The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-07-20

system oil laws
There are those who adopt a similar
theory of development in morals and re.
ligion, not referring to those who make
morality nero physical development,
but the process of evolving a system from
nucleus. The principle Of love is Sc
lected as the primal force from which re.
ligion may be generated. This is carry.
ing to excess certain natural process Of
thought, obeying an impulse to simplify
our schemes Of philosophy or morals by
tracing all things to a single source. They
trace every virtue, as honesty, reverence
and purity, to love. To reform a drunk
ard, miser, murderer, slanderer, a
liar, thief, fill them up with love and
by and by you will find them angels Of
light. This scheme fails to require the
love Of certain worthy objects as the full.
filment of duty. The view we would
oppose is not the law which requires
love as well as other emotions, but that
which teaches that love makes law and
constitutes all virtue. In opposition to
these views J. repeat, First, The law Of
God is an object which we apprehond
clearly, which enforces itself upon us as
both authoritative and benefcent. We
are taken by surprise by our knowledge
Of the law, we debate the right and wrong
of course of action and find that the
debate itself assumed our subsection to
the law, and our assent to its authority
We confess that we are subject to an au.
thoritative law by our Difference to the
word ought That word ends all discussion,
Even if we desire to do something right
in ITSELF and it appears on account of the
effect upon others that we ought not, the
command is as decisive as that prohibit.
ing murder. The authority ofth word
is accepted by all as expressing the vital
ity Of the law to which we are all subject
We show that the law is understood and
accepted as authority because all resort
to it as defense. ln all danger, all &C.
cusation, against all malice, when assailed
we instinctively throw ourselves behind
some principle which has been accepted
as a rule Of action. This method of de-
Tense, which is the natural resort of hui
mainly, also avails at the bar of God. 1t
is only that we can resort to scheme Of
justification which should save the law
that we can accept love as a bar to con
! domination. So we may conclude thai
mans nature is laid in legal lounda
ton.
Second, The law is our true guide il
life. ! OF the two, law and love, law
must be the true guide, for love cannot bt
trusted in this office. The simple direc
ton Glove" would not be a safe iniunc
ton for any moral teacher to give Tn,
miser ought to love money, the ambi
tious man should love power, the gluttor
should love food, but with regulated
love. There is but one proper object o
unlimited love, that is, God. When on,
selects his objects of love and limits tb,
degree,he surrenders the theory that Low,
builds up character by its own force
He admits that love cannot take care o
itself. The advocates of law hold tina
the scriptures commend love, but onl,
when carefully and wisely regulated
They deny that love Of any kind can b.
developed into true christian manhood
but require one to love his neighbor, an,
family and the world by rule, and to Low
God supremacy. This love is commende,
because it is the fulfilling of the law
2. We should infer that the law would b.
our safe and true guide, because it i
akin to the least perverted part Of nature
Law addresses the will, but addresses
r through the intellect, which partakes les
OF the perversions caused by the fall 0
man than any other human faculty. |
is the doom Of man that if he will d
wrong, he does with self. condemnation
Law is allied to plan and purpose-it in
dicates comprehension, design and wisdom
in the use Of means; it is, in fact tn
method of intelligence. Admit that tn
affections throw up more luxuriant crol
of sentiments than law or intellect, still
does not follow that the gushing emotion
are the best guiding forces. Some teach
ers, who have contended that love is tn
sum of all virtues, have had in mind onl
love controlled by law. This was Jon
athan Edwards teaching, and is not tn
theory we are opposing. 3. The law mus
be our true guide because it enforces upo
us the best idea Of christian work.
The christian life is one of trial, suffer
ing, depression, Of happy anticipation an
hope Of glorious immortality. There
an end to be reached, and there must b
a directory informing us of the end
} There is a duty to be performed, an
there must be commands enforcing til
duty upon us. There is penalty for fail
: ure, and there must be law demandin
the penalty. The idea of christian lif
supposes plan, system, arrangement, rule
, Of action. 4. Law will be seen to be GU
true guide in christian life from the fac
. that it alone insures continued progress
) and christian attainment. Love for Chris
as friend may degenerate by successiv
steps to love Of the ignoble, and becom
} sin in the guise Of christian grace. Blu
the christian life Of which the actuatn
= force is duty grows stronger and bright
, or as the gears pass. 5. The law is gu
, true guide, because the blessednes
T to which it points US beyond thi
, life, is higher than that to which any {
} our emotions aim, aud is the highes
known to us. We have the highest cor
ception of heaven when we most full
5 comprehend the laws by which God woul
: guide us on earth.
} The address to the graduating clas
! was a practical enforcement of these les
3 sons TO them.
PnILApELPnIAN SOCIETY
, The Philadelphia Society, the colleg
religious society, held their anniversar
exercises on Sunday evening, l.. l
Bragg, OF the senior class, presiding
Alter music by the choir, prayer was o
fered by Rev. S. W. Segur, of We