The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-12-24
The Churches Strength. aud Its
Weakness.

anu Vile buUsequeub W tue uhyb VI
the Great Teacher. Jesus of Naza-
reth, never organized anything. He
simply went about from place to
place teaching the doctrines of the
Kingdom Of Heaven, which means
nothing more nor less, than mans
moral obligations to his Maker, his
fellows, and himself. Beyond these
He never went; short Of these He
never stopped. What He taught
was essential, and we are most GER
tainly justified in the conclusion that
what He did not teach is not essen
tial. To suppose otherwise, would
be saying that He had failed TO ac-
complish his mission, and has left
the world without a true and round
edsystem of Ethics. This, however,
no true believer in Him as the light
Of the world and the bread Of life,
would for moment be willing to
allow. But Jesus did not only
teach certain things but his life
was living epistleof the Divinity
Of Els doctrine known and read of
all men. We, therefore claim that
the strength Of the church lies sole
lyin its approximate nearness in
its teachings and life to..that of Jesus
And that its weakness consists in
the introduction into the Christian
system anything which He does not
insist upon, and making it an es-
sential dogma of the church, and
claim that men must accept as truth
whether it commends itself to his
reason or not, or perish world with
out end. Herein we say, is to be
found all the really weak points of
the creed of the orthodox churches.
And that we may be understood, we
will advert to some Of them.
First. We notice the doctrine Of
the Trinity, or three Gods in one
Perhaps no one single doctrine Of
the Christian church has produced
so much bitter feeling and has called
forth such endless researches and
widespread investigation in its de.
fence, as this, and it is yet unsettled,
But yet with what unyielding tena-
city does the church adhere to it,
Second. There is the doctrine of
an endless hell of fire and birthstone.
See what volumes have been written
and what sermons preached in its
defence; and Notwithstanding all
this the belief in its existence is
gradually dying out of the human
mind, and the church only shears
itself Of much of its strength by in
sisting upon it as being a Bible doct.
rine.
Third. A literal resurrection of
the human body, is certainly not
taught in the Bible, either by Jesus,
or His Apostles. But the church
will persist in retaining it in the
creed in direct opposition to the dec
larations of the Scriptures and the
facts of nature and science.
Fourth. The dogma of total de-
pravity Of human nature. Every
intelligent man uninauenced by
prejudice, by self-interest or clerical
despotism, repudiates any such an
absurd doctrine as this. If the
church wishes to lengthen its cords
or strengthen its stakes, let it repu-
date this doctrine, also, and it will
gain power by doing so.
Fifth, There is the doctrine of the
verbal or plenary inspiration of the
Bible. That is to say: that every
thing in the Bible, as we now have
it, is the word of God. We do not
intend to argue the point ourself,
but we do know that the orthodox
churches do hold and teach that the
whole Bible is directly from God and
is, therefore, infallible. Both of
which we deny. We only speak
thus of King James translation,
and we are conscientious upon this
subject. A mans belief or unbelief.
in the Bible, does not determine the
character of his destiny. He may
refuse to accept any part of the Bible
as the word Of God, and still be an
upright, honest man. He may be-
lieve it all inspiration, and yet be
desperately wicked. We now say
that the unfolding pertinacity with
which the churches adhere to these
foolish and absurd dogmas, only
tends to debilitate her vitality and