The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-22

tens bctrny or supcssitons and bgotrcs wholly
unworthy Of the character OF the present and IRE
o WIN Us rns sna sseea c1
rcncy IN those early times wren the
rrossest political and prlestly despo,ism prevailed,
when ocief IN all forms Of sorcery and magic ran ROT
Tho theological basis Of tho ecclesiastical religion
around US may be outlved thus SIX thousand years
ago a material universe was manufactured out Of
nothing IN six days. The first moulded out OF clny
aud the FIRST woman created from OF his ribs. wefo
placed In Eden They snncd and TELL In their fall
carrying their whole posterity with them TO endless
ruin. Wickcdncss toll. care, disease, sorrow all tie
discords and wars OF nature, bodily death on earth
and spiritual denth IN hell the result Of the eating
OF forbidden apple ~ our nrst parents.
the penalties inflicted BY an offended God.
norton az lis cyca,"ras sus, ID ,msr, "a he born
as man aud 10 die the cross He VIII come again,
ere long, convo, ed By angels in the clouds OF heaven
overthrow His arch enemy, the devil, raise the dead
remove TO local heaven OF bliss all who trust IN the
blood io shed on Calvary, remand 10 the eternal tor
lures at he'll all the rest and thus consummac His
original designs All this God has revealed IN tho
Bible, which Is a series Of records. forming perfect
unity 10y penance INSPIRED to write nothing but nfalli-
was tho natural product of that mythoioglcal climate
The
srxs RESULTS or SCIENCE
show that the creation has been process occupying
unknown millions or centuries that tho human raco
mas been III existence hundred myriad years ana that
the Bible Is collection Of disconnected books the pre-
served wrecks OF persisted literature written largely
by unknown authors, at unknown dates. and abound
ing With all OF human errors orr faith presents
worthicr idea OF God. The divncly beautiful and in
sprcd man Jesus Christ Is the God com
monty worshipped in Christcndoni, though in
Catholic Chrstcndom His worship is being rapidly
superseded Ivy the sti more winning charm Of the
worship OF the Virgin Mary. In place OF this IRA
tonai superstition We affirm that the dvincst human
beings are but partial symbolic representatives OF Cod
and cannot bc the absolute God. Think oil the Creator
81 this glorious universe, born as helpless human
babe dwelling thirty years on earth and finally dying
upon tho cross! This Is most Incredible absurdty.
Orthodox teaching shows
aop As A cArnicious pEsror
God who gets angry, whose scowl darkcns creation,
" not God, hut monsfrous image OF man thrown by
the reracting imagination upon the screen Of innn-
tudc Popular tneologians pic.ure God as colossal
tyrant. who sits up IN heaven and scatIcrs tho
world full Of mantraps, and II any little boys
70 fishing Sunday or climb into an
apple tree He takes delight in drowning them
or in making them fall and break their legs
We do not believe in foregoing tho gay and pleasant
things .: fe--muslc, dancing and the drama Religion
docs merely in attending church and prayer
meetings, reading the sbIe and pious books and OBJ
serving set round OF ritual services. We regard
ligon joy, peerless privilege II is to obey the
Will OF God by observing BIS laws.