The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-02-16

" usps all the various faculties Of meD's minds, and
h t one Of them producing argument Is as really right
IS another that Produces feeling. Marrow the"l"gians
for tie want OF o philosol'hy Of human no.
have undertaken to demonstrate that truth must
come dnwn In the shape In which 1t has been given
frUln church to church You might just rs well say
that We ought to 6sht With the Instruments which
formerly usel-bn~s md arrows. sb lUhg ~ you
kill q man 1t does not make any difference what you
Right him with.
This ductrine Of conviction as the result OF mere
emotion acting with the reason Is likewise
or THE EXPLANATIONS OF THE PARAD"1Es OF
CHRIST
In one case Christ saws. lie that Is not for is 10
against rs :" and In another c Sc He >afh. ~ He that 10
not scaihst lie is fur g." The two Passages are point.
blank against each other; and q graf many men and
women say, "Yhnt sort Of n rrvel.tinn Is that which
40 directly contradicts itself?" But II gu TAKE those
sentences and apply them to different part. OF the
mind, yOn will find that they arr both trner Neither
OF them is any the less true than the tatrments that
sweet Is sweet aud sour Is sour. Apply the sayine,
He that is not for US Il. against US" ID the lower CLASS
es Of men, and 1t 's perfectly TRUE. He that Is sensu.
Gus ard sOrlih and devilish and has no sort Of SYM
patty with the pour and needy, not being for rs on
the better side OF his nature, is against Us Now ap-
ply It To the very Opposite side Of human patut II
you look OF men who are really following theiF nobler
Hspira ions, and are every day tying to find ont what
is right, and what 10 nobler ~reclitude, ten you per.
ceive that 1t Is true that he that 10 not against us IL for
rs. One OF those truths Is peril city true at the bot.
tom OF the brain. ord The other 10 perfectly true at The
top Of the bfaih only men who have NO brain do nat
know how 10 manage theth.
Well, from this general view l think It Is fairly plain
that
uNBELIET Is NOT NECESSARILY c~oNDENNABLE.
It has bren taught in the churches that q man must
believe so and 50. Here 10 the Roman Church, that
condemned "-or damned. There are, o great many
persons who do not mind NY snying cond. mined; bat
II l say damned they ME shocked. Jusl as n DAMNED
and cnnHemned were any different! They are abso
lutely the salne The chu' chrs. fh"rr age u sgo, have
laid down q long line VI propositions and STATEMENTS;
AMI they REQUIRE 'the faithful" rs Christians are called,
to believe those propositions and statements on penal
ty Of Observation-Disclosures that may mean.
Now I Hv-r-and In this | join Q multitude OF men
who have supro'ed themselves u be skepttcs and In
Adrls-tl ut 4 man may doubt Thousands oi things
which are presented to him, and which 1t 10 said that
be must believe, and yet be
NOT ONLY INNOCENT, Bur Even.
here are things stated in church doctrines In ways
such that self.respect should keep q man from, believ.
ing In them.
Dur,nga revival which took place IN Boston. At On
inquiry meeting of more than four hundred people,
my father, In conducting The conversati"n, was assist
ed hy o great many persons, among whom was . ttu.
dent from Anduver and my father heard this young
thcologur, whn WIS tulking with o young woman who
protested that she believed, and whom be desired to
test. which WAS oil right enough, PROFOUND " her,
finally,
TIE OLD norKINsoN QUESTION,
DO you think. madam. that you would be willing to
be- damned for the glory u Gods" She WAS some
what startled; and my faith r. who was In the Feat be.
hind them, ia bis prompt mud brusqtr way. raid,
" What are you asking that womanf" He, with q
meek Consciousness or ~rrctitu'lr, said, - was asking
her, Doctor, whether she would be willing to be
= would you. sir," Il hope 50, .i,." Then YOU
ought 10 he DAMNED"
secondly, let us consider the nature and source d
doubt. The lowest and most vnlgsr form Is perhaps
the most prevalent. 1t is that which comes from The
reprgnance Of the PASSIONS, In the self.indulgenc.. Of
the soul, to the sway uf sell denying mora! truth. |,
Is simply the rising up Of the aE:nsl that Is In men
again.t the rp!rituai that Is In them. Where o man,
life lies In physical PLEASURE, = here be lives day By
day for mere .rculur, animal enjoyment. under h. 10
turncc Of tie aIpet'tes and passious. which Inn sri
therein, " the command comes to him. Deny thy
Self. take up thy crpsh ard follow Inc" he revolt.
against the uIcn, the insft utions and The influence:
that tend ~ enforce 1t; and that Is uR unbelief that I,
dannnble. It comes und,r the category VI thos'
things 10 which our Muster referred when he said
The light shinrIh IN darkness, and the dark pees CON
prehendeth II not"
That answers exactly " the statement Of Christ
when reasoning with The ~covetnus and atubili"us ruler
Of the Jews, that
THEY WOULD NOT AccErT THE TRUTH
because their deeds were evil, bee Cause they huted tn,
light, und Iecuuse ,h' loved darkness. Or any mn
" hu is d ma VI pleasure In the u dinary sense OF tbs
term. and whn, like q lchem"th, Is ~pasturing the grea
fields OF human life, aud AWAY, trowsi & down ward
m. finding hts fD"d In the mud-ur any such man |
may b. raid that bis unbelirf is daunubir. II is tn
rxhalatiIn Of the mniass, II Is the miasma that come
up from the d thy sy Ia which they hre, that Cloud
fbA ,rufh md mi - am han v.p I'm fhoip .ruS
Then u variation, or perhaps m EXTENSION ~ this !
found where rnrh are ,0t wal.owing IN the mud, bu
are given over to relish passions-t1 ambition, with
out regard to moral principle; to riches, Us Unly m
grnndizcusGt Oi every fMm without any r~eotrfoliU
Of the higher elements. Tnere 10 many q man VII,
thinks that religion Is nothing but u vutnlsh that ca
no well be put TN a. tbr last us at the first. There I
many q imam who "a, 9, - will get riches aud pleasur
when l uin young; and atler
HAVE SECURED TIE oRIA1 ENDs OF THIS LiYx
/ will turn the corner s~nhden'y some day, and rrpep,
and e" tv heaven" :" oil the way th. ouyh lite the.
shield themselves by find! E FAULT with he truth BE-
cause they perceive th u " they ncc. pit It and und. r
take 70 e"nt"rm heir lives to the mobiles. Ideals 81
true Christian manhmd, they must cut off their righ
hand and pluck Out their right eye; and that they vii
nut do. .Thry lOrtiiy IheDs Ives IN unlrli, wing sim
ply because It Interfere. with their selfsbnrsej an
that 10 %culpablr.
NOW THAT IS YOUR CASE.
1t Is Just the portrait VI many o man that 10 here
You ure doing what ysu know Is wrong, lou arc VI
ganlzing Wrong CONFLICT You hnow Tia. your hear
10 u cage OF unclean beasts. You know that the req
son why you resist Chtislian preaching on the oabbat
day 10 that II yon give In 10 the views that o, e present
ed you have got t. change very part Of your lie
a d yet If you could be b ought ~ the serious hou
OF chtics 1t would DO the Ebur which would decide Il
your life between glory uud honor and Immortality
and Shame aud everlasting confusion.
Then there is the uneettling force 81 the conduct @
mon wb, rYnf. A. In he (,hrisfiata which ccn,hs In n
on different minds IL different Ways. As It is sid !
Scripture, by REASON or whurn' u. way OF truth shal
Dr. evil p. ken OIL 50 It Inlay b. sid that III. dire.
and worst a. gdinent Of iuf.Ielity Is the church .
were over Commit ed IT. Eur"pe, the must hrinou
wrro those which were conimittei In The name Il
.h'islianity by Christian rinIer,rs and, ,h' istia
popes. UI oil the things that have bcri 'eppresoiF
The most expressive has been
TIE LEAGUE or oHuacH AND s7ATH
TO hnld uen down In ignotsnc- and bondage. or al
the brlb.ries that ever We're M In this wOru
the " Orst has been the brI ving vi mea with fiddle al,
dance, with pictures aud with holidays, lest the.
should assert their liberty aud manhotd. Oh oil tn
the thtigs that have been instituted 10 turn back tn
uarch Of manhood, tn keep men IN .he lower strata 0
life, undeveluprd and undev-l"p able, walking witt
black banner amidst tie whule light Of Christianity
oI all these things thcoiogy and church Influence hav
been the master and leader In times gone BY.
How Can We expect that men will have ISith In tn
Christianity VI the pulpit when they associate ~i.l
their fellow men who stand high In their church rsIa
lions, and find them ~ be not only less moral, bur
great deal further DOWN IT, the line Of morality, :hai
many who make TO profession or religion! Chris
says, "You are the light Of the world; you ore tn
salt VI the earth let inrn nee your good works ~, tna
they shall gloriiy your Father which is IN heaven |;
but when Christians prodtce such fruit rs many "a
they lead men to believe that there Is no true churrl
and no God.
Then there are others who may be SAID to have hat
6 Mo-, 81 Israly 81, BY reason uf the difficulties That thry
ruise. There ne
A GREAT MANY PERSONS WHO CAN RAISE plTyIcULTIs
hut cannot settle them. 1t Is easy for u ms.n ~ bore IL
the bnnf IF o am . hoie which. whei the str an hR
started and he water has got IN going throngh III,
Mississippi lcve-, he cannot Ill up ssain. Many
man hus gone " STA without u ruddcr, and found tna
in spite Of him bis skin tossed up and down On th'
waves.
Now. religion In its whole institution, Is IS large G
the unive' H. o. God and N mum c n very e,siiy throw
himse'i out uf ID settled r.hgions belief that has c".n,
du1D through the ages Sithout being able ii throw
himself in n.ali. | could PUT my shuu der ont Vi JOINT
+ think, il l were right y pitched tut l enuld no. pu
II IN again. AMI here are these philosopher 81 mis
chief, these men thui, like prisons " Il" know how I,
create dyspepsia, but do not know how To get rid o
II, are able u throw away fEs faith VI th. ir .ath, rs
but canIot put another faith In It's pace. They bav,
not thr d sCip'ine or disposition ~ prscticu II; tbey
grow weary Of III they becom' Disguised with 1t
they rebound nom Il and at last they 20 into un
belief und theirs Is HI unbel0et which, II It Is not 81
obnoxious ~ some o.he &, lacks the elenrent Of mxn
Illness.
ANOTHER CLASS OF UABKLIEvERs
WIZ, II they are not to b. hnnored, are Yet to be yer.
greatly syupa,hized with, is composed 4 men VIII,
absolutely hunger and thirst after righteousness, bu
who are disposed to reject the churches because III
cone. ption Of life and duty in them 10 q great des
lower than theirs. ! recollrct n N u-he 10 In hesvel
how-who gave ne IN account Of his religious expe
rience. He had been studying the condition Uf men
snd be had seen the 20 erty IN graf cities. the a6und
ance Of the lew and the lack Of the MANY, aud tn.
want Of that sympathy which draws man to mar sim
ply 30 man. 1t nude him 50 sick that BIZ tells gnill.
When b sat down Ut his OWE luble and ate good food
and when he clothed himself In comfortable garment,
IA fhiDk that fbuI1sauhsw srA suf1rrinV for want n