New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-02
EXPLAINING DoGMAS.
NATURAL SELECTION AND ELECTION.

1870
| MR.. NEWTON BRINGS IN MODERN SCIENCE TO Al.
COUNT FOR DOCrRINE-1HE MEANING or rar
AToNEMEXT.
The Rev. R. Heber Newton IN his sermm
yesterday morning discussed the doctrines on election
and the Atonement As in the previous sermons of thfs
SERIES he first assaled the popular and theological con
cepton of these dogmas and then endeavored TO sAov
what their authors had In mind when formulating them
and what measure of living truth they s contain IL
said In substance: In ages when men had little a.
curate knowledge they necessarily adopted
some very imperfect forms Of expressing thu
problems of life which perplsxed them Al
the spirit Of truth leads men into larger
fields knowledge they will be able express old doc
trnes In better forms Of dogma. What the Great
Teacher is doing for mankind every tutor may well seek
to do for the individuals who try to learn from him.
far conscious Of the faullness OF methods
than any one else can Be- yet feel my responsibility to
those who seek my guidance aud my aim Is TO indicate
hints of the forms which the old doctrines are TAX
ing young men, who led revolt from the
old forms Of expression unreasonable and offensive.
may be induced at least to wait until the new light
shines forth"
Mr.. Newton then read from the Westminster Confess
sion the passages relating to the doctrine of election
1t easy imagine" he continued, what form such
statements would take in the popular WHAT meant
every one knows who remembers the blight which Pnrt
tanism laid upon religion 1t means that tne nnnite
select certain individuals unto everlasting hap
pness that he deliberately determined before child Of
drew breath that he would ordain certain lndivid
uals to everlasting damnation All this, according TO
the Westminster Confession, is to be done without any
pie concerned 1t that the throne Of God 10
a being OF whom We can form only the most rey9ls.
whom II Is very easy and natural to hate ana
very difficult and almost wrsng to love Is It any mar
confession of faith that the barbed arrows of blaspeny
hurled against it Is II wonder that the
hot Ifs al
hearts upon it How easy for young men to say Away
s''" only My one Of the bubbles the theiogians
have thrown up INTO the ar ana Which breaks
fathers spoke utter nonssnsei Was there real
problem before thcma mystery OF selection or election
them 90 make statementto solve that mystery In
the thought, IN the Language, OF their age ms doc
rine is one OF the oldest among Il s found among
the Hebrew prophets 1t is the OF Mahometanisn.
India you will ind sages broodng ever TINS prob
omnipoenee Of nature Ii was this feeling In dark and
supersttous which wrought upon men that ney
conceived the vision OF devil upon the THRONE OF e
Eernall this old idea eyapoIated from our actual
life to-day IL is all around us. One man Is born
to luxury another to poverty One man Is sufronnaei
from the all that tends TO ennoble and elevate
him; another is brought up among Influences which tend
always to degrade him. One nation IS nurtuIed on
stern soil in hardy climate and blossoms into the
sturdy manhood OF New England; another nation Is
placed where nature Is always smiling, where 1850 IL
obtained without labor and the result Is SOFT eemnals
race. There is at work call it nat You WILL the pre-
fe which appoints that one germ shall die ana aother
live, which selects race 10 survive ana aiioncr W
become extinct. Wise men see thIs ACTON ,,, oi
mystic omnpOtent force They call Il Hatna selection
What difference between selection anu natural se
lection You eau account Tor IL In terms OF pny
law you account Cor II IN terms OF hgner laS lou
can account the intelligent action OF Co.. who
back of Nature, but you cannot escape the mystery
which fathers found You have to face IT you are
man aud make the best answer you can am not IN
sympathy with those who would Try 10 STOP oD-
jeetons within the Church .scs. SAYING !n%s
There is in the OF ages survival OF the HEST
II does not merely the survival OF those best
adapted special conditions Ii means. IN the long run
of those who best lifted 10 advance mo
type OF life. Before reject hs dogma Decau Oi tas
grotcsqIe abolnnable form In which IL - cn.rnei,
lesson OF rest aud quetude until tnis alVlao
light shall make 1t plain to all
THE AToNEMENr AS A COMMERCIAL TRANsAc-
TON"
Mr. Newton then considered the doctrine Of the Atoms
ment lie said the common conception OF 10
was that OF commercial transaction" IL might
be thus formulated Man loves even here the eternal
law that law ordained penalty, that penalty death.
that death Is life in death God wishes to IDaD lie
does not feel free him. He has ordained Law aud
the letter OF the law demands death substitute may de
legally free. IL was easy 20 level me shtIs
ridicule against sdch dogma What would men
think Of such awmaker who ordained law wn'cn "
impossible for his creatures 10 Keep ana tnch hed
them accountability to T. Mr. Newton then
angued that the heart OF this
was he a sIea motSs, suffered a'0 to
redeem their children. Men suffered ior the sood OF
their fe0y-rnen Nations were preserved by sacrnce
The consolns thought is found In the KNOWLEDGE iae
who suffer for their cllowmen are raised 10 hgn
levels character-are themselves benefited God has
willed that any should PERISH but rather thai AL
should be saved"
tered the vcstry and stole the Gapuscri VI MT ne"
ton sermon.