Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-12-14


ed TO furnish you . synopsis Of my
Sunday evening lecture which here
present to the best of my recollec-
ton. As l spoke impromptu, / can
bow give only what memory retains.
The theme of discourse was 18th.
Spiritual Idea OF Salvation" This
philosophy rejects the theological
doctrines Of the Fall IL Man" and
the " Vicarious A:onement," on the
ground that they are unhis.orical,
unphilosophical, illogical and I'M
just. The Mosaic cosmogony is not
accepted as a literal history 10y any
unbiased scientific or historical schol-
mr. Of eninence, and by the greatest
scientists, and most learned orien-
tai historians it is considered but a
rescript of ancient Hindoo Inythol-
ogy, and old Egyptian traditions.
The story of the Fall shows
that Infinite Wisdom made q mistake
and repented Of il in the outset; that
Infinite Goodness then cursed for
ever the victims of the aforesaid mis-
take, AMI this arbitrary and unjust
curse was entailed upon IN unborn
race which in no way could have
been particeps criminis in the " Orig
inal Sin" This is injustice and ab-
surdity seated supreme on the throne
of Fallacy! The " Vicarious Atone
ment" makes an angry God punish
himself in the person of an innocent
man, to appease His wrath excited
by His own mistake, and after the
full penalty was paid, He is still
"angry with the wicked every day."
and only makes it possible to escape
His eternal wrath, by believing in
a scape-goat scheme, which makes
guilty, the innocent suffer for the
and cheats justice of its due! En-
lightsned reason rejects this en-
tire theory and scheme as but relic
of heather mythology, which is Ii
bel upon Infinite Wisdom, Good
ness, and Justice! The Spiritual
theory is that Primitive Man was
q 50 wage, with his animal nature
largely predominating over his in
tellectual and moral development,
and that through the slow growth
of ages, propelled by his inherent
divinity of nature, and by spiritual
forces from without, he has been
gradually ascending the path of
progress, subjecting his animal pro-
pensities to the control of his intel
lectual and spiritual faculties, till
he has reached his present status Of
civilization. The spiritual philoso-
ply recognizes no angry God, no
malicious personal Devil, and no
Eternal He'll. But it teaches that
all punishment in the divine econ
omy is disciplinary; that it is not
inflicted by the caprice of an angry
God, but is the legitimate result of
violated natural law, wisely and be-
nevolently adapted to correct the
depraved appetites and perverted
faculties of the wrong.doer through
suffering. The hell it teaches is an
internal condition, not an external
place of torture, that can be escaped
from by some theological hocus po-
Gus which cheats justice of its due.
Our philosophy teaches that there
is no salvation from hell or suffer-
ing, except by obedience to all the
laws of our being, that we must
cease to do evil, and learn to do
well; that we must "overcome evi
with good" subject the animal to
! the spiritual within us; and that to
this end divine aid is necessary;
hence the beautiful precepts, the
God-like example, and the evil-sub-
DUNG power of the Divine Love.
manifested through Jesus, are
means of grace, and salvation" to
all who accept him as "the way,
the truth, and the life" which leads
to perfect obedience to the Divine
Will expressed in Natures Laws.
But We must each live for ourselves,
suffer for ourselves, and work out
our own salvation by cultivating and
exercising our higher faculties, till
the kingdom of heaven" displaces
the kingdom of evil, which is hell
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