Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-21

Saturday TO san DleBO ana LOS All
geles. Pastor Russell addressed thor
Oughly representative audience His
afternoon topic was, Beyond the
Grave" His evening topic we report.
His text was, "God so loved the world
that He gave His Only Begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth In Him
should not perish, but have everlasting
llfe."--John 3;16.
Forcefully the Pastor pointed out
that once Christian people, even Bible
students. misunderstood this text and
read into 1t conflicting thought, dis
honoring to God-read 1t as though It
said that God so loved the world as to
keep them from perishlng, In order
that the few, the sanity Elect, might
attain to glory and look over the bat
Elements of Heaven and see all the re-
mainder-Jews, heather and the mass
es of Christendom-wrlthing in tor
ment to all eternlty-unable to perish
forced to i've, in order that they might,
by their sufferings, entertain the more
fortunate, who were guaranteed bliss
to the full.
What right did we ever have, said
the Pastor, to thus put into the mouth
of our Savior, as our creeds have done,
words which He never uttered-words
which are very untrue-indeed, bias
phemy against our Maker!
Light Shines Through tho Fog.
We are not faultlng our forefathers,
Had we been in their place, doubtless
we would have been as confused as
were they, and we might have INDUCED
in hereto burning, etc. And had they
lived In our wonderful day Of great
light, knowledge, privilege, opportunl-
ty, education. Bibles, etc, doubtless
they would have had as noble ideas as
ourselves respecting the proprietIes Of
Christian conduct and Divine conduct
and Love and Justice. The Bible tells
us that Satan and his fallen angels are
responsible for those terrible doc
trines Of demons" which have given
thinking people such horrible night
mares, and driven so many Of them
away from God and the Bible into un.
belief, agnosticism, and even atheism.
Let ns rejoice in the light OF the bet
ter Day which has dawned. Let us be.
come Bible students in the highest
sense Of the term Never before has
there been such an opportunity fol-
knowing the real teaching OF Gods
BOok-what II does contain aud what
II does not contain. We have the 81
bic. concordances and helps, and We
have the general education which per
mits us to study them. Our forefa
thers lobored against lack OF education
time, lack Of Bibles, and lack OF goot
artificial light.
What the Word Perish Means.
When we come to think OF II, the
word perish contains not the remotos
suggestion Of fire or torture. In oul
ignorance we read all that into III,
text and into other texts Of similar
import; for instance, the statement
that God is not willing that any shoult
PERISH but would that all should com,
unto Him and live; and the statemen
Of ST. Peter that the wllfully ignoran
shall perish like brute beasts, made :,
I've taken aud destroyed; and the state
mont through the Psalmlst, IAN tn
wicked will God destroy" How lurl,
these simple words became before on
innamcd and perverted lmaglnatlons
How some OF us rang the changes Of
these Bible terms in a vain attempt 4
drive men toward God through fear
when God declares that He does no
want such TO come and has no pleasur
whatever In their worship or serylce
Did not Jesus tell us that the Fathe
seeteth such 10 worship Him az wol
Rhlp Him IN spirit and IN truth2 doh
4:23l And our perversions Of IN
Divine Word and Plan only helpe
men away from God to such mlsur
derstandlng OF Him that they coul
not worship Him In spirit and In truth
nnd at most, could worship only I
form and ceremony.
The Pastor told OF an experience h
had In India. Some OF the highC
caste Hlndoos. wholly unapproachabl
by the missionaries, heard that he wa
preaching a more reasonable mossag,
They cnme, entrentlng him for furthC
meetings. declaring their respect fc
the intelligence OF Christians, but thu
they could not believe the doctrine
usually preached. They could not b,