Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-11-04

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siopEnS gNKiRAs slry---THE nIRLE.
|oesas,i h II ..,l 8 " ssL9 Magsyi
y, * 4, g. &, ilY. ~ p. MOORE, o,
i The iitae'if5 Ilhe present day is not
|the iiael'Iy ofs4hs past. 1t is not that
EmpuIliine l'gay ofi loathsome thing that
isonce was iliing % disgust and alarm,
rather than sedpea nod persuade. Ii has
|lpid aside nlpch Qi ia repulsive vulgari,y,
has pun on q nes scQz Time, and comes forth
|in the eafl of ieaf1 and sometimes even
IA the sacred bph lipcn's of religion. Ii,
no long appears pE she. enemy of religion
|in is bighesl tyhb Of development; no
longer as The aniagd natof Christianity, but
las the Reformation adI Perfection Of Chris.
|tianisy iiselE CON slo us in the cour,ly
gfeetipg of Joab. but so with Joab's con.
cesled and bloody hsd tapproaches with
1es 1 , spiIs|sud I Z Kiss sP0''|s, pig only
feclually belray and destroy. And this
subtle mode Of attack is made in every con.
ceivable form. 1t meets us in the form of
science,and philosophy, falsely SO called.
Thc authority of 1b5s bible is coolly and
sneefingiy set aside for The crudes, specu-I
aions and the boldest generalizalions of a
conceded sciolsm, and its testimony ruled
ou, of codrl, as nadmissible and inconcu.
sive on points where It's most solemn utter
ances have been distinctly made. If we as
ser that in the beginning God created The
Heavens, and the Earth, we are tcld that
this is question of scence,and that tn eolo-
gians must not mcddle with what lies be.
yond their department.. If we assert tha,
God has made of one blood all nations of
men, we are told that tbis is question of
science, and must abandon il 10 the philoso-
pher. If we assert thai God swept away
the wickedness of The world by universal
flood, we are told that this is question of
science, TO be abandoned 10 the schools
And thus, step by step, the authority of the
Bible is undermined by the. teachings of a
pretended philosophy, whose tendency, if
not its design, is TO diminish and finally 10
destroy The claims Of thai Bible as final
and sufficien! rule of faith and pracice
Systems Of social reform are eagerly and
busily pushed forward, whose principles are
wholly and radically unchristuin, If not anti.
christian in their halure. Men are gelling
more merciful than God himself, and affect
ing philanthropy more puro and all EN-.
bracing than lha, OF Jesus Christ. And
these views are promulgated in every con.
cevable form, from the ponderous melaphys-
les of philosophy, of religion, 10 the froihy
fiction OF the fugitive magazine. Lecturers,
reviews and newspapers are carrying them
in popularized form 10 every class Of minds,
and slowly but surely poisoning The princi
piles OF the young and unsuspecIing BuI
more than this, ,lhe Influence is secretly
reaching ihc church herseif There is q
| tendency in many parts 10 rcccde from the
old, high and true views on the subject Of
inspiration. Theories are gaining ground,
modes Of reasoning and Interpretation are
coming in vogue, that practically ynulIify the
authority Of the bible as an inlallible arbier,
al least in all questions Of doctrine. ,,,f
Thus, from these seemingly opposite di.
rectionS, there is coming in a dark and fear
ful and powerful current Of hostility 10 The
principles ON which society rests, the plena-
ry inspiration and sufficient authority Of the
word OF God And il is with feeling ol
Joy thai we look 10 this society as common
spot where we can gather from every de.
parlment Of The church of Christ, 10 rally
round the everlasting word. Many storm
has dashedin It's fury against this rock, anC
rolled away, leaving it unmoved and un
harmed, on its deep and unshaken base; anC
wild and fearful though this tempest may
be, ytt when |. has spene It's most terrible
might, the rock shall again be seen resting
calmly on its enduring foundation, the bea
con and the landmark Of the world.
But meanwhile, how shall wo meet thes,
inhuencesl Shall wereiy merely OF mainly
on evidences of chemistry and learned de
fences Of ;ne bible? These are indeed valu
: able and not TO be rejected, but rely more OIL
, the bible Itself. We need the armor Of Saul
! bu, we need mole the Lord God of Israel
, The bible itself shall be in Gods hand, il
. own mighlest champion. and It's own persua
: sive advocate. Hence we mainly desire lhu
. lis silent and gentle teachings shall be mad
. more universally accessible 10 the minds an
= hearts Of men. We desire its teachings I
] come 10 the victim Of superstition and inf
g deity, moi in the stern altitude of polemic
y but in The soft, winning aspect of friend
/. We expect no, 10 reach the man who reject
f The authority Of the bible, when his heart
S swelling with pride and his lip foamine wit
!. blasphemy, But The time comes, il may bt
in this life, when his heart will be slricke
!, with sorrow, when his earthly path shall be
J. come lonely and dark, when the friends {
S mis- ungodly prosperity shall (orsake hin
II when the light and music Of his home sha
}, be gone. and when the awful shadows Of
IS ,ernal things fall silent and terrible on h
e soul. And that wild and baspheming mai
II il may be, has had pious and sainte
e mother, whose image is still shrined, ar
&c whose words yet live unforgouen in his s
70 cret heart.
T. And lhen in his hour OF loneliness al
le gloom, as the pale and wasted face Of II
mother rises in his memory, all lunowt
$, with the traces of sadness, and yet all rae
"a ami with unspepkable joy, the old forgotl'
d words Of that wei worn book, on whose p
Isl ges heriears have so ollen fallen, while h
ef eyes were YET flashing with hope, sh,
2. come clothed 10 his mind with new a