Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-01-29
Written tor the Courier.
RELIGION w. SRlR4EBAKf
ISM.

Written for the Courier.
RELIGION Vs. SEIR4lBAIf
ISM.
BIZ DR. A. J. HUNTER.
.Enter in at the strait eate.'s
MATT. Wills.
tits a circumstance not to be denied,
that immense &C nfugion exists in-the pub
lie mind touching the way Of salvation.
No matter whether the cause Ct this con-
fusion can be pointed out or not7 the fact
|of it's existence cannot be denied. II il
also fact that many men of good char
ae,er. fie intelligence, and who are ex-
cei!ent citiZecs, arc sttnaing aiOOf from
all connection with any church, zer id,1.-
Itiication with religion in any form. NJ
doubt the rain Cause Of his Is. that 4
large Amount Of preaching is either 'nsip
lid. ...te,ess and powerlcss talk, and 10th
i.s m, IRE, or wholly aaiMellieiole; sc
that. on one hand, they cannot under
"a, it. No matter whether the tact car
BIZ accounted for or not. it is fact, anc
IN indisputable fact, that darkness per-
wales ti,c public mind Oh the very matte.
nf the highest importance to man OF oil
IotLers-tlie way 10 eternal happiness anu
rrnown. It is useless 10 try to blur j!
| over, to disguise or deny It; there stands
the stumbling block before the people.
lore teaches this way. end another that;
on. says 10, here; and another 10, there.
Many stand confounLcd, aud know n0'
which, way to go.
Turning to the clear teaching 6fsthe
Savior, the colmani is founi: Enter
yen In at the STRAIT gate; tor wide ia thu
gate. and broad is the way, that lea !etn
to destruc ion, and many tbcr. be who
90 in Their At; because strait = the gate.
add narrow is the way, witch ieati.tf'
unto life, and few there be that Il al n. .
This is candid and solemn warning
land shows hat the Lord, saw the narrow
way III which his followers wonl1 have
Ito walk to gain everlasting life. Aspec-
Iulative man, more interested ia scmr
|perplexing question than IL .regari;o his
own salvation. and probably desiring to
procure some means OF prrjadiciag b..
public mind against the Lords teaching !,
came to the Savior ami said: Lord :,
are there few that be saved?" The Lord
gave him Q more extended answer than
he desired. He said:
STRIVE to enter In at the strai; gate:
for many, | say. unto you, will ek to
enter in aud shall not be able. When
once the master o; the house is ri*n up,
and hath shut to the door, and ytrbs gin
to stand without. an to knock at the
do, saying, Lord, Lord. open unto US !;
and he shall answer and say unto you. !
know you :Ot whence We arr: Then shall!
ye begin TO say. W. have eaten ant drunk
III thy presence. and thou hast tag II in
our streets. But he shall say, TIL you,
II know you not whence We are depar
from M. Ill We workers OF iniqufy -
Luke, xii 2427.
Ths Lord Rcd the people % be OF
their gaur.l; TO be careful and ret be d.
Iceiyad. You cannot determine which Is
the right way by the multitu e walking
in way for many are waking in the
broad road leading 10 ruin. An imPor-
Itant reason for beng cautious that NJ
mistake be made In finding the right Wy
lis. that each person is to ma. e.but one
"trip. Ii yOu were to 'tray tie ro.d
many times ate. missing the way once
you might avoid the mistake next fine.
But we pass over tie way but oGce, and
if we mss it, the mistake can never BE-
corrected. Al should mike sure work
lot it, and be c, rtain not to miss the way
N the midst. then. of all the confusion
Iot these times. the diff rent ways held
up TO tn people SIS leading to heaven. Is
there any possible course that q human
being can pursue that is infa'l!b;y safe?
The purpose OF this article is to give an
affirmative answer to this gu s'ion; to
81 wv In there is course to pursue IN
is infall. bly, safe. The lahor 81 this ar icl.
will lot be 10 r.fu'e tho-e opposed 10 tn.
positions maintained, but to show an
honest and humble human being what
course 20 pursue in the midst OF all the
confusion OF tie times to be lnfallibly
safe. In order to this end, u few. of the
most serious difficulties existing will lie
handled aud disposed Of il such way as
10 show the safe course.
Wha.. then, is the frs. q Gculty to b,
Ii is the q fi:uity be,w. en-
Tue splr. .ual,st aid infilel and the Chris
tian. \ man says: Il have read Hum,
Vo!,aire. Voiney. GibLoa. Paine, r bert
Owen. to-. and you admit tina, some OF
these were, It l.asf, men OF learning, ex-
tcEded knowledge in antiquity, with
vast libraries ard time for reading; and
they maintain stoully, and most deter
nlinedly. that the Bible is the work Of
man aud nothirl else; that they have no
confidence in it. On the other hand, l
have read Paley, Watson, F4ber, Neson.
Barnes, Clark, etc., men OF learning,
vast knowledge in antiquity, immense liz
brarits, with any amount OF time for r.
search, and tney say the Bible contains
= revelation from God, and that the rnsn
who does not believe il will be condemn
ell. Now. if these great and learned
men. on each side, cannot decide the
matter, settle the question. ana put il
b.yond dispute, how am ever to decide
the matter? Ii any means we're at COM
maud by which this difficulty could be
made to appear more difficult, such
means should be employed, as the intap-
non is to meet the difficulty itself, and not
to demOllsh = man Of straw Now, do
not forget the purpose had in View, to
-how what course to pursue to b. infalli-
bly, safe. TO what danger is the nas exs
posed who believes the Bible with his
whole heart, and honestly practices it !,
In any conceivable eventf To say the
least, the man who believes the Bible,
and practices its teachihgs, is Is good IL
the unbeliever. So tar rs this world is
conc. rpel, he Is certainly infailib.y safe