The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-16

care of human fanaticism, and out o.
such tranefer has rolled upward the
cloud of infidelity that darkens the
world. Such language not only makes
perfect nonsense OF religion, but it ex'
asperates the educated heart, and helps
divorce Christianity from the public
culture.
Nv friends, it becomes US all to tear
not only our own hearts away from
such q Wild statement, but 10 nesp
pluck such badge OF dishouor from
the name OF our Father and from the
cross OF our blessed Lord. 1t is only
by this open purifying OF the sanctuary
YOU can make it worthy OF the coming
generation, issuing from the school
house, and from homes Of varied cul.
ture.
There is great goodness in the heart
that truly attempts to take it's commun'
ion or TO repent OF lis sins-and the
good book, com pared with which all
books are dust, instead OF finding sin in
repentence, declares there is JOY in
heaven over the sinner that repents
whereas, if what Bishop Beverage said
200 years ago be true, the angels ought
to weep that the sinner is 80 aggravat-
ing his sins by confessing them on
bended knee. Theodore Christlieb, and
with him Lecky and Barring Gould, join
in affirming that lnfidelity is not so
much a result of the pretences OF
the Bible, as of the pretences OF men
who have lived long eince, and that
each extravagant dogma OF the Church
has bred intidels by myriads all around
the bad dogma. In a work upon In
| fidelity, work so powerful and true
that it has just been published by the
American Tract Society, Christlieb
says, at must be confessed that the
Church theology OF the last century de-
serves the Chief blame for the general
apostasy which then began from the
ancient faith. Rationalism was right
in contending for simple righteousness.
10 opposition 10 Il eoretic orthodoxy.
In all its history, the Tract Society has
| never puDllsheu u VOlulne so use'ui
so bold, 60 impressive.
Now, we all know. my friends, that
there is no logic upon earth that can
bring all the ideas OF Christianity down
TO human comprehension, Tor the
finite cannot grasp all the thoughts and
plans OF the infinite; but, in dealing
with His reasoning children, it is TO be
assumed that, 10 very great degree, a
religion from God direct will appeal
constantly, not to the credulity and
superstition OF society, but to It's calm-
est Judgment; and, the more the pub
lie culture advances, the more will adj
vance the divine creed, recommending
itself afresh to each improved genera
ton.
1t is only a human religion such a.
that OF Buddna or Thor, or Jupiter,
that may lear the growth OF intelligence,
and ii 8 may fade as the light OF rea-
son Gawns but OF religion from God,
given 10y inspiration, the first distn
gushing principle must be that it will
reveal it's reasonablenes5 az fast as man
unfolds his own intelligence, and still
become most glorious where there is
the most culture. The medieval
Christianity having been d sfgured by
ignorance and superstition, the subse-
quent growth OF religion had to express
Itself IN infidelity. When a Dante
describes hell 10 mankind
and his frightful pictures become
the theology OF the church, sweep
ing through Romanism over into Pro.
tsstantism until Edwards says God will
dash the sinner down on helrs floor
and stamp upon him, then infdelity
must follow, not simply 10 save man
from such horrors, tut to rescue Gods
blessed name from such unspeakable
infamy. In such hell as Dante's, il
is not man tlat is punished-lt is Cos
that is destroyed. From such ideas We
must fly to more reasonable religion
carrying the cross and our holy faith
away from such q degradation. W.
must, indeed, separate forever the
righteous and the wicked but, as tht
drunkard is punished in this world, anC
es the murderer accepts OF his arrest
without blaming God, as the soul frees
it's own wickedness aud does not r.
proach the Creator, SO the last world i.
q place, not where God is seen a. {
cruel monster, but where the human
free-will stands forth in all its DIVINE
powers, and reveals a self-punishmen
over which we can almost imagine th,
Heavenly Father Himself 10 shed tears
Such is the perdition OF ressou-a place
not where the Savior and God hecom,
an inquisition, but where the sinner,
own will and own heart have wovei
themselves garments OF perpetual sack
cloth, ard where the tears Of sorrow
fall not from a malicious decree OF God
passed from eterDily, but tall out of TIT
sinner own wretcbed SOU and m;sspen
lite.
Thus, over almost every idea OF tn,
CHRISTIAN religion, there is lying ,
drapery of reason fresh from the Goo
of infinite wisdom, and beautiful to man
the image Of the rational God.
1t is not rationalism the world ask
,or. There are lew minds between Dsr
win and old Lucretius, which have ask
ed Tor full explanation of all phenom
ens, and which will confess only whs
they can comprehend. But the human
soul the world over loves the mysieri
Gus and bows in sweet humility betor
the throne Of the invisible. The unto
of God and man in a Christ the influ
ence OF the Holy Spirit; the doctrine
of immortality all these ideas are JUS
as liable TO be welcome thousand year
hence as they were with the disciples
of the first century, or the nineteenth
No; mankind does not ask or crave 70
pure rationslism, that will reduce lit
TO chemical action, and heaven TO
Irean, Mankind will never object