, 1877-08-11

legation to all eternity On the side of the
greatest wisdom and the greatest
poWprl
The notion that the Father of mankind
is subject to the absolute control of IL
certain entity known under the false
name of justice, or subject to any law
such as would have made the father OF
the prodigal son meet hfM with an nc.
oountbuok and pack him off to Jail. in.
stead of welcoming him buck and treat
ing him to the tated calf.
The notion that useless suffering is IN
any sense satisfaction for sin, and not
simply an evil added to Il previous
one.
| believe many of you will agree with
me in rejecting these notions, and that,
in due tinc ali such stumbling. blocks
will be rea,oyed from the path Of any
whom they prevent from marching side
by side with you in the grand army oi
he soldiers OF humanity and servants OF
God.'
For this faith in God and faith in
man we are earnestly to contend-make
good fight for it.
This requires courage, which many
lack, How many preac hers stand So
day in Evangelical pulr,its who believe
essentially as DR.. Stetbins, DR.. Hrdgc
and Dr. Holmes doa There are great
many, Are these men making good
fight for the faith for any faith, theirs
or ours, Cor allow NJ an to fight for any
thing provided only that he shall sim
cere'y believe it.). Nay verify, they are
engaged IN hand to hand fight with
the devil; the devil hypocrisy in their
own hearts. Pray God they may have
the victory, and find courage to fight for
the trGth that they never can doubt.
There are no doubt many of these minis
ters who believe as we do and who yet
hohl orthodox pulpits, who are not
hypocritical about it, but who openly
profess what they do, and do not, be-
lieve. That is, they will confess it if
asked the question. II is indeed COM
monty understood, that man may be u
Presbyterian, Congregationalist, or Meth
odist minister, and hold to Universalisnn,
Unitarianism, or Spiritualism as pri-
rate opinion, hut he is under and obliga.
ton, that mas all the weight of promise,
not to preach, or as it is commonly put
to emphasize" these beliefs. And it is
becausC there are so many able men,
under promise thus not to emphasize.
And further consequence of this state
of things is, that it requires more cour-
age to speak these truths with good
round emphatic ~ 6eliepe," than it does
any Others. The fact that there is
whole army of these enlisted Christian
soldiers whe for lack of courage hang
back from attacking certain strongholds
of error, makes the fight infinitely hotter
for the few who have the courage to 90
forward.
There is lack of courage all round A
bold minister inspires his hearers, and
minister who has congregation that is
brave and steadfast will dare to say very
nearly all he thinks in his study-the
nearer the better always.
But difficulty in this fight of faith
that on this coast, and in this town hurts
us more than Cowardice, is indifference.
Many are liberal because they are moth
ing else. Fight for their faith they
wouldn't give cigar for it Neither
would although don't smokey They
20 to church for amusement simply, and
preacher that will "take on" and make
himself ridiculous and set the young
girls to giggling Is the kind they will
go oftenest to hear. They will tell you
that they don't believe anything" be
cause they are not interested much in
any belief that has the flavor of religion
about it. l do not propose to say much
about this class, nor to do anything
about it, for they are hopeless. Dead
weights on the wheels OF our liberal car
are these, we have to carry them, and do
the fighting too. They may he liberal,
but there isn't much OF the Christian
about them, for to be IL Christian, is to