The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-08-25

90 ~ The Pastor dc.
cisEed that the Doctrine of total de-
Dravity 10 totally wrong. The like.
ness Of God, which was parfect In
Father Adaan, still persists in some
degree in all of Adams children,
sadly fallen Though they be. Indeed,
no one ID 80 fallen as not to have q
reasonable conception OF his own Dc.
basement, @ feeling that he 70 Justly
out Of touch with his Creator. and
worthy Of some kind Of punishment.
In every huGnan breast there IL also q
sentiment Of pity, and q feeling of the
need OF Divine pity. But 5ust there &c
rlous errors, received from our Eores
fathers In the DARK Ages, bar the way
and discourage those who Desire to &C.
turn to fel10wstfp with their Creator.
Many Christians are benevolent,
sympathetic, ready to lend a helping
hand and to give q word Of encourage
menk Many are ready to help the IN
3oFtunateg, tossing them SONGS Of Gods
love and sympathy and pity. But these
helps axe discounted by the great CEN
trail thought: supported by all the va
rfOus cTeeds called orthodox; namely,
that God 10 indeed very angry with
humanity, sTsd busty engaged In SEND
ing nearly every member Of our race to
nm eternity SefoEture-nine&y thousand
every t~wepsy-four hours being the
present schedule.
Creeds Drive Away FrcnH God.
While the Christian forgets the afro
ciouS misrepresentation Of the Divine
character given by the creeds, and re-
members chiefly the loving words OF
encouragement given In the Bible, It
Is not SO with the sinner, who has not
yet tasted that the Lord Is gracious.
His thoughts revert to the fact that
he fS g. sinner, and to the teaching that
eternal torment Is his doom IL he
q live for awhile q decent life, he
begins to hope that he may escape
the threatened torture; but when he
falls again into HespaSSes ana sims, he
strives to. forget everything, and es-
DecfalIy God and the future torture
of which he has been told He escapes
best from all religious thought I'm the
bar-EOon, at the gaming table, and in
general surrender to SIN He has a
fear Of God which he seldom CON
feSges, and which he bellies with his
profanity. He is miserable I'm the pres
n e OF the pure, the holy, and fears
the Bible. -. s....
Well did Satan know how to turn
the hearts and minds Of humanity
away from God and from the Bible!
With what cunning did he introduce
these wicked Misrepresentation Of
Gods character into the creeds OF
Christian people during the Dark
Ages! st. Paul gauges the matter
properly I'm the words, '"The god of
this world bath blinded the minds Of
those who believe not, lest the hight of
the glorious Gospel of Christ, who fs
the Image OF God, should shine unto
thern"-2 Corinthians Al
Even I'm the blessed twilight OF the
Apostolic times when the Church was
guarded from Satan'g deIusions, st.
Paul realized that comparatively few
OF the brethren had a clear insight
into the love OF God Hence hfg pray
er: Ell pray God for You, that the eyes
OF your understanding being opened,
ye may know what is the hope of your
calling, that We may be able to COM
prehsE1d with all saints the breadth
and length and depth and height, and
80 know the Love OF God, which pass
eth an understanding" liz this knowl-
edge OF the Love OF God is the great
need OF Christians, If their eyes OF nm
d~egstanaing can only partially appre-
ciate. oh, what is the need OF the poor
world, thoroughly blinded by Satan
and unable to see anything?
ts0@ Gem We Be Otherwise Than In
dignavt?
And LET MS not forget that Satan
has used Christian tongues and Chris
dian pens to do this binding Of the
world. The Message OF Gods Love
In the Bible is clear, plain, beautiful.
The misrepresentation and contradic-
lions of that Love by our forefathers,
his represented in the creeds, evidently
was the inspiration OF Satan. as the
Apostle declares. Not only so, but our
Adversary was assisted by his corps
Of fallen angels, as st. Paul again
declares that some give heed to seduc-
Ing spirits and doctrines of demons
4 Timothy Al.
We owe IL to ourselves, TO orr fam
aies and to the world In general 10
utterly destroy these blasphemous mis-
representations or GoQES &--.ais.@..-
Plan. Since our eyes are gradually
opening to see the real situation, how
can We be otherwise than Indignant
and jealous for the honor OF our God
and for the influence OF Els Truth
amongst our feilowmen.
The PASTORS Personal Experience.
I speak from experience. Not that
4 have had the experience OF being an
alien, 81 stranger from God, but / have
had the experience OF losing my God.
The child OF believing parents, and I'm
~doctrinated along Calyinistie lines to-
believe chat only the Elect. d handful,
would yer reach glory, and that all
ire EsraaintnE non.alacs RoulaKaa