Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 135, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1914 — A SURE FOUNDATION THE WORD Of GOD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A SURE FOUNDATION THE WORD Of GOD

IDWItIMIMMi MklhMH, Many Losing Faith In ths Bible aa tha Word of God—Couoo of Thio Groat "Falling Away"—The Light of Today In Conflict With tho Darknooo of tho Pact—Difference Between Faith and Cradulity—Basle of Confidence In Gw Bible—Proofs of Its Inaphratlen.

June T. Bn Photo-Drama of Creation is awakening new interest 'W': Bible study. Whoever sees it thereby obtains a grasp ■ upon the Bible as a whole The public are certainly grateful to Pastor Bussell, through whose instrumentality this wonderful work of

art la being exhibited free to aIL Today the Pastor's text was, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing tha Word of Truth.”—2 Timothy 2:15; The Pastor expressed regret that comparatively few of God’s people have the full assurance of faith meatfoned In Scripture. He declared that the great majority are losing, not only their faith, but also the boats of faith. For years the great college* of Christendom have been undermining faith by undermining the Bible. While they do not attack faith Itself, yet they proceed to do what Robert Ingeraoll and Thomas Paine tried to accomplish—to destroy confidence in the Bible as the Word of God. This confidence Is tha very foundation of all faith. Those who rejefct the Bible have no foundation for whatever faith they may possess except the guess of men whose Judgment is imperfect, and who would therefore picture as many different styles of God as there were guessers. The speaker illustrated’ his point by referring to the creeds Of the Dark Ages. He declared that while heathen nations hitfe fashioned their ugly Idols out of Wood, stone, clay and metal, Christendom has printed atrocious descriptions of God the like of which could not be fashioned. He was not faulting our forefathers, he said, bat the real instigator of ths creedal misrepresentations—Satan.

True Cause of the Palling Away. The Pastor then discussed the cause of this falling away from the faith. He showed that, as St Paul declared, “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not" He fears that the eyes of many Christians are not wide open for this very reason. He reminded his audience that St Paul foretold that in the end of the Gospel Age “many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons." We are In time, he believes; and therefore many are denying the faith—good. Intelligent people, ministers, professors, theologians, etc., confessing toat they hAre lost the basis of their faith. In the light of the New Dispensation, the Pastor asserted, the delusions eg the past are coming up constantly for criticism. The great difficulty with those who are losing faith in the Bible aa God's Word la that they are unfamiliar with its contents. Many still hold blindly to the Scriptures, afraid to read and even to think. What such people call faith is mere credulity. The Pastor pointed out the iUffsianco between faith and credulity. The faith commended In Scrlptpre relates to God’s promises. Credulity la prone to believe anything. Faith must have a basis, and that basis most have some Intelligent presentation. . To betters In the Bible as the Word of God merely because our pe rents did is not faith. Proofs That the Bible Is Inspired. Tit« ail Christiana, the Pastor relies upon the Internal evidence of the Btbii that It la God’s Word. This evMenot Is beyond doubt. -The Old Testament prophecies so Interlock with the teachings of our Lord and the Apostles that no human being could possibly have thought out the great Plan therein found. From Genesis to Bevelation the parts so co-ordinate that one grand, harmonious Plan of the Agee results. Another strong proof of Inspiration la furnished In present-day conditions, which were foretold by the Prophets. The speaker discussed various objections brought forward by Indicia, and demonstrated conclusively that nslthur Catholics nor Protestants had written toe Bible. Both would have Insetted much about the tifnlty, which Is not* even mentioned therein; both would have said a great deal about hell, etc. Bach would have written fully about their own peculiar tenets, conceratag which Scripture says nothing.

From its own standpoint, tbs Pastor maintained, the Bible la vary riapb and fully explains itself. He believes that tbe whole wosfel has been greedy Injured'by tbe false conceptions of God’s character received from tbe Dark ▲gee. He urged all Christians to study tbe Bible and convince themselves that It Is God’s Word. Many people are following sbrfnl ways today who would, bad they a right knowledge of God, be followtag after righteousness. Many mm bars been led to drink and into all sorts at sin merely by reason of not rning tbs reel God; for If any ooe aaee Him, that oaf Is sure to love Him.