Extracted text
Editorial transcription, mechanically normalized from the cited scan. The claims remain those of The Flaming Sword.
We invented an apparatus on purely mechanical principles, sent our Geodetic Staff to make a mechanical survey, performing what no other man or number of men ever tried to perform. It is a positive fact that no record can be found of an attempt, in modern or ancient times, to determine the contour of the earth's surface as to whether it be concave or convex. An attempt was made a few years ago to prove that the world was not convex. This demonstration was made on optical principles, and the testimony was in favor of non-convexity. The party making the experiments jumped at the assumption that because the earth was not convex, it was necessarily flat. This is the nearest approach that has ever been made to the truth. Those who believe in and advocate the Copernican system, do so upon the ground of audacious assumption. We devoted much time and money to the appli:ation of a strictly accurate method of confirming the tio: cat The End of the World. T Hf] fundamental error of the Christian world regarding the question of "the end," as predicted by inspired men, lies in a misconception of the character of the closing of the now culminating Christian dispensation. AVe cannot be surprised at the manifest ignorance of the common people upon this subject, when we consider the profundity of the ignorance of their teachers, their willingness to be ignorant, and their determined purpose to shut out every ray of information not coming through the regularly authorized clerical channel. The end of the world came when Noah and his family were saved from the flood, yet the world still continued, and also a portion of its inhabitants. The end came when Jesus the Christ was manifest, for it is declared: "Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." From this, if there were no other proof, we may conclude that "the end of the world" does not imply the destruction of the physical globe. The Jewish dispensation ended with the mission of Jesus and the establishment of his church. The Christian dispensation will end with the manifestation of the Shepherd and the establishment of the new Church, which will come as the matured fruit of the Christian age. it ht cnmstan Our advice to Mr. Blodgett is, and prove the Copernican system plish this feat, he will confer an e modern astronomers, who have 1 submitted a scintilla of evidence i vagary. He will also, by so doing, put to route the Koreshans, who are making a good deal of headway in the spread of their gospel. When he has met with success—he need not wait for us—we will fulfil our promise in the transfer of the thousand dollars which he will have richly earned. In the meantime, we shall proceed to wage an aggressive warfare on the lines of cosmogony, astronomy, religion, social science, etc., with the full knowledge that the greater our success in the propaganda work we institute, the more rampageous will be the blustering of the advocates of the absurdities we combat. work thath . Ifh werlaet'i to 11a 'g< av 'on et 1(1 01 nsup] of theii Did On the Point of the Sword. "DLESSEDaretheythatdo Hiscommandments, •l"-* that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." There is not a church, outside of the Koreshan Unity—unless we may except the Swedenborgian—that teaches that obedience to the commandments is essential to immortal life. The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches alike believe and teach that faith—and this with them means a blind faith—in the Lord Christ is sufficient to insure immortality. The works of the law by any follower of the Lord, is the only guarantee that the faith possessed is salvatory. When the young man inquired of the Lord, saying: "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" the Lord said, "Keep the commandments." Koreshanity not only emphasizes the necessity for keeping the law, but also scientifically analyzes the Decalogue, defining its principles, and declaring that immortal life can only be obtained through strict obedience to this law. The recorded exposition of the order of creation in Genesis is a simple and general outline of all subsequent specification given in the Book. It is the most complete, with the most concise and accurate general delineation possible for human language to portray. It is the most scientific, in fact, the only scientific exposition of creation ever made.
The Flaming Sword · Vol. 12, No. 24 · Apr 29, 1898 · PDF p. 4