Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-07-19
DoctrinaI Themes,

Doctrine is Just now in low repute.-
There is a reaction from olden times, when
it was the "alpha and omega" of religion.
Ethics, the practical and experimental, are
now in fashion. The churches are weary
OF contention, sick of distractions; they
repel bony skeletons, and demand the
warmth, activity and glow Of real life in
all they hear or honor in religion. They
feel the pressure Of work, are in haste, have
too much to do, to allow OF investigation
or deep reflection. This is both commend
able and deplorable. We would not return
to the cold paths" where sharp distinc-
tons and dogmatic assertions were both
tests Of fellowship and wedges to rive the
family of saints; where sectaries were more
jealous Of creeds than careful of behavior,
and had more doctrine in their heads than
grace in their hearts But we deplore the
dlstastc for doctrine, because piety and vir-
tue cannot long survive without it. Doc
trine is the root of all Christian expert
ence and practice, and we can no more RI
pen a harvest of fruits, without roots and
trunks Of trees, than produce and maintain
virtue without doctrine.
1t is not necessary for every person to be
theologian in order to be pious and good.
Such is the wonderful power of truth, that,
lodged in and thoroughly worked out by
few minds, it imparts a mighty impulse to
the multitude, and gives nurture and force
to love and hope in myriads of SOULS
Some single " Father Abraham" sends the
impulse Of his faith down the generations;
some great thinker settles the foundations
of doctrine for millions. Those even who
do not comprehend, and have no distinct
idea of the truths which supply the life
currents, receive the inspiration, and are
made good andhappy. Ignorant men may
live upon, be fed by, and take all the vital
ity of their spiritual lives from doctrines
of which they can give no historic or ana
lytical account.
But there must be doctrine somewhere.
in some minds, or practical piety will with
er like flowers pluckcd from their stems
Blight may not come in a day, the mighty
impulse may drive on for time, and many
may imagine as they now seem to fancy,
that no such dependence exists, and that
good practice is self-Hroduced and will per-
petuate itself. A little sober reflection
ought to disabuse them. There must be a
cause. Ideas are roots of action. What
we believe about God, sin, the Saviour.
man, the soul, guilt, redemption, heaven
and hell, lies at the basis of all action. and
can not fail to influence us. Without faith.
we are without motives, impulse and ener-
gy.
All Christian doctrine is practical. To
preach it in dry, bony, skeleton style,
gives the garb Of error to truth, of ugliness
to beauty, and begets repulsion where we
desire acceptance. Those doctrinal dis
cussions once so common, which make God
despot, 50 severely just, so awful in holi-
ness, so cold and memorable in sovereignty,
so partial in mercy, as to make humanity
revolt, and force men to the agony of I'M
belief, or into agony in belief; these taught
falsehood in truthful phrase, dishonored
God in attempts to exalt him, and repealed
and cursed man by the mode adopted to
win him to faith and loyalty. Let those
old methods be obsolete; recall no more
the unpatcrnal theories of God and ungen-
erous views Of grace, but fill sermons, news
papers and Sunday School books with doc
trine, all aglow with life, warmth, love and
beauty, as embodied in Christ and his
WORD, and we shall insure all Christian
virtue. But if we swing to the extreme of
ignoring doctrine, and preaching good
works alone, we shall undermine and de-
stroy what we think ourselves especially
wise and successful in building up.-Mor-
| nina Star.