The Good News from Columbus, Kansas • 4

THE GOOD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS. A RELIGIOUS MONTHLY. 7 bus in Kansas, an advocate of the doctrine of Divine Healing, edited by Fred Deem, whose belief is indicated in this paragraph: "The objective point in true "religion is the overcoming of death. This is the principal end and aim of the law, the prophets, and the gospel.

Th promise in the law of good health anf of long life on the earth, the prophc EDITEDAND PUBLISHED BY FRED DEEM, Columbus, Kansas. APRIL, 1903. Printed on Columbus ADVOCATE Press. cies in regard to doing away with the I hear more of this as the century advances. Without a doubt we will.

Life and immortality are indeed being brought to light through the gospel. This truth will soon become one of the great issues of the day, and will claim the attention of thoughtful vmen everywhere. There is a solid immutable eternal truth back of this question it is one of the most important with which man has ever dealt. Compared to it, the weightiest questions of politics and of business, are trival. If it be true that it is possible to overcomedeath, the one practical tiling in all the world is to find how and under what conditions this may be done.

It is also true, as is suggested by the sun, that whatever aims at destroying disease, logically its end is to destroy death. Can anyone deny that the work of Jesus Christ was calculated to destroy disease? Did else he will not be on hands at the end of 150 years to see whether anyone holds out faithful. Lengthened life promised? Yes. Kven the Mosaic Law contained promises of that kind. "Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded 'o that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and ye may prolong your days in the land which you possess." Deut.

5:33. Shall we expect less through Christ than men were promised under the Law? Paul quotes as something still to be regarded as a present truth, "That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." Eph. 6:3 Life lengthened without disease and decrepitude? Yes, it is certainly promised. Christ's work in restoring invalids to health, His promise to heal the sick through His promise that those who have faith shall be protected and preserved so that "nothing shall in any wise hurt them," His promises of release from sin, the cause of disease and lecrepitude, all encourageus curse, and wiping away all tears, and bringing to pass the much wished for condition when there shall be no more death, and the gospel promises ot healing and of protection, and of being kept alive these all look to the one and the same end the victory over the last enemy." That is, Fred Deem's Good News seems to be that death is to be eliminated from the universal human experience; that immortality on earth is to succeed mortality, lie takes the scriptures literally. We refer to this controversy because it concerns a variety of crude religious thought of which we are likely to hear more as this century proceeds.

Spiritual is mixed with natural, but practically the compound produced is square materialism, whether it is called Christian Science, the "New Thought," Dowiesm or Fred Deem-ism. With all of them the end is the same, or the destruction of disease, and, logically, therefore, of death. SUBSCRIPTION. 50 cents a year. In clubs of five or more, 40 cents each.

To those who have not the price, free. Sample copy free to any address. We want believing agents in every community, who will hunt out all possible subscribers. Extra copies furnished free for use in canvassing. Don't waste copies by placing them where they will do no good.

Readers are invited to send us the names of all those who they think will read with interest and will likely become subscribers; and we will send them sample copies. We have received a number letters from indignant Dowie-ites in response to the questions we asked in the article "The Voice ofa Stranger" in last month's paper. All were eager to testi fy as 'to their faith in their leader; they discussed the Elijah question, He not go about healing sickness, and destroying disease, and drawing people back from the grave? And, even if He had never made a definite Naturally, the assertion that it is an attainable end provokes curiosity. No 'discovery would be so popular as that of a way of getting rid of death. Even a man who could show a sure way of prolonging life up to 150 years, for example, without disease and without decrepitude, would out rank in fame the greatest of the world since time began.

statement that who be lieve in Him and who keep His- The writer, as might be ex pected, thinks that the only reason why people listen to such promises of lengthened life, is because their strong de sire to live makes them ignore the failures to fulfill such word shall be delivered from death, yet we could not help seeing that the logical end oi the successful accomplishment of His mission must be the destruction of death; and that the logical sequence of obeying and having faith in Him must be freedom from disease and deliverance from death. Even aside from His expressed promise of victory over death, His very works proclaim that promise. Whenever He sent out ministers to preach the gospel, He invariably commanded them to heal the sick. He declares and the church question, and half a dozen other things, but all carefully avoided committing themselves squarely on the question we discussed the sealing foretold in Rev. 7.

They want to turn the subject to other things. One at a time. Some of the roasts I have received are "rich readin'," but the roasters themselves refuse to declare that they believe Dowie's teachings in regard to the sealing. More anon. promises.

The fact that death is to be overcome is indeed good news; it is THE erood news of the tlux ine bun makes a mistake in calling it "Fred Deem's Good News." Give the credit to Him who said: to expect better and more perfect health as added years give us additional opportunities to grow stronger in faith and in righteousness and in health. And even those who have already grown old and feeble are encouraged by such passages as: "Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a childs; He re-turneth to the days of his youth." Job 33:25. Does the Bible not say ot Moses, that when he was a hundred and twenty years old his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated? Deut. 34:7.

Death to be universally eliminated? Ultimate, res. At present only a few will have eyes to see and ears to hear the message of life. And of these few, many will strive but shall not be able to keep in the narrow way that leads to life. But finally the light will spread over all the earth. "Sorrow and sighing shall flee awav." Isa 33:10.

The Kingdom is "to come on earth Matt. 6:10, Rev. 10:5. The tabernacle of God is to be with men (not with ghost-angels in the sky, but with men) and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, See Kev. 21 :3 ,4.

The New York Sun of March 18, in an editorial headed "A "I came that they may have life, and may have it more New Discussion of Immortal abundantly." John 10:10. ity," devoted half a column to "If a man keep my word, he the March number of The Good News. Some attention shall never see death." John that those who believe on him shall do the works He did. Does not this emphasize -th-fact that the work of the christian ministry, and of the very gospel itself, is the destruction of disease and "logically, therefore, of 8:51. was given to our criticism of "Whosoever hveth and be- Dowie's claim to be fulfilling the prophesy about sealing the servants of God.

But more lieveth on me shall never die." John especial mention was made of our belief that it is possible to escape death. Concerning this last point As to prolonging life up to 150 years, what Bible student can doubt that it is possible-aye, that the time has come for it to be practically demonstrated? But it the editor of the Sun wants to be "sighted" he will have to get aboard the band wagon, and come with us the Sun says: shall live for ever." John 6:58. "He that heareth my word, and belie veth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and COMETH NOT INTO JUDGMENT, BUT HATH PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO life." John 5:24. The Sun predicts that we will The discussion refering to the discussion of Dowie's prophesy claims is jn The Good News, "A religious monthly paper," published in Colum.