The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-03-01

I
ker's reasons for rejecting the authority
OF the New Testament. But toward th'
end of his career he tried to persuad,
Frances Power Cobbe that the Founde
of Christianity did not teach that AM
will be lost Parker's writings are sell
contradictory on this supreme topic.
ERRORS IN PARKER's THEOLOGY
1t is the wisdom of all science. howev
er, never to skip difficulties. In addi
ton to the nine chief errors in Parker
theology already mentioned, il is impor
tant to notice that
10 He failed to distinguish properly
between arbitrary penalties and natura
wages OF sin.
know how widely intellectual unrest
on the topic / am now introducing fill
minds that never have been much trou
bled by Theodore Parker. | know that
many conscientious and learned persons
have asked themselves the question the
disciples once asked Our Lord Are
there few that be saved2' He answered
that inquiry very distinctly: Yes, there
are few" Does science answer in the
same way2
IL would not follow, my friends, even
if you were to take our Lords answer as
a supreme authority, as | do. that this
| u
are to be kept in view; all other worlds
Our Lord's words referred to our present
evil generation; and, il you ask the cen
tral question in the modern form, you
must answer it in his way. How many.
in the present state OF our earth, love
predominantly what God loves, and hate
predominantly what God hates2 How
many have acquired predominant SINH
larity of feeling with God2 Only those
who have, can be at peace in his pres
ence, either here or hereafter. That is
as certain as any deduction from our in
stitutions concerning the nature Of things
As sure as that a thing can not be and
be at the same time in the same sense.
so sure is it, that a man can not be at
peace with God when he loves what be
hates and hates what he loves. There
must be harmony or dissonance between
them; dissonance is its own punishment
Dissimilarity Of feeling with God carries
with it immense wages. in the nature OF
things In the name of science, ask. are
there few that have acquired a predomi-
nant love of what God loves and pre-
dominant hate OF what God hates? We
must answer in the name of science. that
broad is the way and wide is the gate.
which, in our evil generation. leads To
many there be who go i'm thereat; but
straight is the way and narrow is the gate
which leads to similarity of feeling with
God. and few are they in our time that
find It. Sensation.l But there are 9th
-r worlds; there are other ages. Save
yourselves from this untoward genera
ton" Who knows that in the final sum-
ming up the number Of the lost may be
greater than that Of the saved2 or, as Ly
man Beecher used to say in this city.
greater than the number of our crimi
Ials in penal institutions is in contrast
with the whole Of the population" But
| talk OF the galaxies; | talk OF the intin
ties. and OF the eternities; and not mere
ly of this world, in which you and are
to work out our deliverance from the
love OF sin and the guilt of sin, and have
reason to do so with fear and trembling
ask no man here to day, or any day.
to take my opinions. You are requested
to notice whether discussion is clear; not
whether il is orthodox. Let US put aside
entirely all ecclesiastical and denomina.
tional tests This lectuTeship has for is
purpose simply the discussion of the
clear, the true. the new, and the strate
gic in the relations between science and
religion.
What are some Of the more important
natural laws which enable US TO estimate
scientifically the possible extent OF the
natural penalties OF sin2
J. Under irreveTsible natural law, sin
produces judicial blindness.
Kill Admiral Coligny, drive out the
Huguenots, permit the massacre of ST
Bartholomew, and you have made new
hat nla
France to slit her own veins and let oui
the best blood she had and that she did
this on the night of the massacre OF ST
Bartholomew; and that after that she
was historically another creature. Hav
ing killed Coligny you can not look bis
friends in the face; you kill them and
your kingdom is q new one. When
man sins against light, then comes upon
him an unwillingness to look into the
accusing illumination. and the conse
quence is that he turns away from IL
But that effect Itself becomes a cause
Keep your eyes upon your Shakespeare.
upon your Greek poets. or upon whatev
sr is a good mirror OF human nature, ami
tell me whether these six propositions
are not all scientifically demonstrable:
U Truth possessed but not obeyed
becomes unwelcome.
(2) 1t is therefore shut out Of the vol
untary activities of memory and rehec
ton. as it gives pain.
e The passions it should check grow
therefore stronger.
al The moral emotions it should feed
grow weaker.
(5) An i'll balanced state Of the soul
thus arises and tends to become habitual
(6 That III balanced state renders the
to hs h -.
rectiiy its condition.
On the temperate man" said Aristo-
tie (Rhetoric, Bohn's Edn. p. 6O,) ARE at
tendant, perhaps forthwith, by motion
Of his temperance, good opinions and up
petitss as TO pleasures; but on the intem
perate, the opposite
man sins against light boldly. To
the divine Il ought he answers Il will
not" to the divine thou shalt or thou
oughtrst" he replies 81 will not" Tn.
consequence instantly IL that he cease
TO be at peace with himself; and light
instead OF becoming blessing, is TO hIu.
an accusation. The slant javrlin OF truth
that was intended To penetrate him with
rapture, fills him now with torture. ],
We give ourselves TO an exact study OF
the souls pains and pleasures, there l.
in man no greater bliss than conscience
can aford and no greater pain than il
can Inhict In this stage OF existence the
highest bliss comes IRON similarity OF
feeling with God, and the highest pain
from dissimilarity Of feeling with Him
The greatest pains and pleasures, there
fore, are set over against our greatest du
ties, and so Gods desire that we should
agree with him is shown by our living
under the points OF all these penalties
and blisses. But Ii ight having become an
accusrr, man turns away from IL. Then
the virtues which that light ought 10
quicken are allowed 10 languish. The
vices which that light ought TO Iepress
proyy more yiporOus Repeatpd ACT. of