The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-04-13

History will teach us something of the DIFF
ferent results thrown up BY these three
currents OF life. 1t is haflly necessary to
allude to the paralysis of ipiritual life that
befaIis soul that placS itself in the
keeping Of a church; with surrenders it.
self to the notifications and irrational in-
positions Of an irresponsible hio, archy =
The abuses, outrages, corruptions, wars
awful immoralties that have grown out of
a church like this, are matters which al
most monopolize the pages Of history and
sufficiently prove that it has its basis in
error and its authority in arrogant assump-
ton. When the people of France pulled
down both God and the church, and set
up reason in their place, all the Internal
elements of human nature held their brief
l.igh carnival. That experiment should
be enough for thousand worlds, through
countless years.
So, cut off in al other directions,
come back to the Bible. IF that be not
authoritative, nothing is. If that be not
infallibie, es a revelation from God of bis
own character, the nature of the coming
life, and the relations Of this life TO it,.
then nothing is infalibe, and the faith
without which earth is cheat and life a
sorry jest is impossible. What do we
find to be the fruits of a living practical
faith in an infallible Bible? The most
prominent, or tAat which appears most
prominent in the eyes of the world, is a
missionary spirit in contradist notion to
a proselyting spirit. The really mission
airy work of the world has been done in
the past, and is now being effected by
those who received the Bible unmutilated
as Gods word to men The noblest hero
isms that illustrate the history Of the race
have their inspiration in implicit faith in
the Bible. Men in whom life was fresh
AMI strong, and woman who were the i'm
presentations of gentleness and delicacy,
have died for it martyrs death Of fire,
singing until the red.tongued flames lick
ed up their breath. Out oft have come
all pure moralities. Forth from it have
sprung all sweet charities. 1t has been
the motive power Of regeneration and re-
formation to millions of men. 1t has
comforted the humble, consoled the
mourning, sustained the suffering, and
given trust and triumph to the dying.
The wise old man has fallen asleep with
it folded to bis breast. The simple Gotta
ger has used it for his dying pillow; and
even the innocent child has breathed his
last happy sigh with his fingers be
tween its promise-frei ghted leaves.
Suppose it could be proved that this
Bible IS all fable: in what would the
demonstration benefit us? 1t is all we
have. If it do not infallibly teach us the
truth concerning the future life, and IN
struct us in the way of making that future
life a happy one then there is nothing
that does. Suppose it could be proved
that parts Of this Bible are fabulous, and
that those portions whice are not SO were
inspired il q kind Of general way, like
the writings Of all genius which is both
great and good: who would be the bet
ter or the happier for it l believe it to
be demonstrate that no greater calamity
could befail the human race than either the
general looseine up, or tle entire destruc~
ton, Of faith in the Bible, even were the
whole of it a cunning invention of the
brain Of man. Better an ass that carries
us than horse that throws us. Better
faith in q fable which inspires to good
deeds, conduct our powers to noble ends,
makes US loving, gentle and heroic, eradi-
cafes our SeiUSuilcSS. oSI5oltou . Witulu
Us the principle of henevolence, and ena-
bles us o meet death with equanimity if
not with triumph, in the hope of a glori-
Gus resurrection and happy immortality
than the skepticism Of a kngly reason
which only needs to be carried to its leg
innate issues to bestalize the human race,
and drape the earth in the badness of
Tartarus.
So, l say, let us stick to the Bible-the
whole ofit-from Genesis to Revelations
When the apostle, standing on the nights
of inspiration, places the hand Of the sec
ond Adam in the hand of the frst-the
Adam of Genesis Il believe there was
such an Adam, and that the apostle be-
lieved it, and knew it. When sec Chris
tianity emerging naturally and logically
from religion of types and ordinances,
believe that that religion is portion of
the system ofdivine truth. When Christ,
standing in the Temple, declares that the
Scriptures testify of him, | believe they do
thus testify, and that it is right that they
be bound up with the Gospels and Epis
ties as an essential portion of the grand
u NJ