New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-03

prisoner in Doubling Castle. Why, then,
should man reject Christ and his words!
And if he must do this for himself, why
should he labor that others should 90 the
same? Ofwhat spirit is that man who wouid
take away faith! If man destroys my
belief in whatever he thinks unworthy: let
him give me something better: ne does
not like the timber of which the treste-
work which holds up the vine is mades
Shall he then break it down, and leave tue
vine along the ground! Has the unbelie, er
in Christ any other savior to offers Ii not.
let him be satisfied with his own ruin. II
a man will not leave the wreck ami
step into the boat, that is his loss;
but if he tries to scuttle the boat,
that is his crime. Who can measure tue
villainy of publishing an lnfdel book
Where does the motive come from that I'M
pels auy man to seek to lessen the author
itv of the Bible or of the conscience Ii is
from the devil. on the face Of it. T have
what believe to be the Gospe!-goud and
sufficient views of the meaning and destiny
OF human life. Why should any one try
to take this away! 1t concerns them rs
much as it does me; they need it as much.
We must all in some way cross the stream.
By what name shall l call him who seeks
to break down what believe to be a safe
and sure bridge! He who rejects Christ
does all he can to pry out the cornerstone
of the house of the whole human
family. We all live together. I'm
belief is vacuum. There is NO breath
of life in it. Here are heaven and he'll,
lost race and a Saviour. Is it evidence OF
liberality to make an argument that there
is no Saviour, and thereby make hell a
personal necessity for every SHINING soul
II any one wishes to take away my faith,
let him give me that which is
better - knowledge. If he will not
do that, then some other faith
something that will make better men
than Christianity. Let him place some
thing in stead Of that which he would
destroy. If he will not do this he is a thief
and robber. He steals the pilgrims staff.
In the Valley Of the Shadow of Death he
puts out the light He leaves us
" To sit unmoved upon our burial sod
And know no: whence We come OF whose We be,
C0mfortless mOurners for The mount OF God,
The rocks of Calvary"
If their belief is so strict a neces-
sity of being and doing, how is 1t
that the word doctrine has such an
unpopular sound! The man who is all
at sea in a wide washy waste of creedlcss-
ness calls him Liberal Christian 1t
il is good TO believe, is it not well to know
what you believe, and be able to state this !
Can Columbus get ships or crew ii he has
only a vague notion of a new world some
where, Queen Isabella desires to know
where this world of which he speaks is !!
The more definite his statement The better
his cause. He needs himself to know.
Suppose Columbus sails with a sincere
belief that the land he seeks is in the
Attic Circle, because lie is honest
will the land go up there to meet him! Is
it not essential that man believe, and that
he believe the truth 1t seems so. 1 think
we have beard enough of praise, of vague
ness in theology, and of contemnation OF
its opposite. But it is said, take the whole
Bible. Very we'll. But when the man has
read it. and is asked what he believes, his
statement will be his creed. OF course il is
narrow. The human mind is n8rrow--is
wider than what it contains hnt let us not
rail at the size of our cup. If it holds the
water of life, aud enough for our thirst. why
complain of littlepess. Ii the thirsty IGan
by the mighty river can take up enough in
the hollow of his hand. it is enough. All
Israel needs is path Though the sea. We
might as well call the man who br.atlIcs,
narrow, because his Lungs do no: exhaust
the atmosphere that circles the world. 1t
is the quality that is Of consequence.
What that quality is we ought to know,
Almighty to perfection, but We can begin
to find him out. We can know what is
divine, and we must. The Hndoo is SIN
cere, and the Mormon. They give their
lives in evidence OF it, They believe. l, is
what they believe that is the wratched
thing 1t does make a difference to tie
child whether it is east into the Gauges or
saved alive in a Christian home.
Let US hear Paul On this subjcct-ot doe
trine
For other foundation can no man lay
IL, t1n& s, IT, ,-,b, al, = hi,
Now. it any man build upon this founda
ton gold, silver. precious stones, wood. HAY
or stuhble. every mans work snail be mad
manifest, because it shall be revealed by
ire, and .he fire shall try every mans work
OF what sort it is. II any mans work abide
which he hath built thereupon. he shall
receive reward. If any mans work shall
be burned he shall suffer loss, but he him
self shall be saved, yet So as by fire
1t seems to make a difference what we
build, even upon the rock.
The builder upon the right foundation
must be more than sincere, or he will lose
his work. 1t makes a difference what
doctrine he draws from the life and death
of Christ. A man may believe in Christ.
and then build of stubble. or of gold.
1t does make difference which he
chooses. The men of Chicago have discov-
cred that there is something to be consd-
u
thirty years was swept away in night.
The day declared it smoke and ashes. The
man was saved himself, ''yet as one escap-
ing through fire. He was saved, and his
Notwithstanding else; no reward. On
the principles of Christianity have been
erected many systems, many doctrines: ION
the one foundation many churches have
arisen" These words of Paul refer to the
people that are gathered into these
20 10 Il,
themselves-to the whole superstructure
that is erected on the foundations OF Christ.
The workman is saved if he is sincere, bI;
his work is subjected to q mere rigorous
test: that must be true. The error OF doc
trine in the good mans creed is not accept
ed for his sake. The truth does not shift
and change TO suit diverse Christians.
Nothing shall endure but what is true.
Ii any church has any fiction in tiff
there is anything out Of proportion in it; if
it exaggerates one saying of Christ at the
expense of others, whatever Of error there
is will be burned up. Therefore, it is OF iln-
portance even to the Christian what he be
lieves. He is not to nod assent to a creed at
random, indifferent whether lie IS in a it;,-
man cathedral or Quaker meeting house
All flagre work and overhanging uphol-
sterv-all sUneradded forms and traditions
of men-will burn. a bad man may teach
the truth; 1t VIII save men. A good man
may teach error, and it will lead men astray:
his work is worse than lost The perfect
man is he who is sincere. and whose work
is true. He is saved and his building.
To become an architect requires more
than willingness; there are rules. A leau-
ing wall will not stand, though saint
should build it. How is it, then, that we
hear so much OF tn" deadness and Gryness
Of doctrines, ami at the same time so much
praise of practical Christianity!
Can a man practice anything that lie does
not know! He can not lift his hand except
he does it according to rule: neither his