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

IN respect to the ways OF getting Il
heaven. The church is a road fittet
up with cars. with station houses
with all manner of appliances, I,
make our journey there easier. Bu
Christ says to us, That you come hith
er is your main duty If fsman prefers
to travel on foot. he can not travel Sc
well as hs could by taking the cars
but his going on foot does not alter th'
fact that he is traveller. and that h.
may reach his destination. And If h,
travels by himself. his journey is 6
lonesome one, but he is nevertheless 9
traveller. and may arrive at the place
to which he wishes to go. And / say
to the young. You will find the church
help to you in your Christian course;
but if you say to me, "Is the church
essential to piety?" l reply, NO! no
Gods grace in the sonl-that is the
thing which is essential. No outward
thing whatever is essential.
am bound to declare that the way
for q man to prove himself to be a
Christian is to manifest right dispo-
sitions and right conduct toward God
and toward his fellow-men; and tina. a
man whose life is characterized by
tenderness. kindness, patience, and a
self-sacriicing spirit, and yields con-
tinually the ever-varing fruits of be-
nevolencc, gives un takable evil
dence that he is a Christian, whether
he is in the church or out of it, wheth-
er he has been baptized or not. and
whether he has been habitual parta-
ker of the Lords Supper, or has never
tasted of ccnsecrated bread or wine.
The next thing that you will read
of in the papers will be that have de-
clared that the Lords Supper and
Baptism are good for nothing. used
to think that strange expression OF
Christ which says, He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear" but l have
since learned that there is only now
and then one-not more than one in
twenty-who has cars to hear rightly.
There is, therefore, great force in the
Injunction, "He thai hath ears, let him
near"
But there is another class of evil
dences of Christianity urged by the
Calvinistic organization. they hold,
as strongly as we do, that love is re-
ligion; but they do not believe that il
will ever exist, except under the gui-
dance of high doctrinal views. They
say to God, in effect, "You can not
shed abroad grace in any heart, except
by the logical method" fthey want
to know whether man is sound in
faith or not, they begin to ask him,
What are your doctrinal beliefs?"
and if they find that he has certain dis
tinct elements Of belief, they suppose
that it is prima facie evidence that he
is a Christian. a certain inventory
of doctrines is made a condition OF
Christian recognition.
Now l hold first, there ought to be
body Of truth to be taught to our
children, to members Of our church,
and to the community. do not OBJ
ject to body of divinity-if it is not
a dead body, There is no objection to
the most dilligent doctrin alton Of men.
But for any man to become the servant
of despotic creed, or for any man to
lord it over his fellow men, presenting
certain doctrine to them, and say
ing, UNLESS you touch this very
point concordan. with me, l will not
recognize you as a Christian" is de-
ta.tal.1a 10 nj
tamely by and sec such mischievous
view rs this inculcated. / will not be
made servant to it by any shape
When men say that doctrine is indis-
pensablc to piety. l say it is false. or
else you condemn fve-sixths of all
Christians, for aver that there is not
oven one man in ten who could con.
form to any system of doctrine. II
the mass of Christians do say they be-
lieve-if, when certain doctrines are
presented to them as indispensable to
their piety. they do exclaim, "Credo.
Credo," yet there is not more than one
in ten that can appreciate legal reason
ing. There is not one in a hundred
that can take principles and couple
them together, so as TO construct q
symmetrical. logical doctrine. II re
quires the highest order of genius to
10 this; and yet the power to do it is
made to be prerequisite to Christianity
in man.
/ am not speaking against the ben
cfits of right thinking. but against the
tyranny of those who say. "Others
shall think as / think. or not bear the
name Of Christians" / say-snd l
wonld that had q trumpet with
which | conld roll N yonni the world