New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-21

heart as he heard and believed the words
OF the preacher, pronOuncing without hest,
tatiOn the eternal state of the departed
whose lifeless clay was before him. 1t was
a strictly orthodox community, the mon
professors" being very few. Hence there
was seldom occasion for the venerable pas
tor to pass sentence of ''lOst" over any de-
parted soul. But when the occasion arose
there was no shrinking from what was
deemed duty, and all acquiesced even be-
reaved widows and stricken mothers, in
what was deemed the decree of "Our
Father in Heaven" The writer remem-
bers as well, too, the slow but sure change
which set III and wrought its benign work
even in that Puritan neighborhood, until.
before all the fathers fell asleep, such
preaching was of the things that were: SO
it is now out of date among preachers and
Christians of the same denomination every
where where civilization and free inquiry
are in the ascendant. Their creed has not
changed, but the times have and they with
the times; and creed preaching is no longer
the rage, nor will II be tolerated to any con-
siderable extent. Why should it be! What
can it avail for good.
Putting aside SO far as NAV be, the
special consequences in the case of the
colored widow, or attributing them largely
TO her ignorance and natural impressibility.
it must not be forgotten that the doctrine
her spiritual comforters endeavOred to en-
force, or use, was and is the doctrine of all
the orthodox churches. Was it really more
absurd and ridiculous for them then and
| there TO use it for her eternal good than it
| would be for the most eminent divine of
| this city TO follow the example of his Afri-
can brethren, and attempt the spiritual
progress of his more enlightened hearers
| by sounding in their ears continually the
| same tenet of his church Could he hit
| upon any other plan that would so soon or
! so surely disperse his congregation, and
leave him to preach to empty benches
Or if such sermonizing on his part is too
absurd to be imagined, take for illustration
| some other sharp doctrine of his church and
| let him try to edify with that: for example.
the following: God from all eternity did.
| by the most wise and holy counsel of His
own will, freely and unchangeably ordain
whatsoever comes TO pass" by
| the decree of God. for the manifestation of
| His glory, some men and angels are predes-
tinated unto everlasting life. and others
toreOrdained TO everlasting death These
! angels and men thus predestinated and fore
ordained are particularly and unchangeably
! designed, and their number is so certain
and definite that it can not be increased or
! diminished.
| Those of mankind predestnated unto
/ life, God, before the foundation of the world
! was laid according TO His eternal and i'm
! InutdDle purpose ana Ine secret counsel ana
! good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in
| Christ unto everlasting glory out of His
mere free grace and love. without any fore
| sight of faith or good works. or perseverance
in either of them. etc" = THE rest of
mankind God was pleased TO pass by, and
to Ordain them to dishOnor and wrath
Ito wit: everlasting tOrtures). for their sin.
to the praise Of His glorious justicer Vide
constitution OF PRESBYTERIAN Church. United
M cd Sha hr tbor
itv of the General Assembly, 1876 pages
l., 81, 81
If the learned doctor should object to
these articles as dishes too highly seasoned
for daily food, there remains that other
proposition. that when Adam fell the whole
race tumbled with him into a natural de-
pravity, TO which there have been no ek-
ceptions. making all his pOsteritv, to quote
again the words of tie constitution, mt
terv indispOsed, disabled and opposite to
all good, and wholly inclined to all evil"
In other words. it pleased the loving
Heavenly Parent to permit. if not order,
that because of what Adam did every child
of his, and of the compassionate God no
less, should begin the journey toward the
eternal hereafter, with such disposition
"hellwards" I'VE use this word in no profane
or vulgar sense, but because it expresses
the exact idea of the creed) as to leave the
chances of salvation fr1ghtfully against
him. 1t suffices the present purpose to
fairly state the creed in this respect, with
out stopping to discuss it. Therefore il is
unnecessary to consider the abstract Justice
of thus passing sentence, in advance, on
the millions thereafter TO live. 1t may be
that if to all the generations that have lived
and died, the proposition of Ito be or not 10
be" had been submitted on such terms. a
large majority would have respectfully de-
clincd the hazard but that need not be
argued here.
If, however, from the fact that such ugly
questions might be involved in sermons on
the subject, or if from any other cause the
learned doctor should object to it as a
staple for sermonizing. there still remains
that other article of the same constitution,
so cheering to the mothers heart ~ as she
sees the loved form of her darling babe
laid away in the cold grave, which assures
her that some infants are elected TO be
saved. and therefore will be So that if
she can in any way be equally certain that
her dear child's name is on the favored roll
she may dry her tears Here again it is
not essential 10 consider whether in the
absence of an assurance that her babe is of
the elect the doctrine is particularly com
fOrting to the mothers heart, especially as
she is taught that if it is not, death has but
transferred her beloved idol from a moth
ers care and caresses to the society of
devils and to agonies Undesirable, forever
and forever
Whether it will materially cheer her to
remember also that her babe, if not of the
elect is thus to suffer, not for it's own fault,
but for what Adam and Eve did thousands
of years age, is another question that need
not now be argued
The point here sought to be enforced is
the unpalatability, absurdity, wOrthlessneSs
of creed preaching. For that purpose it is
proper to cite striking examples and the
most startling articles of faith to be found
in any creed In the case of the African
divines, all will admit that their teachings
were untimely and shocking, and that, too,
regardless of the specially shocking results
that followed But they only preached
their creed, pure and undsguised just as
the most eminent and eloquent Presbyterian
divine Of the city would do if he should
select either or all of the particular tenets
of his church hereinbefOre cited and make
them the staple of his sermons Once. ser
mons on such doctrinal points would
have interested people of that taiIh-would
have supplied their spiritual wants We
ask. would they do SO now Let him but
try the experiment and how soon would
his hearers cry ont, as with one voice:
Have done, We pray thee, with such ser
mons. Was 1t not enough that once we
gave ID our adhesion to such dreadful prOpo-
sitiOns, and must they be continually
sounded in our ears We tell thee if is
more than we can bear"
Seeing thus how disastrous was doctrinal
reed-preaching in the case of the ignorant
widow, and how modifying and valueless
it must be to more enlightened worshipers,
if the conclusion is that creeds are not
('hriStionifv huf than nSalecS