The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-05
CHRISTIANITY HAS
NOT PROVEN FAILURE
Professor Longacre, OF Washington,
Speaks TO Large Crowds In Tent
Meetings.
SAYS SATAN WILL BE BOUND.
Peace Advocates That There VIII Be
Thousand Years OF Temporal Peace.

Declaring that the Scriptures teach
that Satan and his angels will be
bound, and that the entire earth will
be made desolate during the milien-
mum, Prot. c. s. Longacre, of Wash
ington, d. c., decried the idea of peace
advocates that there would be a thous-
and years of temporal peace. In "a stir
ring lecture on The Millennium" at
the Seventh Day Adventists camp
meeting yesterday afternoon. At night.
Professor Longacre lectured on the
subject, Does the War In Europe
Prove Christianity a Failure?" and
said that though terrible bloodshed
has come as a result of the conflict,
": Christianity has not been proven
failure.
The large canvas pavilion was pack
ed for both lectures. people coming
from all parts Of the city. The speak
err 10 one of the leading clergymen In
the world conference of the Seventh
Day Adventist denomination
In his lecture on The Millennium"
Prof Longacre emphasized the idea
that II Adam and his children had
remained faithful there never would
have been pronounced such a curse
as death upon the human race. He de-
clared that they were given the earth
as their home. and would have always
possessed It had they not sinned. He
| then said: Because of six thous-
and years Of SHINING. 1T will become
necessary for the people of God to
| leave the earth for one thousand years
and live in heaven as their temper
airy home. which time will be spent III
determining the punishment that IS
to be meted out to the wicked. This
period will be known as the Millsu-
W.T. nd yvhn1n world will he
emptied OF its inhabitants. with the
exception Of Satan and his ans"ls,
who will be bound here as prisoners.
THE Scriptures tell us that Sat m
still has access TO the other worlds
| to tempt the Inhabitants thereof, but
during the Millennium he will not be
permitted to leave this earth. Al the
end Of the thousand years. the right
eous who have been redeemed ami
resurrected at the coming Of the Lord
will accompany the Saviour and the
angels back TO earth again. The Holy
/ City will come down from out OF
( heaven and be established here. Tho
wicked will be resurrected, and me
devil will marshal them all together TO
make war on the inhabitants OF the
Holy city. When the devil and his host
think that they are about to capture
the city, fire will rain down upon them
( from heaven ana Qsfuui tAcAh AHN
earth will then be cleansed OF sin.
and universal peace will be establish
! ed Not until then can we expect 10
have universal peace here on the
} earth"
! Condemns Churches in Politics.
/ In his evening sermon Professor
( Iongacre condemned the church In
+ politics and said that the experiment
OF giving so-called Christianity
chance to shape civil and religious
legislation has been tried repeatedly
among the nations Of the past, ana
every one who examines the records
of these bloody and horrifying expert
ments OF the past will raise his voice
In a mighty protest against any move
ment that will attempt a repetition
In America.
The answer to the question. Does
this war demonstrate that Christiani-
tv is a failure?' depends upon what
| Christianity was designed to accom-
plish under God If Christianity was
4 designed under God to convert the
whole world; II Christianity was to
make all the world live in peace: II
Christianity was to annihilate war
through human arbitration; II 1t was
/ to usher in the kingdom of God
/ through human efforts and legisla-
+ tive reforms, and 1t fails to do all this.
then Christianity has been a dismal
failure.
| But IL the gospel was given that
( God in His infinite love and mercy
one that believeth.' then 1t Is not a
failure. If II was given that every
truly repentant sinner might have
eternal life through faith, than II Is
not a failure II 1t Was given that
AN fnnumerahle company might be
redeemed by the blood OF the Lamb
OF God out OF every kindred. and
tongue and people. and nation then
| II is not failure. II the gospel was
given that az many as would accept
salvation might sit with Christ In
heaven on thrones for a thousand
years and afterward fnnerit the earth
made new as their everlasting pos
session. then II was not a failure
And was not this the object and the
mission of the gospel rather than the
/ exaltation of a popular and worldly
church to the seat Of earthly suprem-
acy and secular power? Yea, verify
this Is Gods eternal purpose. which
He purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
According to this plan of the Cos
pei. Christianity Is not failure. The
gospel foretold wars and rumors OF
wars unto the end; II foretold tribu-
lation for the elect such as the world
had never seen. and that among the
nations there shall be a time of trou-
Bile such as never was since there was
nation: 1t prophesied that evil men
and seducers shall wax worse and
worse and that in the last days
penIous times shall come: 1t prophe-
sled OF the gathering of all nations to
the battle OF Armageddon Just before
the end Of the world. and OF the
wreck and ruin of the world itself.
in the last days when God was to
arise in His majesty to shake terri
bly, the earth and to 'avenge the blood
OF His servants All these things
prove the verities of the Sacred Vol
ume from heaven, and that the foun-
dalton of God standeth sure
Scourge to Civilization.
The church In politics has been
the scourge OF civilization. progress
and tranquility. She has sat as a
despotfc queen on the throne. crush
ing the saints of the Most High, and
trampling under foot the last vestige
of liberty for the honest dissentar
When she was IN power she provoked
more bloody and merciless wars than
the world ever saw before or since
her reign.
'Tho suggestion to give the chu-rh
OF Christianity another chance 70