The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-23

possibility The Roman idea Of infant baptism
was that it was channel of grace by which
original sin was washed away--the sin inherited
from ancestors 1t is an innocent delusion, since
there is no such thing as admission in any in
FAINT Parents feel safer IL the child is baptized,
and pay great respect TO that sentiment
would baptize any child, not because | thought
il made the slightest difference with the chill
dren, but because it would be a great comfort to
the parent he same. as to adult baptism as
regenerating force it has none whatever. 1t is
true that when man receives baptism he may
have associated with it such notion Of the be.
ginning of new life that he will bring to bear
his own volunteer force, and from that he may
go on better and better; aud so baptism may do
him good; but as priestly office. a divine
power transmitted through an ordinance, IL mas
no power whatever There can be no MODE oy
which this can be adulterated, this doctfne
or the unfolding series OF design or pou III the
human constitution, and thas when man mas
unfolded through the lower stages, he may so on
TO higher spiritual unfoldings.
There is nothing in the doctrine of evolution
or any science around it that has right to puff
itself up in rdicule of revivals OF religion; for
they are founded in nature and are philosophical,
and in certain stages of the community nds-
pensable. 1t is true that child brought up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord may not
need this training; but where are the priests or
the parents that either understand it themselves
or are qualified TO exert such influence their
childrenl And there is this less perfect way
namely: bringing to bear on adult communities
influences that shall enable them to rise under
had almost said an atmosphere lntiuence-to
stop the current to change the current. to exalt
the lfe Now, men have ridiculed revivas.
They are founded on the natural law, and
benefcent one. Unity of feeling in every age
accompanies. is favorable to, the development of
each individual in the line which that feeling is
moving This is the law of life. 1t is noticed
in the business community. Men call such
periods 'booms," and all know how easy
it is to do business in such times, and
how hard to make effort remuHerative in
dull times, when there is lack Of confidence.
And the same law pervades many departments
of life. The single penitent thought limps. A
thousand men, all of them feeling the pressure
of wrong-doing in the past, and desiring eleva-
ton and aspiration, reflect their feeling one upon
the other, and it becomes easy to do that which
is otherwise almost impossible. Here you have
the stages Man is to be regarded as universally
sinful, living in his lower nature, and needs to
unfold-and here comes the doctrine: that 1t Is
impossible to unfold man through all his
stages upward till you come to that spiritual
stage where the higher reason and instincts
predominant; and here are the instruments by
which men may in various emergencies pass to
those higher possibilities revivals of religion;
and all those styles of religious service that
melt, and lift and inspire men to higher life are
normal, and no science is going to abolish them.
You might as well put cicles under your kettle
to have boiling water as to have scien tific
problems about matter and force under the
church to get lukewarmness evaporated
MEN DEAD IN SIN.
The teaching of the Scripture is that all men
are dead in sn-that is, the spiritual part Of
them is overwhelmed. They are dead if they
are undeveloped in any part. That part is dead
If even they are not grossly sinful they un-
sprouting and undeveloped; every such part as
that yet fingers. 1t is not come into life; it is
fairly said to be dead. And that is the condition
of the race. The vast majority is dead. The
civilized and religious portion of the glope has
crept up but q very little higher than morality
The penetrating, energizine influences of the
higher class of religious people are yet in the
twilight of the higher stage. Mems life lies
further than they know Of 1t is higher than
they know of 1t is other than they know Of
They are living as to body, and matter, and
lower society; but as to that which is vastly
immenser-God, and spirituality and immor-
tality, and eternity-men not alive. To the
blind mind the whole world is obliterated. To
the deaf there is no sound in the air by day or
night All things are dead where there is
no spiritual apprehension of things In un
wrapping mummy 1900 years old wheat
was found The gums had preserved its vital
ity. And when it planted, behold! mira
Gle of nature. 1t threw down the root. it lifted
up the stalk and grew, and was reaped, and that
very wheat has its posrerity in many of our
fields to day. 1t was dead but not deader than
thousands of men that in the cerements of
their life have the germs of a higher life, but
wrapped up and unsprouted 10 them comes
neither moisture, nor air, nor heat, nor light.
They are dead. There are multitudes of men
that are like my wistaria, which for years grew
only stunted. though tended it with care At
last said to my gardener, Throw it away"
He dug it up, but did not throw 1T away. He
planted it in the corner of the garden, in some
more favorable place, where something hap
pened-I know not what-in the mystery of
nature, and the very next year it broke it's bonds
skn rsxx ole xhnr0
cred all the end of the house. and ran upon ad
jacent trees. Multitudes of men are like it
living but so near the ground and without any
vine that they never know what they are in
themselves nor what are the possibilities that
are laid up in them.
EXECUTIVE DOCTRINES.
And this figure runs all through the Bible.
'sWhat more could 1 have done9 What more
could have been done to my vineyard saith the
Lord, ''that have not donel When looked
for grapes he brought to US wilted grapes.
planted it; 1 nourished it, had right to the
highest fruit got nothing but wildings." Christ
Himself gives in parable form, in one of His
miracles, this fact where he saw tree that
brought forth no figs, ard said, ''Henceforth let
nothing grow this tree" 1t was undeveloped.
And again: II am the true vine; We are the
branches Any branches in me that bring forth
not fruit. He taketh it away, and He pruneth it
that it shall bring forth more fruit"
That idea of the unfolding sequence aud series
In human nature, the idea of fruit is expressed
in the Old Testament and in the New, with end
less variety and with effulgent beauty. In this
view, thus far expounded, l remark, first, that
the executive doctrines employed hitherto by the
churches rest upon basis of fact, and are not
overthrown, but are confirmed by the revelations
of science.
The fundamental doctrines of Christianity are
those that have tendency in them to save men.
They are the doctrines that teach man his in
trinity and his sinfuness. That is the founda-
ton, the implication, the taking for granted that
which was never taught by Christ, for you might
just as well undertake to teach that there was
such a thing as air. He might just as we'll have
said to night that there was such thing as rain,
and that rain was wet 1t is every mans con-
sciousness that the human race and everything
in il are deficient morally and are not to be
tnaasured with anv Satisfaction hv any hinhar