The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-11
! Pastor Russell
Makes AnsuOer
ToLocql Critic
FAMOUS DIVINE BRIEFLY RE-
VIEWS CRITICISM OF T. W.
THIRWELL OF FAIRM0NT.
ALSO MAKES REFERENCE TO AN.
SWER TO HIS LECTURE MADE
BY REV, HAMPTON.

Editor of the Fairmont West vIr-
ginian:
am requested 10 briefly review
n. w. Thirlwell's criticism of my lee
ture in your city November 30. I
am more pleased to do this because
the critic writes In fairly honest
strain.
We should remember the clear BIZ
Bile statement that there could he no
forgiveness OF sins without the shed
ding of the blood Of the Redeemcr
We should remember, also. that more
than forty-onc hundred and fifty
years had passed from the time sin
entered the world before the Redeem
err died. Is It not evident. then, that
there was no basis for the forgive
ness of sins prior to the death Of
qhniststor all tile people who lived in
4 the world for forty-One hundred ana
Esfftx years? For those, then, to get
Chance for everlasting lift. that
chance must be future, for it was not
n w llief ph9S.g Oi.j ! ava "P'"ht'5 "
these people, said that they were
; strangers, aliens foreigners from the
commonwealth of Israel. without God
and having no hope in the world
Ephesians 2:12.
The small nation Of Israel was not
called into existence until after TWEEN
ty-five centuries Of the reign OF sin
i and death had passed. even II We
were to suppose that In some special
manner the Isralcites were saved.
DIVIDE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
But, no, the Isrgelites were not saw
ed. God made a law covenant with
them, Offering that they might live
forever If they would obey its re-
quirements, but knowing that they
could not obey, that they could not
fulfill the law-DCCausc Of their In
herited wcakHcsse and impcrfcCtiOns
which were the same as those Of 9th
er people. The fact that the Israel
tics did not continue to live forever,
but continued to die like other pcO-
pies, proved that they did not keep
the law, or else that God failed TO
keep His promise, which is not sup
posable.--LeyiticuS 1875.
! Il, 1--WE had any doubt on the sub
jecf, it is fully set aside by St. Paul's
aNiear statements. by the deeds Of
The law shall no flesh be justified
in Gods sight" tROmans %:2OD
Also by Jesus statement, Moses gave
you the law. but none Of you kcGpelh
the law" John 7.:l9D St. Paul de-
clares that as the remainder of the
world were under condemnation al
ready without the law, so the jew
was condemned by the law He sums
up his argument by declaring. "thNt
z every mouth might be stopped and
that the whole world should be
Z guilty before God" (Romans 3:l9D
thus evidencing that God had not
been allowing ANYBODY to 80 down
into death who was worthy OF life.
That the gospel began with our
Lord Jesus was clearly stated by the
angels at His birth. I'VE bring yOu
good tidings of great Joy which shall
be unto all people" luke 2:lO)
Again we read that Christ brought
life and immortality to light through
the gospel" q Tim. 1910 :sMiis
text alone is sufficient proof that no
anenuv to everlasting life nor any
way to gain immortality had ever
been shown to humanity prior 10
{ Jesus dying. But again we read the
Apostles words, so great salvation
which began to be spoken by our
Lord and was confirmed unto us by
y those who heard Him." (Hrb. 2:3D
Salvation had been talked about long
centuries before Jesus time. II had
been typifed also: but the offer Of
salvation never was made to any
body, as this Scripture tells us, until
Jesus offered II. On the basis of His
offer OF human salvation was the val
2ue. of His sacrilicial death. And that
sacrificial death, as the Apostle de-
Glares, was Il ransom price for all,
ItO be testified In due time. II Tim
othy 2:G.
4. The whole work Of this gospel age
has been the gathering of the church
of Christ to be His elect bridc-a
saintful few. These obtain the open
ing Of the eyes of their understand
ling. These obtain the begetting Of