Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-06-06

"GOd hath yoked to guilt
Her pale tormentor-misery.
--Brvant
Every one is as God made him, and
oftentimes n great deal worse."-Don
Quirote.
"Those to whom the earth is not conse.
Grated will find their Heaven profane.-
Martjneau.
"Charity is virtue of the heart and
not OF the hand. .'-Addison.
Nothing great was ever achieved
without enthusiasm. ."-Emerson.
at is better that our armor should be
bruised by rude encounters, than hang
forever rusting on the wall. "-Longfellow.
Il would rather trust my life with a
man sincerely superstitious, than with any
man who denied the existence of God"
Joseph Parher, London.
Many have puzzled themselves about
the origin of evil. am content to observe
that there is evil, and that there is always
a way to escape from it; and with this l
begin and end.-NeWton.
need not understand all the relations
and adjustments of Divine Providence
before | can trust the Lord. On the
dial plate of Scripture see the hands
pointing to the promises and the conf
mands and the rewards Of dscipeship,
and it is enough, believe and trust
DR.. 4. j. GOrdon.
"Look not mournfulIy into the past. 1t
comes not back again. Wisely improve
the present, it is thine. Go forth to meet
the shadowy future without fear, and with
a manly heart. Hyperion.
The New York Observer quotes some-
what remarkable Gas found in secular
prinD but really obvious editorial state.
ment, from tho Journal of Commerce.
rhe latter, in strong and manly sentences.
atlirms that, contrary to the hastv and i'll
considered judgment of narrow observers,
orthodox opinions and religious modes
are rapidly gaining, and not losing, their
hold upon the most intelligent men in the
community. The editor aflirms that the
Christian church is not disturbed by the
noisy utterances of doubt; that its mum.
bers are larger than ever; that it is doing
broader and better evangelical, charitable
and humane work. and that scientific
discussions after all, have led more men
into the church than out of it.
The inevitable tendency of scepticism,
recently so palpably illustrated, has now
its perfect counterpart in the reaction
from scepticism back to faith. In all the
cases of scepticism, so prominent in
Christian ministers of brilliant imagina-
ton and popular aspiration, the leading
principles of natural and revealed
religion: first, personal Deity; second,
creation as his work; third, providence
and answer to prayer; fourth, revelation
of spiritual truth; fifth regeneration by
his spirit; and sixth pure life
these six have each and all given way
successfully before doubt indulged at
either point of the necessarily connected
chain. The significant counterpart is now
revealed in DR.. rockingham return, by
successive steps, to the only possible rest
of sincere and comprehensive thought.
In an article entitled "Christiantv and
Criticism" in the North american Reuiew
for April, 1888, DR.. rockingham traces
the common truths embodied in the sym.
bolic rites and doctrinal precepts of all
leading religions rs compared with
limiting that it has nothing
ultimately to fear from criticism. His
induc'ionS are thus stated: "These sym
bols of religion are not evolved; they are
Their character
is often opposed to the natural instincts of
the people. Their connections, their deep
preclude the theory which
assigns TO them Il terrestrial origin.
All that can be claimed as TO these symbol
ic ideas is, that the enblems which lie at
the foundation of all spiritual truth
leach fest, the existence of a supreme
mind; second, the communication of
ruth by that mind to man; third. the
power of a divine person representing
Deity; fourth, the reality Of Il celestial
influence impaired by the Deity through
Christ, whatever be his name; fifth, the
experience ofan eternal supernatural life;
sixth, the necessity of self ambegna'iop as
means of attaining that life, "-ObSerrsr.