The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-07-22

tNe MtfinNNAai htH#NRth WA AAtA
Gods promise. Those who shall In
tclllgeully refuse Gods gift OF ever
lasting NE. ~ refusing Ills reasonable
requirements, viii die the Second
Death. But those who ut the conclu
sion OF the MilIcnnial Age shall have
pronted by The Messiahs Kingdom
viii be received into Gods family and
win be granted all the liberties and
privileges proper to the sons OF God
| Revelation 2lI, 22;3
Although we should understand wha,
God has promised OF Restitution 70 hu
man perfection for the grooming crca
ton IN general. 1t is still more lmpor'
tant that Christians recognize the
share Of liberty which has already
come TO them. Galatians SD Do not
misunderstood me 10 refer 20 the great
mass, Catholic and Protestant, noted
in the statistics as 40oo0O,Oo0 Chris
tians. Alas. MOI That great mass Is
deceived. According 10 Bible stand
ards and their own confessions, they
have neither lot nor part In the Church
which IL the Body Of Christ,
This great mass ~ well represented
I'm the nations OF Europe warning for
commerciallsm. the one 10 obtain, and
the other to hold, the key OF power and
access to the worlds wealth. Saints
there undoubtedly are In all the war
ring nations: but they are so few that
they have virtually no influence, but
are forced by the others into the strug-
gle. The mass of these nominal Chris.
tians neither know Christ personally
nor give evidence of having come into
Gods family through the begetting OF
the Holy Spirit. As truly as the hea-
then OF other lands, they are without
God and having no hope There Is a
hope for them; but they know 1t not
Responsibility Of Clergy and laity.
Where lies the responsibility for pres
ent conditions-that the millions OF Eu-
rope are fighting like devils, each army
deceived into thinking that 1t Is the
Lords army, fighting for God and
righteousness? We believe that the re-
sponsibility lies close to the door of the
churches OF all denominations, and es-
pecially close to the door OF the rell-
gious teachers, who assume great re-
sponsibility In calling themselves the
clergy and setting themselves above
their fellows, styled the laity.
These ministers OF the civilized world,
more than quarter of a million In
number, represent highly favored
class of humanity. The majority OF
them have much above the average or
education, and far above the average
Of time for study and thought. How
are they using these wonderful oppor-
tunities and privileges, and the IN
iuence which goes with their posi-
lions and which is accentuated by the
superstition of the masses?
| freely acknowledge that they are
not responsible to me; as 1t Is written,
ITO his own Master each servant
stands or falls" 1t is quite proper.
however, that we remember the Mas
ter's words, "Out of thine own mouth
will | judge thee, thou wicked and
slothful servant" luke 1929 What
fearful retribution apparently awaits
these professed ministers of God and
of Christ who, instead of using their
great opportunities for emancipating
the people from the slavery of igno-
rance, superstition and error, are using
them to promote mental bondage!
Moral towards Everywhere.
The clergy neglect their opportunities
for educating the people to a proper
conception of the rights of man. They
have fostered the fallacy that the king
doms of the world are kingdoms OF
God, and that serving the king is sery-
ing the Lord They have not taught
the people the broad patriotism that
"the earth is the Lords and the full
ness thereof" which He hath given to
the children Of men; and that national
barriers of selfishness and national ag-
gressiveness are contrary to the rights
of man The clergy of each country,
supported by the governments, have in
turn upheld these governments; and II
they have not told the people that the
voice Of the emperor or the king Is the
voice of God, they have certainly not
disabused them of that idea, which the
clergy of past generations inculcated.
Now that the war has come, and the
misdirected people are blindly fighting
for their errors and misconceptions,
what is the attitude Of the clergyf
Under the pay or the protection OF the
governments, are they not all support
ing the governments from which they
receive their pay? Are they not intent
upon encouraging the ambitions OF
these governments and stirring up the
people to war? Do they not approve
the legend on the belts Of the German
soldiers, God with us? DO they not
follow the lead of the Archbishop or
Canterbury, In England, In encourag-
ing the thought that all who enlist are
engaging In a holy war for God? The
Archbishop Is credited In the press
with urging the boys and the girls OF
Great Britain to marry early and bring
up large families, that there may be
more such Christian soldiers 10 battle