Arizona republican., 1917-02-12
SIN VIOLATES LAW
 SAYS ELDER YATES

This mornings sermon is voice of warning to those who sit under the sound of my voice. and to the thous- ands in Phoenix and throughout the state~who through the courtesies of the 1 press may read this address.
 My purpose is, that the strength of this warning from sin unto righteous ness. shall be couched in it's appeal to | the reason, as we'll as to the heart to the mind rather than by emotionalism, and to ordinary common sense applied to a great question in the same way that we wodld all apply common sense in the little daily affairs of life. | In treatment of the subject l have chosen, there must be no mincing of words It is with regret that in mak | ing attack upon one of the blighting Sfns Of the age, l must arraign many Of the good people who go out into the world assuming to represent God and His word but who are most ef- fectually misrepresenting Him. When church people denounce gambling and drunkenness and the like, as sin. we know they are right for the effect of those things in the lives of men is not good; but when those same people misinterpret the word of God and make it to misrepresent Him, whether they do so knowingly or ignorantly, it is nevertheless q sin, in that the eff i feet of the misrepresentation of any truth is not good.
 Sin is a violation of law. Those who ignorantly violate law are entitled to charitable consideration and mercy, but every violation of law results in suffering. Considering the various conflicting and contradictory teachings in the name of religion as misrepre- of tCf hn daynf to every thinking mind, that much which is offered as the remedy for sin. is sin itself: for that which is not in agreement with the perfect law of God cannot be approved by Him.
 Malignant heresy in preacher, is as | lad as the sin of drunkenness in d layman. Ignorance in either case will not annul the bad effects. Sins of ev- cry character are far reaching in their results; and here. posing as truth and parading under popular banners, has tied the world with cords of damna- tion in the past; and at the present the same curse gnaws with the ravage of | a cancer.
 The drunkard and the libertine be- queath a heritage of weddings to so- ciety, but vicious heresies bind the strongest of men and pollute the men, tai streams of nations. My warning this morning is against the heresy of "eernal damnation of the wicked" as commonly presented by good meaning, but sadly mistaken church people. The idea, that an all wise God who fore saw the end from the beginning, has deliberately created many millions of mankind to be "dnmred for ever. and to- suffer in hell Stcfnally, while only q select few are to be saved at all. is an idea that when traced to it's legiti- mate conclusion, makes God out to be d monster of cruelty; and my affirma- tion is that the bible teaches no such thing.
 That the great mass of mankind is to be eternally lost in an endless hell, and only a small minority to he saved in heaven. to play upon golden harp and rejoice in the thought that such a great majority of Gods creatures are whitening in eternal torment. is d mis- conception of the word of God. Such tradition is an injustice to God as the Supreme ruler of the universe. and re- fleets no credit upon our own credulity
 This is not to say there is no hell. for there is. This is not to say there is to be no future torment for the wicked, for there must be. This is not to say there is no unpardonable sin. for there is one. and one only; and the word says there is no forgiveness for that one sin neither in this world nor in the world to come.' indicating that under certain conditions there may be forgiveness for all other sins even in the world to come
 But this is to say that if the devil is to keep. and to hold in chains of suf- fering forever all the unfortunate sinners who. because of their sins. must partake of their part" of misery in hell then We must, in order to be consistent, take off our hats to the devil and do him the honor to say: Sir. you have outgeneraled God and Christ" For if satan's forces in their conflict with God and the angels. are to be so permanently successful as to drag the vast majority of all the peo- pie whom God has created for His glory, to an endless he'll while God and Christ and the angels are only successful in saving a very small per cent of the whole up in heaven, then Satan is the greatest general of all and there is no escape from such a conclusion.
 We cannot accede any such honors to the devil; but upon the contrary all Christendom has felt the power oi the great hymn which is sung around the world, wherein all honors are al last to be given to Christ the mighty conqueror unto whom our hearts sing Grown Him Lord of All" But ever while under the very halo of that mag nificeht song. our false philosophies we have driven thousands of mer deeper into skeptcism by our clumsy efforts to help them out.
 What Christian pulpit informs thu sinners, that some who will not learr in any other way must be turned ovel to the devil for the purpose of learning something? And yet the word plainl, teaches it. First Tim. l.: 20 states tha Hynenaeus and Alexander were de livered unto Satan that they ma, 'learn not to blaspheme
 What Christian pulpit teaches tha even the fires of hell are to serv' some good purpose in Durging ou dross, and fitting some for salvation whose sinful lives have been wasted a one wastes time who builds of sucl perishable material as hay, and stub b1e? Yet the word of God states tha fact If any mans work shall b burned. he shall suffer loss: but h himself shall be saved: yet so as b. re."-Cor. 3:15.
 The wicked are to be buffeted b Satan in order that they may h saved; Proof: land let it be remem
 bere dthat hell is the devils bulletin hea dquarters.) First Cor. 5:5 declare
 that certain wicked ones were to b delivered unto Satan, that the spir