The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-05

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i tme OF the church, and are essential to
i 10 me. ana what are these doctrines? Clear
| ully 10 Scripture, Repentance and
,, aisu. Huu doubt whether Nice or Rome
"ntenpeiS OF Boston even, can add ANYTHING
10 tne completeness or security of this founda-
tion. On tniS foundation we must stand i'm
from it-for either process is almost emeil,,
dangerous; and on this foundation an f6,iss.
tidns Can stand, while those who arc Nc.
Christians, even though they may claim and
should receive from us the same tolera,io., =
claim for ourselves, have no right to exnec, We
to fellowship them religiously. us
The church has never lapsed in spiritpo,;...
through too great an exercise of liberty in ~,
respect; and 1t Is hardly fair to make con-
trary assertion until it has at least tried A.
experiment The Apostolic age was ono 'r 90
SIMPLE piety, and the preaching of those davs
was for the most part but repetition of tSe
s.ory Oh the Cross; and then it was that the
slory OF the Lord rested upon Zion. and the
,naich OF the church was as the march of Cod
Dut IN the succeeding age of the Anol,,oists
t Mnen pnliosophy and dogmas be. an To inter-
~ tnI IL voice ana take form, the church began
,oIe N spirituality as it gained in dogmatic
tneoioSy, anu to manifest a Cepartnra t;so,,, IT,
former simplicity of faith.-a denert,,u O .rn, IL
terminated at Rome. The assertion ~ " na'Il
mission TO authority ever marks tba doNI;. aeo
rehgion lor IT'S tendency is to subord;noto g.
sentials TO non-essentials in religions noatto~,
moreover, spiritual lapsing ALWAYS begins T..
the heart, and hence we see men in eve-v 80, "a
noiuihS 70 the letter or form of truth long az
ter they have lost its spirit: and nevars al
they err so fatally until they first err in ha es
when the heart goes, then goes pure toctrina.
then Gn things go to decay. Let the cbnrcb
therefore keep its life pure, and its doc.rina
VIII take care OF itself; and as it requires mrch
greater vigilance to maintain a sound beort
IMAM a sound head, we may find in this fact a
solution OF all dogmatism in the church.
but IL the church must have creed n
ousn. W nave PERFECT one, and where shall
u get such creed? and who will write ~ Q
For more than a thousand wears # bas baa ~
engaged in the fruitless searcll-tbe imnoss;-
siDle task. DoSmas adopted by the church in
one age, we see modified or wholly set as;da
oy the church in another age The orthodo~u
OF one period is the heresy of another. No1y
Atilanasius is on the episcopal throne. tbs
champion OF orthodoxy, and now in banisb-
inent as hereto; once and again restored IN
ails gee anu pulpit; once and again deposed;
ana nhally we see this Father Of Orthodoxvo
dying under an ecclesiastical cloud.I Now wa
see Gregory l. breaking images, and now
Gregory IL worshiping them There ia scarce
~ Iather OF the church either in the ancjan,
or medieval periods who would be Considered
sound by the orthodox" of the present dav
Ori9en believed in restoration.2 The primitive
Cnrlstans, as early as the second and third
| centuries, according to TertulIian. believed IN
praying for the dead,* and the church of Emo, o.
land at one time encouraged the practice !
OF. ambrose and even Augustine believed in
pursatoflal purifcationt; Wickliffe accented
the oeVen oacraments, and his views of .Ji,sti-
ncatlon were exceedingly indistinct ami in
denned u Huss believed in Transubstantiat,on
ana the lntercession of Saints and Martvrel
Luther believed in the Real Presence N and IN
.a.ei SilneS we near an Orthodox Dishop OF
the established Church, calling in oueat;on
the natural immortality of the sonl q and
Jeremy Taylor expressing doubts as To the
eternity of punishments ''''
In view OF such conflict of authorities IN
the Orthodox church itself, is II NOT vain 70
look or hope for creed that shall be ahIe ~
command the assent of all Christians n
you VIII give me perfect creed, will sub
scliD' 10 IL; not otherwise, never other
WISE Meanwhile would it not be wen for ma
all to follow the example of the AnostoI;c
ehurcn, and dispense with formulistie theo-
iogy, at least SO far as seeking to impose II
upon those who may differ from us The
church OF that day had no formula even ~
the doctrine OF Atonement; and the writers
OF the first four Gospels max, no mention n
the doctrine OF degeneration. The work d
rather than to fonmat;~e ~ pt .I saiVation
the Love of Cod in Ch,,st n ~ uiey preached
ing full well that if thew corIJ , ,,ani. SNOW
10 turn from sin, no doctrinal fact Womb sng
ier tnroueh their silence; and had the church
OF succeeding ages been as wise as thew. and
gwen Itself to the preaching and work of !
proportionately great from tb W" w. nase peer
already gained. 1Rnt Romor;s,.s al. srouno
here [ use AGAIN fine lananar.A - u ~ manu
Park**-for / like IN snesL " tionesoi
"what the sacred nenman ,Sor: a., %a. .n
ed to attempt. She has given ne cvooJ1
claim to be inspire,. and bv tbns
her doctrines into a narrow con,nsss oSsllit
ed her discinles from the ;n.;.. Pass, nas say
a study ike that of the RES a. ns ton
greatest sins aoainst The ;nfeJ1o.; I I y ne,
ing the Diqests of her councIs 800 -,
Die standard of truth S6e re- . ~ ny Isss
equal to the Bible in nutboy;t,, ~ sesn
in cases of reference. In s,,,te,.ct;e oapeIso'
nents, in precise definitions Wenco ~ WE Ngs,
Testament loses its appronr;ate nIooa T.. Ts'
esteem" And does not this enerpet;c , - ne
become in the hand of him who wieids IL .
double-edged sword cnttina b;s S.,o mislus ~
while it cleaves his foe FOR ,vha+ 20. ese sal
creeds but the telling men ,ybot ~ e oui
believe? How far iS PIvmonth s. Ores mus
long as She makes ber c,aaSs ~ ION .p NOME, SC
tan fellowship ? Does not 80, ..S' y, Nnfis
praeticallv make tho 49, nIo wen , Andovel
to the Bible in cases of rafere,na -, SuPel; .o
definit;on % Al ~; ~ Ie.erence anu precise
mitted fact that tba .n aS, Inc iace or the ad
make articles of tatbn+t sana n..s no power 4
helps i'm the studv of the Sor;r. " pe usee q
have vet to learn that thpro -
choose between Pnritan tv Snuae Is mucn U
tyranny. All, if there had b., anu apa
ton of creeds in tha cb,,roI, . Ieen no imposf
been little 70 have disturbed her n @uaa na az,
paired her energy. and NC s ne, Peace Or lIn
Spared MANY a darb and h,o snTuu nave per
tory. For II Won do not d Dy pase o. ms
quarrel with Won. WON ,,,ay may :. wul no
as YOU see IL and viii h"iy n =, 70 Tue lruti
: nav. we NAV even u,o.s Iu " ~ a. see ~
co,1nsei tooetber,' j., % tSa anu take swee
if Won W. lie craad onI 1 toI1 I'D ~
trith D saw 7 so,,st .SSo, otn nS Mas - bpi
I me to- believe as Won 10 th anu 70 cempe
lose YOUR mower over me f Sr0m s YOU not ont.
G once excite in me onnos;t it, soou, out you q
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