, 1880-06-27

RG5ShRGS luAl are Lu0uEHL 20 ALIT1QuC9 SUcn an
intention to the Crcator?''
If we caunot even discuss this question except
upon one side, how unhappy is our state!
for the sole purpose of tortarlng it, say for Il
year, would not tho whole civilized world with
unanimous voice declare that mum an unuttera-
BILE monster? Would not mankind recoil from
him as from a tlcnd? He might try to justify
himself on the ground that the creature was
Sery oad; but & would @ that m make particle Of
human being than to say TINT he would do
such thing as that.
Society might forgive a man for being a liar,
or q thief, or even murderer, but it could only
abhor one who should keep alive creature a
rear for the sole purpose of torture, and that
without the possibility OR remotest expectation
Of doing any good. ~
Yet We have been able to hear it said Of God,
repeatedly. that it is His intention to take the
minority, the vast majority of the human race,
and keep them alive forever and ever, for the
sole purpose Of torturing them, and that with
out any regard Ito their circumstances, and more
just because it pleased Him so to do.
There are few passages which are inter-
pre1ed in that way, and the whole character Of
And then wonder that tho Gospel does not
make progress! Why, there can be no Gospel
under the auspices OF such Being as that. If
say that God is good, and then add that He pro-
poses to torture the vast majority of men end
Iesly; that He foreordnined the countless VIC
man with any humanity IN him will say, " II
that Is goodness, prefer badncss!" That Is ac-
cording to the constitution of mind.
And 1t is not difficult to see that wherever
there is preaching or teaching this doctrine Of
the historical Church (which, by the way, some
s M Sf he IL
principle M of the mind that IS active, and in any
moved by fear and by Considerations Of personal
safety to seek to propltiate so dreadful Being,
but it is not possible they can lore Him.
Mr.. John Stuart Mill is gaining ground every
where that so monstrous Being las he ex-
presses it'll as the God Of the old European the.
olOgy is q chimera Of disordercd imaginaHons-"
Moreover, it Is seen to be a rcpuisively arbi-
trary not1on when VIC reflect that the great ma
5ory of people hsve never mad LII anF chance
chance. All this revolts the reason and COT
science OF mankind. It Is the representation of
Of course, then, the attacks that are made on
the Bible and on Christianity are full of force,
even though they may be very crude and I'M
which he is forced to listen, and the reeult is
that multitudes are pushed Into q skepticism rs
contemptuous rs it IS bitter;
There is not Christian In the world, sup
pose. who has any earnestness OF character,
who will admit for one moment that God IS cruel
Christian viii stoutly maintain that God viii do
things which, if they were attributed to any one
whose character VIC did not know, all men would
words from force Of habit, without thinking of
the real meaning Of thom. We certainly do SO
when We say in one breath that God IS good and
that He will do the most hateful things.
It is entirely conceivable that God will punish,
will deal in severity and wrath with men:-wiu
consume their pride and naugntaness 2o.a o. aeart
nit His government to be trunpled upon. II 10
conceivable also that souls which are radically
unfit for the Kingdom of righteousness might be
permitted to lapse out Of existence
the eternal life is the gift Of God and eyer!ast-
ing existence is not q necessary fact TO bad be-
eau intiict torture for billions Of centuries upon
rational beings is not conceivable, especially II
no possible good can ever come to thGse nengs E
fluit SANDER and Misrepresentation Of GOD,
which the Church has been too busy TO examine
ioLand it depends upgn u the hn sossarE N ata Ems
ment and tiagrant misinterpretahon OF the
whole spirit and tenor Of it.
Let US now glance at the notions which men
prefer to this notion of the Ronlish Church.
which has also been engraft cd on Protestantlsm.
You may put together sll the current athelsms,
pautheisms, and mnterialisms which centre in
d sort of dark nucleus OF nihilism, and they
form the protest Of thinking minds against the
darker notion of IN arbitrary and cruel God.
These form 1ne rcaction against the "peryerse
theisms" Of the past. They take the Bible to
be what it hus been represented to be by its
professed friends. the exponent OF cruel ana
arbitrary government, and they lay it aside,
ignore it. as a mere specimen of mythology. and
thus they lose it, and tho priceless treasures OF
nn5 sdem ae at eas Of the Of
it? AS believe, the Church, which has 80 dis
torted the character Of God And N the Church
a reformation must begin,-a radical retor1nn-
don. ns it seems. so deep and go thorough TINT
no one will think of falsely accusing the good
ness and severity Of G9d, even no,oy,ns oy sne W.
Prsashes xht GP Sy way a Of REFORM e but hat wod
Of little worth SO 115g s ne God ss5 t
ali the violence Of His open and av9wed en-
emies. The time has come for personal conVic-
lions in place of priestly teachings
r. 10 nnouph 10 say that if the wall OF un-
gpeaknble misery is to ascend INCREASINGLY and
forever from countless nu1t!tuoes u seems ,i tIn
Els neighbor as himself eau have any Joy or any
pence His heart must respond TO that wail ana
echo M Ms Sn he hse ii the exercise of
Tea suffering pity, will find no heaven, no rest,
no home. If they are his enemies the same my
@ wh1ea oneei nas the and of
that 1--we, and he will wall with those that vail
By the very c2mpulson5;sd "a Of II MS st fe961 }at
nature7 Who planted the great love IN
hin? it is God who has commanded nnd Where
do we find the command anrogatea: Inese In stad aag
themselves over and over again to those VINO
see+ to obey that command Of Jesus: Call no
man on earth master lor teacher' LOT one IL
your teacher" ....- .x.
II IL true we hare the concurrent tesnmony
of ali the Christian centuries to the aoctrlne
that cd is arbitrary and tortures M ~ ~
snt +or fhe rood Of the creature, but Tor me
nrat;f3cat3on ~, i9 Of some feeling in Himself We
ksnve Ihe agreement of the "crangclical stand
ards 70 break 9wa nfs;v fr9m me To Of
ihe,s se =, r. rennr to those who dishonor God by
thetr traditions are in point here. .-oaa +.o
and haze e e1e but they @
dace da OF Mn u % false opinion and the darkness Of
Thsy aeSe aaG nGea
1oF mats ut6 ia earth. Through them to many
to Sisht oe tse sen he dim GIGANTIC
e S9S f5F5a2R Sf1RGs2sa' n s s3so
up portsn'~m1 81 sannor discuss these things IN an
evanaeiea Ana Ts one 3, side; e.
ego6n1 e1sspt 1szs out % e sae os
inai %ove q love, Fig very wsafh bn9 ana al f5e
sssnes and af n'a ths FIRE Ct n's % sn @ ,pspr
der sn9 9sT 9f1 ',1n the New Testament, believing IN