The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-12-07

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS theology is one
of those things in which we do not pro-
fess to deal, and we do not wish to make,
this paper q medium for the discussion
of disputed points Of religious belief
For reasons satisfactory to us, we have
departed from our usual practice in ad-
hitting the above communication. We
differ from our correspondent in belief
upon the sui iect discussed, but we do
not care to argue the matter. If any OF
our readers who believe the doctrine OF
yicarious Atonemellt to be vital and I'M
portant article Of christian faith, deem
that the interests of truth are imperillod
by the doctrine set forth by our cores
pondent, they can use our columns to
reply, if they wish, and there we will let
the matter rest.
There is another point on which we
agree with our correspondent, and with
the liberal minds of the day, and that Is
the right of every man to bis own belief,
and the right to be Judged by his LITE,
not by his belief. This doctrine we are
ready at all proper times, to avow and
defend, and this doctrine is not generally
accepted by the orthodox churches of
the present time. We believe that men
are to be sanctifed by the TRUTH, but
those Truths which are to save and bless
them, are the heart Truths Of religion
the Truths that glow in the Golden Rule,
and in the Sermon on the Mount, and
not those dogmatic beliefs which divide
Christendom into warning sects, which
swell creeds into unnatural proportions,
and whose acceptance is forced upon the
great mass of churchmen, who neither
know nor care anything about them.
The church has accomplished great re-
suits as it cannot help but do, while it holds
to and incuIcates so much of vital truth,
but it also greatly fails to accomplish
what might reasonably be expected of it,
and we believe that failure may be safe
ly attributed to its illiberal spirit-to its
loading down its creeds with much that
is non-essential, thereby repelling from It's
embrace many of the most earnest and
thoughtful men of the time. If any one
thinks we overestimate the failure of the
church, we ask them to read the follow
ing extract, written by one distinguished
alike by worldly knowledge and spiritual
faith-one dear to every Christian schol-
ar-JoHN RusKIN. We copy the arti-
Gle from late number of the n. Y. IN
dependent.
"There never yet was a generation Of
men Savage or civilized, J who, taken as
a body, so wofully fulfilled the Words
.'Having no hope, and without God in the
world" as the present. civilized European
race. A Red Indian or Otaheitan saw
age, has more sense of Divine exist
ence around him, than the plurality of
refined Londoners and Parisians; and
those among us who may in some sense
be led to believe, are divided almost with
out exception into two broad classes
Ronanist and Puritan-who, but for the
interference of the unbelieving portions
of society, would, either of them, reduce
the other sect as speedily as possible to
ashes; the Romanist having always done
SO whenever he could. from the begin
ming of their separation, and thePuritan,
at this time, holding himself in compla-
cent expectation of the destruction O
| Rome by volcanic fire. Such division a: