Evening journal., 1915-06-16
@pAsrOR" RUssELI's BELIEF.

sir-"Pastor" Russell and his STU
dents" are occupying a great deal OF
space in the newspapers and periodi-
calls these days in an apparent at
tempt to convert the world to their
ideas concerning the Interpretation
and teaching of the Word Ur God.
This is supposed to be a free country
and thought is free, or at least il is
supposed to be, and one man has the
same Inherent right to think, act,
speak and write for himself that
another man has. The question Of the
publication of such ideas is another
thing, however That requires the
consent Of some publisher. or else the
printing of circulars or books. etc. II
would seem, however. to be fair and
right for any publisher who publishes
one side to allow the opposite side
to publish his views, if they are such
as are usually accepted for publica-
ton.
Reasoning from the above, de-
duce the right to ask the publication
of this communication. IL is the right
Of the publisher to grant this request
or to deny it. / wish to say now
that I am sure the publication of the
ideas contained in this communication
Will be of advantage to any unpreiu-
diced enquirer into the truths Of the
Bible and also as to the truthfulness
of the doctrines taught by Pastor"
Russell and many other pastors" I
write these ideas because ! am thor
oughly convinced of their correctness
and not because | am championing
any church or denomination, or socie-
ty, or school.
From the publication Of a letter or
communication sent out by Pastor"
Russell's students" March 7, from
New York, giving what is evidently
condensed report Of a sermon by the
Pastor" from John 1:14, / quote the
following: The Pastor believes in
the Heavenly Father. Jehovah Cod
He believes in the heavenly son, our
Lord, Jesus Christ, who left the neav-
enly nature, took the human nature,
died for our sins, and was afterwards
highly exalted 10 the Divine nature
This statement OF the belief OF the
Pastor" comedies with his doctrine,
published in his books. and therefore
must be considered as correct II is
what the Pastor" teaches, and II
shows such Grass ignorance of some
Of the plainest, self-evident truths
that it ought 10 be exposed, in the
interest of truth and also Of man
kind
The Pastor" says he believes in
the Heavenly Father, Jehovah God.
That is correct and true. There is
one Jehovah God and only one. Rea-
scning by the accepted rules and
standards from known and accepted
self-eN1dent We are commanded to
use our reasoning powers. Isaiah is.
and Paul reasoned of righteousness,
etc. before Felix. Acts 24.25.
Then the Pastor" says that Jesus
is the son Of God, and that also is
eminently correct The Scriptures
teach it emphatically and unequivo-
cally.
But. when the Pastor" says "he,
Jesus, left his heavenly nature" he is
miserably wrong Jesus never left
His heavenly nature and il was i'm
possible for Him to do So The rea.
soning in support of this is clear and
convincing and II is strictly Scrip
tural.
1. To be the Son Of God Jesus must
have been begotten Of God. God can
not create a son. He can beget a
son. See Hebrews 1:1-S.
2. To beget a son means TO be-
stow the essence of the begetter, so
that the son begotten will be Of the
same essence, nature, powers and life
possessed by the begetter or Father.
That is automatic, self-evident
3. Now then. Jehovah Gods essence
nature, life and heing was uncreated
and self-existing. Therefore He is
immortal eternal, without beginning
of days or end of time God is all
seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful,
therefore His son must be Of the
same nature and powers. Jesus says
All power in heaven and on earth
is given to me-" The essence and ma
ture and personality lbegotten by the
Great Father must be essentially the
same as His own; therefore Jesus
was immortal, infinite and eternal. as
the son of His father. He could not
have been otherwise and be the First
begotten,' as Heb. 16. puts it, II
He was otherwise, then He was not
begotten of God and was not OF the
nature and essence of God. There is
20 escape from this reasoning.
a. Now, if Jesus was the son OF
God and immortal, eternal and the
same essence and nature of His Faith
er, he could not have left the heav-
enly nature" as the Pastor" processes
to believe. To have left that nature
would have meant to have left that
life, that power, that immortality and
that son-hood, all of which is con.
trary to reason, common sense, and
contrary TO the general and particular
statements of tho Scripture. The Pas
tor" is not a fool as to general prin.
cipals and knowledge. but in attempt.
ing to teach as he does. he is certain.
~ trying to teach very foolish, in.
consistent and utterly contradictory
doctrine. He does not know wlat he
is talking atNht and he is making q
very senseless guess.
.. But this is not the end Of his
robustness. He says that after Jesus
ieft His heavenly nature and became
OF course, just as all other men, and
dleu Tor our sins, He Jesus. was
nlshly exalted to the Divine nature.
Inc folly of such a statement is
proven in the foregoing.
o. Of course, if Jesus could moi
cease TO be Gods son and could moi
leave or lay aside His divine nature
ne could not be highly exalted" tc
that sonhood again.
4 But the error of the "Pastor's'
teaching goes a good deal deeper than
as above. If il was impossible for
Jesus TO lay aside His Divine nature
after being begotten of God. then a
was eoua1lv in, ,poe.ftt. So