Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-28
A Radiant Hope.

Ed. Register
| Rev. Mr.. Penniman's sermon on
"Idleness," delivered at the Presby.
| terian Church short time ago, was
full of good advice and good, sound
common sense. He took the usual but
assuredly correct ground that poverty,
as rule, is dsgraceful, because it is
occasioned oftener by idleness than by
any other cause. Of course there are
very many instances of worthy power
ty caused by unavoidable or unforeseen
misfortune, but certainly idleness and
neglect of business are the chief causes.
Mr.. Penniman's sermons are eminent
ly practical, appealing directly to the
intelligent common sense of his hear
ers. While he is probably loyal to his
creed and to the extreme doctrines the
church he represents has always ad-
vanced, yet his sermons show that he
does not hold the belief that salvation
depends alone on creeds and church
organizations.
Mr.. Penniman is an exponent of the
more liberal sentiment which is prevail
ing in the churches to-day. AS the
world has advanced in civilization, en-
lightenment and knowledge during the
past two centuries, wonderful progress
has been made in the arts, sciences and
the professions. The church alone re-
manned stationary, being characterized
by the same narrow views that it has
always promulgated, and chained
down by the same narrow creeds that
it adopted in the days of bigotry, per-
secution and darkness, when it was
considered beautiful act and accepta-
BILE to the Almighty to burn at the stake
Or behead at the guillotine those who
had the temerity to think for them
selves.
During the past decade, however, a
more tolerant spirit has been manifest
ed and broader and more liberal views
are being adopted by the churches.
Only few years ago, so extreme were
the teachings of the churches, that it
was scarcely possible to attend any Or
thodox church without smelling the
fumes that arose from the
pit of hell, or beholding, in imagina-
ton, lot of little devils with three
pronged pitchforks engaged in the
pleasant recreation of broiling, frying
or toasting some poor sinner.
The flocks were urged to obey the
laws, natural, human and divine,
through fear of the horrible wrath of
an angry God, rather than from any
desire to do right for rights sake. The
doctrine was held out and is still held
out to the world that man may live
in open violation of every known NOR
al or civil law, and at the last hour re-
pent and be carried away to glory sing
ing triumphant songs and kicking up
cloud of celestial dust as, in an ecsta-
cy of bliss, he contemplates the idea of
spending life of eternal joy, in return
for his worthless life below.
AS the world becomes more enlighten-
ed, the channels of thought widen and
deepen, people become more liberal in
their ideas and are less inclined to at
tempt to force others to adopt their be-
lief; or to damn them if they do not.
Hide-bound creeds that had their orig
ia in the days Of darkness and super
stition are no longer accepted with the
same blind credulity they once were.
The world recognizes the fact that
something more than creeds are neces-
sary to make good citizens. The fact
is now recognized that mans actions
are far better index to the character
and soul within than any belief he may
hold, or dogma he may promulgate,
and that to be a generous, charitable,
honest, honorable, Iaw-abiding citizen,
doing unto others as he would have
them do unto him, even though he re-
fuses to accept any of the creeds, is a
tar better condition than to unquestion-
ingly swallow everything when death
approaches, after having led deprav-
ed life and having been curse to So
ciety for years. It is not difficult to
decide which of the two, when they
have passed over to the unknown land,
has been more beneficial to society and
humanity, aud has done more for those
who remain.
do right for rights sake; to be honest
from principle not from policy; to obey