The Hartford republican., 1913-10-31

h6ASTOR RUSSEIO| Of superstition are
breaking from our
minds. Our forefathers. taught that to
doubt the creeds was to be damned.
feared to think for themselves. Satan
helped. not only to make our creeds.
but to manacle US to them by direful
threats. We'll may we praise God for
the dawning light Of the New Day.
Freedom to think transcends all
physical liberties. said the Pastor.
THE liberty wherewith Christ makes
free" Is Gods great boon to man. In
proportion as II has been received there
is joy: otherwise discomfort, pain.
Gods curse. according to the creeds,
consigns all mankind 10 eternal tor
ture. except as any should he so forth
nate as to hear of the Savior and be
favOrably envirOned for saintship. In
irrational dread we questioned not the
authority Of those who made the
creeds. II was asserted that the creeds
were a condensed statement Of Bible
teaching. prepared by very holy and
learned men: and that for any to at
tempt to understand the Bible without
the aid Of the especially ordained and
apostolic bishops would be dangerous.
But education has become general
Contradiction amongst the apostolic
bishops has demonstrated that they
are fallible-that none Of them were
inspired. as were the twelve Apostles
of the Lamb"
Back to the Bible.
The Pastor asserted that Satan. per.
ceiving the tendency to return to the
Bible. has invaded our institutions OF
learning. Having captured nearly all
the professors. he has poisoned their
minds with Higher Criticism and Evo.
luton. By this master stroke he has
accomplished in these last thirty years
ten thousand times more than VOltaire
and Ingersoll ever hoped.
Nevertheless. the Divine arrange
ment will not be frustrated. although
worldly wisdom has captured the
worldly wise. as foretold. Qsaiah
29:14J Liberty of mind has brought
opportunity for Scripture study with
out creed spectacles. And light from
Gods Word Is going forth to the ends
Of the earth as never before.
The Curse Of God.
The Pastor then demonstrated from
the Scriptures that Gods curse Is not
eternal torture. from which only q
handful would be rescued by the
| Savior; but that "the wages OF sin Is
death" Capital punishment with the
Almighty Is precisely what II Is will
His most intelligent creatures.
Under the heavy curse Of death ouI
race has gone down for six thousand
years Our mental. moral and physica
powers have grown weaker until now
the average length Of life is only thir
ty.six years; whereas Adam lived mint
hundred and thirty years. All of life''
experiences demonstrate that the curs'
Is severe. although just.
If fallen. imperfect men realize tha
cruelty is unjust and improper. an'
that death should be the capital pun
ishment of crime. can our great Crea
| lOT Dt Tess utINllui ~ PbhiF'h N''''
lures depraved from birth with ever
lasting torture. because they had no
mastered their Unborn evil tendencies
would be worse crime than theirs
To any judicial mind 1t must be evi
dent that God could not justly punisl
His creatures with any severer pun
ishment than annihllatiOn.
The Pastor asserted that his tex
contradicts eternal torment theories
and mentioned similar contradiction
In Hosea 1874. where the Lord de
clares that SheOl shall be destroyed.
The Context Wsslsy's Favorits.
Pastor Russell then cOntrasted th
teachings Of Wesley and Calvin. Wes
ley's loving heart rebelled against til
thought that the non-elect should hav
been predestined to eternal torment
He felt It an aspersiOn against the ID
vine character.
The blessed declaration. "Whost
ever will, let him take the water q
life freely" appealed strongly to We
ley. He trusted that the time woul
come when the Church would conque
the world with the Gospel Messags
when our context would he fulfilled.
We perceive now that both Calvi
and Wesley were right Only the Elec
are to be- saved during this Gosps
Age. but eventually Free Grace wi
prevail. The connecting links are fun
nished IN the Scripture telling us tina
before Mcssiah's Kingdom can he o.
ablished. the Church must be glorifed
rhe Election Of the Church ended
Free Grace will begin.