, 1879-03-04
RELIGIOUS.
The Doctrine OF the Atonement.
An Authoritative Ssatomont from Moth.
odist Sthndpoiut.
MtttIng Of tht Chicago Presbyttry".Ths Holland
Church Ia hot Water.
TIE ATONEMENT.

Ing yesterday morning as NO. o. Washington
street, rrcsldIng-Eldcr willing in tho chair.
before tnking up tl.o tonic Of tho dag, Dr. Ed.
wards called attention to one OF the Methodist
publications, "Chtncsc In America" BY Otis
Gibson. runlar1sng TINT n thorough understand.
inE Of what II contained would hnvu ennblc,l
anybody to answer tho dcnlaCogucrY OF james
g. Blaine lit Ills 1cttcr to Garrison.
DR.. williamson remarked that there was a
later production on that subject, to-wit: Pres.
idont Hayes rcto. tLatlghter.1
Tie Presiding Elder nslsctt tho members what
they thought Of Congress meeting on Sunday.
The Kcv. DR.. Williamson said the nnnlcd!rtion
Of The n,an LII the gallery Of tho House expressed
his opinion OF that tnnttcr very fully.
Several others ittlorsctl tho voice crying in the
gallery, anil, In view OF the perfect unan!miss,
the subject was dropped.
Or. Raymond, OF Evanston, who was appoint
cd to lead oil with paper on tho atonement,
was not present, usts, according to tic accrc-
ta1y, could not be present at the meeting. After
soma rambling talk rs to w1,at they should dis
euss and how they should rot ut It,
Dn. M'CnEsNrY
volunteered some thoughts on the general sub-
1cct Of tue atullemcnt. Alcthodisn, Ile sn!d,
did not claln TO be new theology, but divine
light. Taking the sccunti arttrlo Of theEr faith,
lie found the statement that Christ died to
reconcile His Father to the world. In the ritual,
sacrifice, oblation. mil aat'sfuctton for tllc
whole world. Now tlic Church had to keep that
article Or aisoam1. II was In the dilemma Of
dtsbandnG Or carrying that doctrine Of v!carlous
or Other nc believed the churcl, would survive.
Pcrllaps, instead NJ saving The Church must car
RI the doctrine, It would be murc proprr 10 say
that tho tloctrino would carry thy Church. 1t
rention. the wish waa e1pressetl tlt tllcY l,a,
thu enthusiasm OF AlethndIstn, for no el!nrril
tlat cuuld nut siig "Tfcre Is d fountain filed
with bUoa,'' Grll whose theology WIS contrary
expected to have anything like rcnl tcryor and
enthusiasm or missionary power. When Christ
taught this doctrine uf vlcarlous eacrilca soNlu
Of the disciples turned buck. They stumbled at
this, Tl,cru ought to I,u scrlntural discussion
Of tho atoueu,ent beforo tte meeting, illus
trated BY cltatinus from tho Word OF God OH
the subject. Mailing, he thought, could be
nlorc tmpnrtnnt than such discussion 1t was
common nowadays to hear this doctrine alluded
to as n nieru Theological rcncr,-sotncthi.,,
tlint did not find ta way iuto the world in tho
time OF Christ. but with the tl,cologians Ia tho
tfH,c Uf Ausclu. Dr. McChusney contendci
Lint ths doctrine was taught by tile Fathers in
the first and SECOND centuries, while the other
was Il modern error, nowt!crc found III tho wElt-
lngs Of the Fathers.
THE REV, r. q. r1DDARp,
OF Auburn, N. Y, was invited TO speak on The
topic. nlld consented after sumo apology Tor his
non-prcparn,tun.. Glanc!ng At the provisions oi
the Mosaic law, he suw III the sacrifices thcrc
was provided the most distilled v[rtuo Of atonus
lncnt anil publication undnr tho Law. The rt-
feet. however, was to rrsturc man erclcsinstiG-
ally. but this, ut the Same time, prelgurcd Or
was typical 1T the later ato,eruGnt. The old
Jews believed IN these atoncmcnts as types,
MD tho type led them to the mtitrpc, nnd
they were forgiven. This doctrine Ut atono-
ment WIS The fundamental doctrine Of tho Chris
tlan system. Mctho;iism held Tho idea. OF
Chrst's suretlngs rs learly rs UnlycrsaIsln, but
1t Wns I'M idea secondary to Int nl tslc atonentcnt,
Ills voluntary tlrath, Ills absolute resurrection
The cl.d Ut ills mission was TO die,-a prcar-
ranged, suttled ta"t, nurcssity IN the economy
of God, government measure. What WAS tho
difficulty In The way Of forGYng rim boforo IN
atoncmcnt yyas proposcdi 1t was not merely In
the nlotai condition. tile ucrsonat corruption Of
man, hit In his legal relations to the govern
point, anil Tie necessity o! tl,c penalty was tic
Necessity Ut the nt tonen1eut, provided God de.
hiEctl to pardon. II He WIS 10 forgive stu, liz
must l,atlo thu penalty. fur lardon was u ro-
ulittnl Of the pennlty II God abandoned tho
ccllt1ug the law. It was the exactou ot tho
pe..a!ty t!lnt upheld II Government. Now, II
thcru were general forgiveness pf sins, without
as,y pernlty, what would become Ut tho Gov
,norul government IN unturla,llsm. 1t was
l;ud's Iuyu That Etoyktrd the urnalty.-Iljs lpyo
for iii. prcccpt,-hnll Ills lDyc for ills law Hl
government provided nj ntoncmcnt. sarrtncc,
when lie waived tho penalty. UnltariAnts,n re-
tlurr,i tle ruuttcr to mere aystc,n OF moral
suasttn. Without atononlcnt there could lie no
government. tod, aecortlins tn tAts mural
s,,asIon theory, wns represented rs n weak
FaI,er, afraIu 10 punish llb boy., utsd pleading
With Them. Now. This wasn't Aicthodlatn
TCrcs Of ..Oh, no!'f1 but un.tar!anis1n. Gods
t'tcrnal pledge was that all who would caHo to
Him arcnrd!n; to tho Gospel plan should bo
saved, uui tlr pcualtY renewed, mud TO tlosa
WIN would not conse Ills eternal plcllse wls
tsat tl,e ttnaIty should renain.
There was no t,oEe distinctly mil nircly t1sco-
logical statement thai, tli!s. "G~d hath ex-
h'bitca Christ ns declaration tlat Tod can bc
Just un bo tlle justilcr OF hin TINT hcieyrth u
There wus tic pith of the whole matter. When
q Govcr,1ur wis askcl to pardon crin.ll,ul, l,o
sI.uut. conaitlcr the question Ut the effect uf u
lmr.luu nj the welfare OF society. Thu puwcr OF
rcprjeye was outside of tho law; It rested with
,l,c Governor or President. Gnd AImjyllty's
government wus nut 40 different from earthly
governments ns to aIuW liz to think f!,ut lave