The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-08-11

Wnen ne pIoclaliliS the STORY OF SplrlL-
ual freedom, Christianity must now
take up the challenge and cry with
world wide voice and mighty thun-
der-'Amen. even so, unite, We work
ers; you have but your chains to lose,
and you have world to gainy~
1t was then pointed out that the
writer of this extract and all who
sympathize with his views should be
willing to concede that If now is the
proper time to get Labor out of "the
surely God is as much interested in
that release as they or any others
could possibly be-yea, and more So
If, then, this Christian minister and
others have received some special com
mission authorizing them to preach a
new Gospel or a new addition to the
old Gospel, they should produce the
proofs of this authorization. Until we
see the proofs we must doubt their ex-
istence.
Next the Pastor showed that, on the
contrary, the Scriptures declare that
there is but one Hope set before us in
the Gospel, even as there lis but one
Lord, one Faith and one Baptism" No
one will ever succeed in making the
world happy by preaching the Gospel
Of Discomfort Labor today is a hun
dredfold better fed, better clothed and
better housed than in the days Of our
forefathers and, 1t is safe to say, a
hundredfold more discontented. And
the author of the above extract, with
doubtless the very best intentions, is
really doing harm by his gospel of So
cialism; for he has neglected to con-
suit the Word Of God on this impor-
tant subject.
Our Lord, it was pointed out, was
surrounded by conditions Of sickness,
sorTow, poverty, etc, so that He could
properly declare, THE poor We have
with you always" The Apostles were
similarly situated. Yet have we any
evidence whatever that any of these
attempted to break the chains Of the
slavery Of Labor?' Assuredly not!
The Masters Example.
Many instances were cited from the
life of Jesus, as recorded in the Cos
pels, to demonstrate that He did not
set an example for these well-meaning
but mistaken Christians. While the
Master went about doing good and
healing many sick folk, He by no
means healed all the sick or comfort
ed all that mourned. His favors were
specialized: for instance, take the case
OF the impotent man at the Pool of
Bethesda. The record is that there
were multitudes of impotent folk
there" But only one was miraculous
ly healed by our Lord.
Again, many widows were bereft of
their sons; but only the widow of Main
had her son restored to her by the all
| powerful word of our Redeeaner Our
Lord came into the world, not to heal
| the sick, but to die for the race of
Adam The great work, the important
work, of healing all the sick-the men,
tally, morally and physically sick-and
OF awakening all the dead, He left I'M
til the establishment of His Kingdom.
1t was then pointed out that Chris
| tians likewise may do good to all men
as they have opportunity, but that
they must likewise wait for Gods time
and manner for the general healing of
the worlds sorrows and woes. When
| the prayer which our Master taught
His disciples to pray. Thy Kingdom
come; Thy will be done on earth, as it
| Is done in Heaven" shall have had full
filment, then all the blessing, all the
| helpfulness, necessary to the full re-
covery of our race will be brought into
| operation. Meantime, 1t is not possible
for any man or for any set of men.
| Christians or otherwise, either to i'm
prove upon Gods great Plan of the
Ages or to hasten that Plan.
Frequently reference is made to the
| fact that ut its beginning the early
| Church established a communistic So
ciety. The Pastor demonstrated that
| this was not a worldly organization
nor was it made by those who recog-
Iized worldly principles, but that it
was merely a social arrangement
whereby the Church at Jerusalem
sought to deal with its members as
one family. The project was not sue
cessful; it did not persist; 1t did not
have Apostolic commentator to other
ecclesias. The conclusion, therefore,
Is that the arrangement was Divinely
permitted In order to show the Lords
people throughout this Gospel Age the
impracticability of such an arrange
ment at the present time.
The Gospel of Error.
Christian Socialists would probably
tell us, said the Pastor. that Socialists
are crying ont that they do not find
Heavenly hopes satisfactory. that they
desire earthly hopes, riches and COM
forts, and intend to have these; and
that what the people desire is what the
pulpit must supply. They add the init
nation that unless the people get what
they wish, the influence of religion Will
wane and ministers win become back
numbers, whom no one will care to
hear, much less to heed. His reply
was that this is all very true. But the
difficulty, he claimed, is that the Cos
pei Message is not properly presented
to the people. The Message which our
Lord and His Apostles taught is a
consistent one; whereas the message
from the majority Of pulpits today is
| inconsistent.
The people are told, by both Cath
| Olirc ond Protoctanto tbo+ tboro &, N
Heaven for the sanity who, before
dying, shall become firmly established
in the graces of the Holy Spirit; but
that with the masses it is different
These are told by Catholics that aftei.
death centuries of torment await them
in Purgatory, and by Protestants that
| they will have an eternity of torment
without hope Of release. Then both
| Catholics ard Protestants unite in tell
ing the poor world that such an ar
rangement IS the provision of a Just
and loving God, for which they should
be deeply thankful; and additionally
that the troubles of this present life
are partial penances for sin.
The Gospel of Christ
Then the Pastor turned from the
false conceptions of the Dark Ages to
the Gospel presented by our Lord and
His Apostles. The Truth is so much
more reasonable, so much more Just,
loving and wise, he declared, that who
ever hears it experiences a satisfaction
which error can never produce He
declared that the Scriptures clearly
teach that ours is convict race, con.
demned to death because of Father Ad-
ans disobediencei for as his children
we have inherited share in his death
sentence-not in an eternal torment
sentence. He reminded his audience
that the Bible tells that Satan, who