The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-30

n Romanism< ON the one hand, whether genu-
inc counterfeit errs by & excess , i III rehes on
can accomplish. On the other hand, the seYe-
raj forms Of rationalism claiming to be Chris
tian, err by defect Unitarienism and Univer-
salism are only different sides of the the same
system. The same theory of Interpretation
Will draw either of them out of the Scriptures
and with equal facility. II the New Testament
does not teach distinctly the Godhead of Jesus,
there is no way of knowing what IL does teach
and If Jesus and the Apostles do not teach the
eternity of future punishment, we do not see
how they can possibly escape the charge of pur
posely misleading plain people, not only by
their teachings. The misfortune of liberal
Christianity as 1t sees flt to call ITSELF is that
into the Scriptures with q theory which IL
concludes TO be rational, and there cuts
and slashes fore and aft until everything Is put
into shape to be measured by its tape. In
stead of drawing out of the book itself theory
which will harmonize with the whole tenor of
it, and allowing 1t to say what it will, they hold
their theory firm and stark, and bend and tor
ture the record until IL submits and gives the
answer they want Books, IKE men, rarely
utter the truth under torture. 1.-THE Word of
God is not bound' and If the human intellect,
in its pride of bossted liberty attempts to bind
it, the danger Is IL Will carry away the false
hood Il wanted.
No, neither Romanism nor rati0nalism is
Christianity. Both of them mangle and dtstort
it until they make it quite another thing than
we find IL the New Testament Romanism
changes ana betrays, overlays and neutralizes
IL by Immune erable forged cod1cils, which claim
equal right with the original Testament while
contradiciug it; rationalism boldly takes out of
the Testamen the offensive parts. The two
together exhaust the Apocalyptic auathema--
"If any man shall take away from The words of
the prophecy Of this book, God shall take away
his part from the book of life; and If any man
shall add to the words of the prophecy of this
book, God shall add unto him the plaques that
are written in this book" Neither of these per-
versions Of Christianity has power to transform
human nature. Romanism retains her power
with the Ignorant masses born in her pale but
but makes them not orc whit less besotted for
all her control. In converting men from sin
she does nothing. Rationalism, as represented
O II ITnifaTiQnfgn1 N
zeal, and breaches the Gospel only TO rob men
of their faith. In the hands of Rome the Gospel
is now toy, picture, theatrical show, and
now a bugbear OF priestly terrors. In the hands
OF Un1tarianismi it is philosophy. with nothing
science. Christianity, smothered under the
trappings Of the Middle Ages, cannot recall the
| the dainty eclecticism of Unitarianism.
No; in the last thirty years have seen thou
| tures filled with the inspiration of q heavenly
zeal, but not by masses and holy water, not by
| preaching of evangelical Professionalism, Yes,
the doctrines of Jesus as developed by Paul and
| of the moral ruin of the race by sin, by which
| 'all are children of WRATH" the atonement by
the death of the spotless and Divine Christ; the
preaching of repentance in His name; the GER
| tainty of eternal death to the impenitent, and
eternal glory TO the penitent; the great truth of
Justification by faith alone; the work: of the
| Holy Spirit in the soul, as enlightener, and
sanctitier and witness; the glorious truth of the
new birth, and holy life-these are clearly
| the essence of the New Testament record, the
| very voices OF Jesus and his Apostles, almost
lost sight of for many ages in the wilderness of
| forms and ceremonies, and amidst the num-
meries OF Popes and monks, but restored at the
Reformaton-never, never, we trust, to be
So far as we have seen or known, these are
the truths with which Christianity has ever
won its real triumphs. These are the words of
| simple but mighty power before which the
sinful heart has quailed and melted and the
rious purify. The Gospel. thus understood, in
It's most obvious sense, meets, practically, all
the great problems of the human life-of the
struggling, sn-sick soul. 1t meets, for example.
that terrible sense of sin which Is universal
which fills the whole earth with groans which
| no soft words of philosophy nor any cunning
changes of name can silence: The crimes OF
history, the shameful scenes OF the police courts
the difficulty of virtue in the best, and the uni
versal sense of guilt, can only be met by re-
moral blight which has cursed the race. The
contradiction felt by the soul between itself
atonement, satisfaction TO Divine justice, and
the demand for this can only be satisfied by q
parsonage who, like the Goldman Of the Gospel,
combines the glory of the Deity with the pos
| sibility Of suffering, When we go TO the fallen
race with gospel, the message we take them
will be no gospel no good tidings, unless it
procaims the doctrine of regeneration. No
Thing else VIII 90; ta6ongn SIN Ine 40 s
image , Of God nST birth 1bd no1U6r from m
keep tie commandments OF God. When we
60 TO the slaves of sin, with their conscienees
time, we can only reach them with preaching
that opens upon them Sinatic artillery, and
|
They must hear of the lake of fire. Their clutch
of sin must be burned loose. And when we
| descant on the graces of religion on the beauty
| and sweetness of holy life, we shall be as
those who mock unless we can proclaim com.
| forter, an indWelling God, present spirit OF
Christ, who works in us the good pleasure OF
His will, and makes the renewed temple OF the
, heart His own dwelling place, and unless we
can tell of eternity OF purity and bliss at the
end of the earthly race.
These are the keys with which orthodoxy,
| fired by the evangelical spirit, opens, practt-
cally, the mysteries OF human nte-tne ord
nance with which she batters down Inc sJrong-
| holds of Satan, the music and the feasls With
| which she soOthes and satisfies and ST. ing ems
| the souls that yield themselves to God, This Is
| indeed the GOspel-the Gospel of the Apostolic
| and the modern evangelical Church, which
I | however woven into human creeds, and ally.
ing itself with present or future forms of itera
5 | ture, artand worship, has before 1t the task o.
e | converting the world. This is the Gospel which
substance, which will work nightly, whether
1 In the log school house, in the gorgeous temple
G or in the streets and fields which viii pour its
), purifying power upon humanity through one
Q ecclesiastical organization, or through
). friendly Gordon of distinct denominations.
o MY growing belief in the power of Chris
y tlantty as held by evangelical Protestants, hai
II ever Joined itself close by the Church. Christie
1t mystical letters all the truths Of the evan
N gelical creed, but 1t, and the creed tha
q grows out of IT, must live in the consciousness
a, ofthe Church; the Truth must put on the Churcl
a as garment in which to make itself visible
20 must use the Church as armOr as enginery
10 NOW as stand here at the end Of thirty years
n and look back, feel a profound regret for tn
quarrels of evangelical churches: feel a nam
le tartan feeling in my own experience But
/: nevertheless feel that there is true and pro
10 found union among the evangelical churches
Of ofWhtch close communion in one denomina
q in