Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-08-25

does live good life. and If he loves
his God and his fellow men. and has
faith in Christ. and is in communion
with him. will be acknowledged by
the world to be sound Christian.
l do not denounce theology, or
schools Of theology. or doctrinal dis
cussion. What condemn is the des-
potism of these things. and the put
ting Of them in the place Of true godli
ness. What if great artists. great
scholars, great engineers. great states
men. should make their high mode of
mental action the law and test of wor-
thiness in all men below them? What
if Michael Angelo had refused to ac-
knowledge any man to be a sculptor
who could not carve as he did? What
if Raphael had said. Il will not rec
ognize any man as a painter who can
not paint such pictures as Ipaint?"
What could have been more tyrannic?
And yet the religious world has had
Augustine, and Calvin. and Wesley.
and Edwards. and Hopkins, and a
thousand others that were truly great
men, and worthy to be revered. and
that would have scorned to be used so
in their own time. who, after their
death. have been taken and held over
the heads of the religious as rods OF
iron. Men have been taught that they
could no. be true followers OF Christ
unless they believed as Calvin, or as
Wesley did, or as Arminius did. or
as Edwards did. And the best Of it
is that every one of these men was
new school man-a man of progress,
who bore witness to the truth of his
love. When they were living they
were denounced Is fanatics and mad
caps; but the next generation built
sepulchers to them, and erected them
into despots.
What, then. is the effect of the dis
crepancy which exists among the
churches, in consequence Of their ma
king the evidence of piety to consist
in doctrinal beliefs, these beliefs being
made to take the place of the love Of
Christ in the soul? There are thous-
ands of men who, becoming aware OF
this discrepancy, fall into revulsion
and skepticism on the subject of rolig-
ion. They see the constant warring
of the saints. and say, "All can not be
light. ! do not see but one has so
much reason as the others; and | will
have none Of them And yet these
men who find fault on this score, are
Just as inconsistent as those with
whom they find fault. / do not be-
licve a man when he disclailns to be-
ieve in vital religion, and says he
loes not think anybody is Christian.
| never saw man that. no matter
how much of skeptic he might be.
could not be made to acknowledge
that he had known persons whom he
believed to be Christians.
Upon Christians the effect of this
doctrine of evidence in respect to re-
ligion is to make them very intense.
narrow, and bigotcd: and one of the
most pitiable things. l think. is to
see Christians of different churches
sharp as sword, and running at each
othcr--to sec, for instance. the Bap-
lists coming down on the Presbyteri-
ans. and the Preshytcrians giving
back equal thwacks upon the Baptists.
and both Of these denominations bonn
harding the Episcopalians. l will
take no part or lot in such warfare. !
| think there is no Christian demon
ination that has not enough of truth in
it's teachings TO make a man who be-
longs to it inexcusable If he does not
get to heaven. | have suffered in my
reputation-or should have suffered If
| had had any-for standing up for
the recognition Of piety in every de-
nomination; for in my view this recog-
nition is Of vital importance. Love
to God and man is all the evidence of
picty that is necessary. Everything
is subordinate to that. Love sits as
Gods viccgerent in the soul. and /
will not fight with my brethren.
There is now and then a man who is
not susceptible to love. or anything
else that Is good, and cecm II pcccs-
sary TO exterminatc vermin wherever
they may be found; but will love all
my brethren il they will let me-
Though / may believe them to be
wrong, | will let them go their way.
and will 60 mine. l am satisfied
that il there was more love among the
churches, and they bombarded each
other less. there would be more piety
ia them.
The union prayer meetings Of 1856.
I did more. think. to produce unity
among the churches than all the Syn
ois and articles of fairh that have ex