the modern scientific theory tina
our forefath RS but a short time ag'
were cousins 10 the ape,
Some Of tie temples OF India an'
China similarly impressed me. Athens
TT IA. ,,.unourua NJ nuciQnt Rtrlc