The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-07

90
among the signs Of civilization aud of rising
civilization-for the papers of my childhood
were not to be compared with those Of to day
but the newspaper Is not qualified at
present to take charge of the con
duct and character of mankind, and the
religious papers as little as any. There are
orthodox papers that have much in them. but
they carry the spirit Of sectarianism and mar
row, oftentimes venomous, contentious religion
into the household So, then, the church, so far
as its relation to the community is concerned.
shines into every avenue of human nature, and
searches man, not from philosophical interest in
him, but from his own wellbeing.
Now, is there no need of such an institution?
If it were destroyed, would there not be a want
felt that would reconstruct the church, perhaps,
in more simplfed, pure and disable form?
There is no evolutionary doctrine that can take
away from us the necessity of an institution
which aids In developing m2a from lower to
higher stages, as evolution itself seeks to do
What changes will probably be made by evolu-
ton! suppose it will limit the externalities of
the church. think the time will como soon when
the central element in the church will be spirit
uailty IN men. At present it is great ways from
that. child, seeing truly noble and good
man. IS taught to wonder if that man can GO to
heaven because he is a member of the church.
The day is coming when spiritual character
Will dominate everything else, When that
day comes, l do not believe Universal
ist and Unitarian Sunday schools will
be excluded from the ranks on a parade on ST.
Children's Day. Applause. | can't help feeling
pity of those miserable sectarians that visit not
the sins of the fathers upon the children, but
the sins of the Catechism. If any man has got
children so weak that they will catch heresy
by contact in the streets, they had better keep
them home. This refers to recent parade of
Sunday school children in Brooklyn. ED.
There will also be cure OF the despotism of the
church and its conceit, as if God had given
some special deposit of truth to a particular
church. These are the feelings Of q passing
age A monopoly Of Gods spirit in the hands of
men think this will be exploded There will
also pass away all the despotic claims and dis
putes That have disgraced Christianity There
Is growing tendency to unity in the church,
The work of Christian men outside of their
churches is drawing them together inside of
their churches. Catholics and Protestants work
ing together for temperance or some other good
cause are surprised to find out each others good
qualities and earnest Christianity Theology is
not half so black faced as it was.
The aspect of religion developed now is
more hopeful, cheerful and loving. In con
nection with this there is growing out of the
church specialization in the direction of amuse-
ments. They are considered part Of the churchs
proper work in caring for the souls of its mem.
bers. So beyond that the Church is doing
things unheard Of before. There used TO be
assemblages of ministers, many of whom ought
to have been in States prison, come together to
determine the faith They corrupted the cities
WHcFo luey neC sometimes, as N the OOunCll OF
Trent. There used to be enough of the assemb
lagos of officers, but the church in its whole
body. its laymen and all, are having their coun
ellis and summer meetings, such as at ChautauQua,
and have their courses for the year laid out.
These things are buds that have sprung out Of
the boughs of the old church life, and they are
increasing in sweetness and the promise of
blessed fruit
With all it's faults, is there any other that
aims so high as the church? Is there anything
in evolution that desires to efface itY Is there
any danger that preaching will be hurt by it, 1t
will he changed in some respects, but the func
ton itself is divine and necessary to the race 1t
walks with the progress of God in the evolution
AIRY scheme. The ideal of preacher is large
nature, full Of enthusiasm for God, but even
more for men, making men his chief care Is
there any other officer who stands so high? And
is so grand figure to be overthrOwn! 1t is 20
make just such men that evolution is striving.
This is a force Of soul on soul Centuries have
been changed by the power Of single men upon
communities. Is there any conception of voca-
ton grander than the preacher ordained of God,
not of men, but living for men? Great as is
knowledge and science, mere knowledge never
arouses the whole man. 1t is only the truth as
it is in Jesus that gives to a mans whole nature
physical, social, moral and spiritual the food it
needs. There will be other changes, but they
will make the pulpit more powerful. / believe
there is rising view that men will not willingly
let die, Of God and eternity. frowning God
u,
watching, bearing burdens. whose life it is to
tale care of life and carry it on stage by stage,
this thought of God will quench the lurid light
OF atheism.
And there is coming union between mortal
ity and spirituality. There is difference but it
is the difference between the unripe and the
ripe, between the white magnolia flower and the
dirt cOlored root from which it springs. So there
will be the definition between natural and re
vealed religion. They are both one. Natural
lInin hsc Nnth in hot NJ Of EOA
revealed religion has God in ii. One is God
speaking by creation outward the other by crea-
ton inward and they light and help each other,
and put together, they will give yet the most
perfect view of divine nature Evolution will
not take away this unity Of Interpretation, but
will strengthen it, and, above all, evolution will
drive out the degradation of that Manlchean
doctrine that men are cursed in the form of an
ancestor. and that it corrupted body and bone.
This wild heathcnism lurking IN the church
will be purged by evolution.
The pulpit will leave many things on the road
that have only hindered. 1t has in the past
Where is the doctrine that has caused saints
almost to swear at each other as to the External
generation OF Christi" Where are the controver-
sizes of mans natural ability and moral in
ability" etc. These and many others exist only
III history, ana theology will drop others and be
the more powerful for doing so. Eternal CON
scious suffering-you must either take away the
fatherhood from God or drop that The cues
will not survive the moral sentiment of the new
theology The atonement founded on a fable of
Adams fall will give place to more glorious de-
velopments of the outcome of Gods nature in the
fullness Of time. The Bible will be RELYING
book, not with scholastic interpretations, but as
food disable. Men know that they select parts of
the Bible for their spiritual food now. The
genealogical chapters are different in value from
the gospels. Representing all the literature of
the Jewish race for centuries written at differ
ent periods, the doctrine that God wrote it,
straight off, is not now believed even by those
that teach it.
The changes that will be made will be grad
ual They will give men time to accomo-
date themselves to other views. Theology and
the church are undergoing a process Of evolu-
ton, not of destruction. Things not fit to live
are perishing alongside of the things better
adapted. The presumption of evolution is ad-
verse to the authority of antiquity There has
always been among potentates fear of individ-
ual lberty-''it is not safe to trust mon with
lap " A nd in cbl1rcbAe ha hoe 1aa,