Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-08-08

heavy burdens upon the people. griey-
Gus to be borne. but you do not at
tempt toscarry them yourselves
SO Is It today with the Jewish Rab-
bis. as well as with other ministers;
for instance. minister stands as q
representative and mouthpiece Of the
church creed. which In roundabout
terms declares that whoever does not
live sanity life will suffer an eter'
nifty OF torment. Is not this grIevous
burden to put upon any conscientious
soul? Has 1t not caused unreliable
anguish to many OF Gods true people;
Has 1t not driven away from God and
the Bible thousands OF the most intel.
llgent minds IN the world?
As the Jewish Doctors OF Divinity
carried no such burdens, neither do
the Doctors OF Divinity OF Christen-
dom. In private they acknowledge
that they carry no such burdens. In
public they give the inference that they
do-not so much by positive terms as
by Implication. tone and infection OF
the voice, and by the general fact that
they stand for and are representatives
OF the creeds which so teach II does
not excuse these influential teachers
for them TO claim that In their official
capacity they lose their personal re-
sponsibility and shift 1t upon those
who made the creeds and those who
adopt them. The people are no longer
trusting the creeds. They realize that
the creeds contaln many inconsisten.
cies, and that greater light is shining
today from one page of the Bible upon
another than shone in the days when
those creeds were formulated
The common people trust the Bible
Jesus. the Apostles and the Prophets
They know that all the creeds Of
Christendom claim TO be built upon
the inspired Record. They understand
the Scribes and Pharisees OF today, the
Doctors OF Divinity OF Christendom. 10
give assurances that those creeds prop
erly present the teachings OF the Bl
Bile. The crecdal chains would become
ropes OF sand if'all the prominent Doe
tors OF Divinity OF Christendom came
forward and publicly renounced the
creeds. as they nearly all do In private
conversation.
1t was this matter OF misleading the
people, deceiving them, that constitut.
ed the busis OF Jesus charge against
the Doctors OF Divinity OF old; and
we believe that His Judgment Is very
similar today respecting the Doctors
OF Divinity OF Christendom-"Ye have
taken away I've have hiddenl the Key
OF Knowledge. Ye have not entered
in yourselves. and them that were en-
tering In yc hindercd."
Christian people today are so dis.
gusted with the crceds which have sep
arated them and their forefathers into
six hundred different denominations
that they are quite ready to discard AL
creeds. and 10 come together as one
Church Of the living God TO study the
Bible In its ownillght.s ~
Systematic Key Hiding.
The Scribes and Pharisces Of our day
are proving themselves to be the anti
types of those addressed by Jesus In
our text, and have Il substitute foi
knowledge Taking away the Key OF
knowledge. they say to the common
people, do not bother your head about
doctrines; leave doctrines to the clergy
let the clergy endorse all the creeds
however conflicting they be. We dc
this in order to lull you to sleep. There
Is nothing so disturbing to the Chris
tian's rest rs the discussion OF the
doctrines of Christ.
"lf there be in any congregation
those who cannot feel satisfied with
out some kind Of Bible study, let then
have it; but get them rather to discuss
the geography of Palestine and The
habits aud customs Of the people, etc.
than the prophecies Of old or the In
,terpretation Of them. as given by Je
sus and the Apostles. We ministers
will keep aloof from such Bible study
we viii leave the impression that w
understand these prophecies perfectly
and we will keep d watch upon the Bl
Bile classes, but will interfere onl.
when we find some brother therein
who is inclined to delye after the doc
trines of Christ and the Apostles"
One minister. voicing this opposition
to Bible study, especially along tn
lines Of difference where It would b
Of special value. said. THE Church |
like great hospital. Everything lik
doctrinal discussion must be banIshc'
and excluded, just MS in a hospital Al
noise is forbidden. In order TINT th
patient may sleep; or just as In
nursery all noise IS excluded"
Alas. II is too true that the nomina
Church Of Christ Is. like hospita
many OF the patients In which ar
blind. deaf, asleep and mentally cor
fused. But the trouble is that thes
got into this condition because Of
neglect of healthful exercise; and th
keeping Of them quiet will but turn til
present hospital into q cemetery.
What the churches Of all the demon
nations need is the Word Of Coda
presented in the words OF Jesus an
the Apostles. "The words that spea
unto you, they are spirit and they AZ
life said the Master The sin-sic
and lame. the blind, deaf and mental
perpIexed need to hear the voice {
lruth--"Wo Words OF Life
otherwise they win become more sic
and will perish rs Christians. only
become alive perhaps as covers (
nleas,,r more than lovers OF GDd.C