Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-02-21

ing. and protesting in the name of all tha
is sacred and dear in the thought of Got
and religion. against such over statements
Men are ready to confess that God is, ant
should be, sovereign; but they must no
he asked TO believe that He is an unfeelins
tyrant. and still told to love him and cal
Him God. They won't do it. They cam
do it. They ought not to try to do it
Men are ready to believe in punishment fol
sin here and hereafter-they feel it. they
know it--l,nt they are not willing to believe
in all the terrible ideas Of Dante and Mil
ton; ideas that We're possible only in s
cold, dark age, and that rob the universe
Of God and all sense of justice or right
And am glad of that, too; they wculo
be worse. and not better for believing Sd.
things.
Or, take another subject: take the Bible
Nlcn want TO believe in the Bible. Its as
, sociations arc sacred. Its themes are en-.
noblirg. Its truths do them good. They
love it. But when they are asked to be-
lieve all that has been taught about the
Bible; that every word, just as we hear it.
is inspired directly from the Lord. and that
all its words are absolutely infallible. their
critical sense rises up and says. we can't
DO it. They are willing to say. and can
easily believe. as our book Of discipline
says, that the holy scriptures contain the
word OF God. But Professionalism needed
an infallible Bible to put against an infalli-
bic Pope. Great abuses had crept into the
Church through the sanction of tradition.
and the refOrlHers did well to eXalt the Di-
bic as the one rule OF morality and faith ];
and we do well to hold it in that sacred
place; but, then. that is enough, and We
what it does not claim for itself. There is
such thing rs OVERRIDING in religious
matters. as well as undertaking. There is
such Il thing us asking men to believe too
much as well as too little. And there are
those who do believe too much. just as
surely us there are those who do not be-
lieye enough.
Now, it is not the purpose of this dis
course-I think l am modest enough to
confess myself incapable of such Il task
to show just where the exact truth OF all
these matters in doubt and controversy is
10 be founl. | am speaking of them rs
facts of our times; and wish to point out
What seems TO be our duty, or the best
ti.ing for the churches to do. 1t is useless
rs have said. to try to conceal Or ignore
,ha fact OF tic widespread and growing I'M
belief OF our times. We cannot, and if we
could we ought not to attempt to rcpress
inquiry. 1rut ! is strong in itself. and
strongest ~. en brought ont into the cIearest
light; and whatever needs the shelter and
cloak of darkness and ignorance is unwor-
thy the name of religion. and must fall be-
fore the intelligence of the nineteenth GEN.
tury. Nor is anything gained by calling
men intidels, OF any other hard names.
Such words haze long since ceased to be
terror; no one is scared by them. What |
think we should do is this:
We should just ask what is the nature
and extent fall this doubling. AID how
far it affects the real spirit and life of a pure
religion? Not how it affects the dogma OF
this or that church. but how it affects char
acter and true religious life. Pure relig-
ion, as seen in our text and rs taught by
Jesus Christ IN the 25th of Matthew ami
the 18th of John. is a life. a growth. di-
vine spirit within. coming out in love and
sympathy and happiness to our fellow-be-
ings. Such Il life rests upon very few
and simple beliefs, or truths; and these
mankind are generally quite ready to ac-
cept without having them forced down
their throats. The masses are ready to
believe in God. and in Christian lands, to
believe in Jesus Christ, and to believe i'll
the Bible. and in good life. and that JUS
tice will be done to all hereafter. But the
churches have not been content with these
simple beliefs that lie al the bottom OF a
good life. 1t Is not enough to believe in
God. and that He is rewartler of all that
seek Him; a thousand things are brought
forward about God. and many Of them not
only unintelligible but unreasonable. and
we are called upon to believe all these. 1t
is not enough to believe in Jesus Christ.
but thousand things are brought forward
about Jesus Christ, and about the atone
ment. AMI many of these things are not
only vague and conflicting, but to many
m'nds utterly repugnant to their highest
s-nse ofjustice and right. and we are ask
el to believe all these. 1t is not enough to
believe in the Bible. but here also you are
:skcd to believe many things about the
Bible. and many these critical minds can
,ot accept 1t is not enough to believe in
future suffering tor sin; yOn must believe
III that is taught about hell, very much OF
which is to most minds wholly unthinki-
,le. Now. why not let all men come to
God. and to Jesus Christ. and to the Bible,
md get such truth rs they can. and get
slcl, help to good life rs they can. and not
'e bewilLering them u 18th SO mary things
about God. and Christ, ana the Bible. Il
hey rest in these great facts and reach {;
good life. is not this enough? verify be
iieve if half the preachers in the land were
% leave their pnlpits and go to work fo'
the American Bible Society. there wOult
ne tar less inii,lelity in twenty years thar
there will be us things are now going. Bu'
you say: What will then become OF or
churches, our sects? Our churches! All
there's the rub. Not Jesus Christ. but on,
church, and our pet creed. Poor thing
What a pity if it should die. Save YOU
creed, whether you save yonr sinners Ol
not Insist on thousand definitions nDOu
God. and Jesus Christ. and the Trinity
and the Bible, and future punishment; say,
these definitions save your creeil-brins
L in Oat Of the cold wind Ike shiver,ns
little lamb in March. and wrap it up ten
lerly in a warm blanket and pour down
lfittle warm milk--saye these things. if yOl
drive the whole sensible world to intidel
ity in doing it. Now say that the unbe
lief of our time is not half SO much agains
the gre;' rths OF religion rs against tn,