Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-08-27

urthcr than IT was proved to be an adequate test
Did not his example prove it, his deeds Of charity
whether miraculous or not in short, his selfsacriGcc
Tor the ,ya7iis of humaniy2 Did he not c-abou
doing good healing all manner Of diseases, giving
sight to the blind and hearing to the dcafcausing
the manned to wclk? Was he not intimate with
the poor and the odtcast2 Did he not sympathizc
with the afflicted? Jesus wept' llc raised the
dead Of the POOR widow. Did he not expose the
hypocricies of the day2 We're not his instructions
pure and holy Jy being adYie5 10 the rants n mani
In short lid not all his teachings his miracles, and
his whole example show that his whole life was
spem for huncndyl How then did he prove that
he was the true Messiah? BY his ptRaAttropy.-
If We believe not on me- said he, believe my
works, for they testify Of me, and prove from whom
camc.' A belief in Christ, threfJrc was u test
of Christian character, just far it tested Tore
10 man and no further Christ wns a perfect exhi-
bition Of lorc, and there was abundant proof Of
it, which the Jews might have seen, if it had not
been FOR their Jewish orthodoxy, which blinded
their minds. Christ only asked to believe in his
exhibitions Of love, as proof Of his divinity, which
they could not do without love in their own souls
and being Influenced by misanthropy and hate Of
Christ because he cut at the root aud exposed their
selislness and hypocrcy, they could not sec him
as the true and lovely Messiah We may say then
that this test was very appropriate and searching.
1t was the same only differently expressed, that
Christ presented to peter-'Simon Barjonah. lowest
thou me?' Christ was unpopular at that time
and such was his thjidmtlropic character that no
one could believe him without loving him. \ man
lost his reputation, and endangered his life by
ayowing such belief. Therefore, nothing but love
could call forth uch belief or confession. II was
an overlooking love and attachment in Peter that
called forth the expression Thou art Christ, the
Son of the living Cod and how appropriate was
the answer, Flesh and blood hath not revealed il
unto thee, but thee Spirit Of my Father which is
love.
1T Is in this sense that belief in Christ is test
nor, which is satisfactory resting upon Christ as
Il pcfcct exhibition Of love which ceanscth from
all sim It is Il resting on Christ perfect cx-
hibition of philanthropy, and hence an example
which the Christian should follow. Itis belief in
Christ as Saviour, how -? In this sense, that by
partaking OF hi spirit and following perfectly his
example of selfdcnying love- we are necessarily
saved from all sin. How can VIC believe any thing
short Of this if we regard him adequate Sa
vior? 1t is not theoretical blind, indefnable but
rational practical belief prompted by love, in
the words of the apostle, it is that faith which
works by love and puriics the heart
" But such belief in Christ is not creed in the
common MeologicaI occeptation Of the term which
latter is belief in the Divinity of Christ, man
defining what this expression means. Namely, the
lore Of Christ for God is love- the divinity of
Christ therefore means, the essense of the Deity
which is lore revealed Hrough christ to man. In
the Orthodox acceptation it is Il theological dogma
to which the intelligence must assent Us mere
article Of Jelicf without at all affecting the heart.
Now soy boldly, that such a belief is no proper
test of Christian Character \ faith which works
by lore is the only adequate test not faith in tie
orctcat or Theological Christ but faith in love as
Christ was love.
"But although such belief is an adcquat, test
Of Christian character, there many corruptions,
Hcologicqr and 'orthodox, of this belief confound
ing the true belief or Bible meaning that becomes
necessary in the higher and more spiritual deyel-
opcment of the true church to reject the term Jelct
and substitute in its place I0re. When Christ was
upon earth so much Scripture was there in regard
to his coming that no man could believe in the fact
of his coming Influenced by such evidence as have
given, without losing him, and then belief was n
test of n higher standard of lore. \ belief was
then test in the same that phlamiropic acts
are test now of the love Of Christ, which is love
of God Instead of belief in Christ us the Mcsi.
ah, God has by hi, spirit and providence, sub
stituted love to Christ pattern of love to man
and through man to God"
, From the above extract, the Christian public
, may understand my views Of Christianity. l an
: aware that the reasoning is somewhat metaphysi
cal, perhaps too much so TO suit some minds. Blu
l am convinced that the great question of the ag
and of the church, 1chat is 10 confess Christ d't
,chat is tito deny linn? must be met in analytic
and phosophic way. 10 any intelligent mind thu
conclusion is evident from my reasoning that true
Bible religion is Philanthropy that by the exercise
of this feeling we ratioadHy lore christ and confess
him, and that by loving Christ, we love God. Dc
we therefore "dcny Christ" by preaching deliv
orance to the captive" and the "opening of the
prison doors to those who are bound" thus fulfilling
; the mission Of Christ to howorld? Can 1--WE deny
Christ in order to free the slave? In trying 10 free
the shave do we not most nationally confess Christ
} How can we love Christ moro eflectually, than by
I loving those who are bound as bound with them
t win the Rev. Mr.. Boynton of Cincinnati and Pro
fcssor Cowlcs of oberln, please these plair
and simple questions. They have intmated tina
, Mr. Garrison and others of his views, are denying
: Christ and are calling TO the churches, Jceare @
such fIse teachers "who are coming to in sheep
clothing but nwardly are ravening wolves" Sucl
is severe charge and should be well sustained be
4 fore given. They have not proved that such mel
I "do deny Christ" in their exeltons to free TIN
r slave. They have not explained what it means t
+ deny Christ. wish they would be more definite
and first prove the severe charge, before they max
@ n and if thev Y,rovc conclIsivclV from the Bil