The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-01-20
'<-.''.'> s7%: For the ADVANCED =
STUDY OF THE OLD MASTERS
No. ". -.


'", '<-.'4'> 49, For the ADVANCED
STUDY OF THE OLD MASTERS
No. V. 49,.
REPENTANCE AND ADJOURNMENT.
Though not belonging tosthe Chris
tian Church alone, repentance is pre-.
eminently the ordinance of it,, This
alone is taught by the early Christians
with more force~*of feeling than any
other one idea, and to this does TIE
Christian church owe more of it's sue
cess than to anything else. Yet we see
how even this has been subjected to
that idolatrous inclination, by which
all connected with religion has turned
from the original intention. Repent
ance has been idolized until the term
has been brought to include not only
sorrow for wrong-dolng, but also i'm
munity from the penalty of wrong
done. Thus inducing wrong by offer
ing an easy for no) penalty.
That repentance should include for
giveness is not warranted by the work
ing of anything with which we have
to deal in Nature and it is but just to
conclude that Nature is our guide to
this knowledge; for if, as some say, this
life is but an emblem of another-but
a probation, where we are learning our
lessons, then it must be, i'll the same
way, life" though less in degree.
otherwise our lessons" are for naught.
Repentance, therefore, can carry with
it no forgiveness. If one burn his flu
ger. though he repent ever so much,
the penalty remains. although sincere
repentance-and little common sense
would keep his finger out of the fire.
That is all repentance can do for man,
viz: prevent the recurrence OF his sin.
1t has been said that God winks at
the sins of ignorance" but in his law
of Nature ignorance Of the law excuses
10 one; so if the *'law'' IS consistent
throughout it is-no one can sin
without paying the penalty ito the ut
termost farthing," even though he re-
pent III sackcloth and ashes. Repent
ance can do no more than to turn man
from the evil Of his ways as he feels the
''penalty of Adam"
AtOnement is another mucll-abused
term OF religion. That it is aught else
than payment is not possible. Each
debt must be paid by each individual
debtor. Vicarious atonement in mat
tiers of Nature, whether physical or
moral, is impossible. Though one
may die for another, that other does
not escape death though one may suf-
fer in feelings for another's lnisdeeds,
that other will suffer also. AS to IRE.
demption" or exemption from penalty
in the future, we can judge only from
what we know and what we know of
the supreme law tells us, that a debt is
cancelled only when it is paid.
Why, then, should one suffer at all
for anot!er's sin Why should Jesus
suffer the pangs Of physical death for
the cruelty (sin) of his Jew brethren ?
Why is the foot suffered to stumble be-
cause Of the blindness of the eyes ?
Why should one hand suffer the cash
OF the knife because of the others
awkWardness ? 1t is this-being of
one body the necessary cooperation
brings the actions Of both together,
makes one depend in great measure
upon the other. So. though two per-
sons be different individuals, vet they
both belong to the one body, humanity;
and the necessary cooperation. the
sympathy between different particles
of matter, causes the effect of one to be
in some degree communicated to the
other-as. yon touch one side of mass
of jelly, the whole mass will culver.
All actions, AL feelings, act and react
upon each other throughout all Nature.
Not only is this from man to man, bnt
from man to brute, and from that
down(?) to all matter composing the
universe; the effect being in proportion
70 respective size and quality. In this
way all example may be felt, though
that example may be ever so insignifi-
can't.
10 what good will Il knowledge of
this influence lead? When man under
stands fully this law of sympathy, this
relation Of matter to mind, of mind to
spirit, then can he gauge his own &C.
lions, his own emotions and his own
aspirations to the attainable, and will
no more need to cry ''all is vanity aud
vexation of spirit.'
A Bacon said Of the philosophy IF
his day, 1.-THE world reasons backward"
So now with our religion. Man has
been trying 10 look from cause to effect,
aud the result is ignorance. If we
would follow from the ever-present ef-
feet, we would. with even limited rea-
soning. he able in time to find 1.-The first
great cause least understood-''
If we would work at what we k,,oac
and follow up: we could work more in
concert than we do by humping into
the Skies" the result of which, as all
the world can see, has been bigotry,
persecution and ignorance. ~