Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-04-21
-z@ GO [s-


Reason will not permit God of in
finite Justice to be also one of infinite
cruelty. The Christians Of early ages
drew their creeds from only their YER
sion of inspiration, and seemed to CD
Joy most the ideas which most set
reason at defiance, hence there came
up out of that long period creeds full
Of most amazing and outrageous dog
mas The actions Of God were never
compared with the character Of God,
fer the inquiry only was: What says
the text? In New England a child
found violating the Sabbath was ex-
posed to death, because reason had
not yet begun to sit in judgment upon
the Pentateuch; and witches were
found and tormented and burned for
the same reason namely. thus saith
the text: ''ThOu SHALT not suffer a
witch to live" Aloag came rational
ism, and declared that man must either
give up his reprobation or his defna-
ton of the Creator; must either spare
the supposed witch or Stay the beauti
full attributes Of the Heavenly Father.
It admitted no alternative and as a
result the world has given up it's text
about the fact or desert of a witch
and has retained its God. Out of the
face of the text came the doctrine of
| II A. ~ "'N''"r~'i
doctrines of bondage, but when the
light of intelligence was permitted to
fall upon the Bible then came tolera-
ton of opinion and the emancipation
of slaves
Under the new dispensation of logic
and comparison as landmarks of
Christianity there is rapidly approach
ing a dissolving Of many old opinions
that were adopred in an age of too
little reflection The Westminster
catechism contains the grandest def
milton Of God to be found in any
language, but the same digest contains
also the most appalling human destiny
for many souls that can be found in
any known literature, and in such a
crisis society naturally accepts Of the
defination of the Deity and then
works changes upon the idea Of hell
until two strings sound in harmony.
Instead Of destroying or injuring re-
ligion much of this modern industry is
only turning the old discordant harp
The lutte is not to be broken but re-
strung. What was harmony to the
savage was discord to the refined ear
of civilization. An atheist breaks the
harp to pieces, ratienalists reaches
after more perfect cords. A miracle
can be admitted by this reason, for it
is not against any moral principle that
Christ should have risen from the
dead, nor is it against nature, for
man dose not know all about natural
means and ends, but place for the
eternal torment for men who sinned in
an Adam, who died thousands of years
before they were born, cannot be ad-
mitted into this realm Of logic,
because such a notion centradicts in
every particular the character Of God
A mircale is wonder, but the old
peTdition was an injustice. Reason
will allow to religion marvel, but not
a crime.
Under the leadership of this logical
method there is rapidly coming a dis
solution of many old opinions; but
this is a ease in which dissolution is
not death, but is prelude Of immor-
atty. Paul, in his matchless delinea-
ton of death and life, says: THAT
which thou sowest, is not quickened
except to die, and that which thou
sowest is not that body that shall be;
and 10. the words apply not only to
the coarse body that surrounds the
vital germ in grain of wheat which
must soften and decay before the germ
will bud, the figure spreads out
and reminds Us that the early coatings
of truth must die and fall away be
fore that more divine quality of doc
trine hidden within can put forth its
never fading leaves All through the
middle and dark ages Christians sowed
a wide field with their peculiar form
of grain. 1t has now lain in the earth
until its outer coating has dissolved,
and the vital principle within has be-
gun to push forth its tender leaf
/ Swing.