The Hartford republican., 1913-08-22

ChotC0 tndt tuC COuiuSlOu WulCu udS
rent the Christian Church into hun
dreds of sects has come through neg.
lect Of the Bible-a cause not generally
recognized. Greed clashings are the d.
rect result of the serious errors con-
taiped In all creeds.
No heather idol is so horrible as that
which the most intelligent Christian
people have portrayed with the pen.
purporting to represent the Almighty
and His attitude toward men. We
have misrepresented our Creator as
worse in His purposes than the vilest
Of humanity. II Jehovah be God. let
us worship Him. Why delay? II the
horrible .Baal Of the Dark Ages be no
longer our God. let us destroy bis creed
images and forget them.
Emperor censtantins's Niesan Greed.
After the Church had forgotten the
Masters declaration that His Twelve
Apostles would constitute the founda-
ton stones of the New Jerusalem. they
began to recognize their bishops as
apostolic. They overlooked the fact
that Gods statement that Judas place
would be filed by another intimated
particularly that there would be no
successors to The Twelve. Judas real
successor was st. Paul. Bible Stu
dents now see that the eleven Apostles,
before being confirmed in ApOstleship
at Pentecost, erred in choosing Mat
thias, whom God merely ignored.
Gradually the bishops rose to power
as Gods inspired oracles. Proportion
ately, The Twelve lost their influence.
1t was easier to take the word of the
bishops than to search the Scriptures.
In their anxiety to overwhelm the
Greek skeptics, these Christian teach
ers unwittingly involved themselves in
absurdities. Gradually the trinitarian
mystery was advanced; and the mysti-
acation Of saying that God was His
own Son, the Lord Jesus His own Fa-
ther. and the Holy Spirit another per-
son and yet the same person, appeal
ed to people who delight to reverence
most what they do not understand.
Thus today, when questions are asked
respecting the trinity-how one could
be three. and three one, the answer
given which satisfies the ignorant is.
Mystery!
But the Bible makes no mystery Of
the matter. 1t never mentions the
trinity. The one text Il John 5:O
seeming family to support the thought
is now admitted by all scholars to be
an Interpolation. dating from about
the seventh century. The Revised ver-
sion shows quite distinctly the reading
Of earlier manuscripts.
"Te We There 10 One God"
The Pastor then explained fully ev-
cry text In both Old and New Testa-
ments used as proof-text supporting
the trinitarian mystery, and convinced
his hearers that these texts are mis-
applied. He quoted the explicit state
ment from the Old Testament, Hear.
o Israel, the Lord thy God is one
God" and that from the New Testa-
ment. used as text for this discourse.
Pastor Russell then showed that. ac-
cording to our Lords own teaching. the
oneness, or harmony. between the Fa-
ther and Himself resulted from our
Lords ignoring His own will. to do
the Fathers will. Our Lord exhorted
His disciples to have the same will
spirit-the Holy Spirit-the dispOsi-
ton to do the Fathers will.
Our Redeemer. formerly known as
the LOgOs, was the Beginning and the
End Of the Divine direct creation.
Revelation l:8: 3:l4l Through Him
Jehovah operated In all the stupen-
dous work Of creation. SO the Greek
reads, I'm the beginning was the
Logos, and the Logos was with the
God. and the Logos was God. The
same was In the beginning with the
God. By Him were all things made
that were made. and without Him was
not one thing ade."-John l:1-3.
The Pastor then related the history
Of the Council Of Nice. Constantine
called council Of all the bishops
about one thousan nd-to settle certain
differences. OF which our sub
ject Of discussion was one. Only 384
bishops came. After discussing the
subject for months. they submitted II
to the Emperor. who decided that the
Nicean Greed was the Christian faith.
Thus the trinitarian mystery was en-
rhrined BY heather emperor. unbap-
stxoA-uof EVAN anrfnklod