The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-16

shakes his purse in your face, and says,
"Do this, or do that, if you dare" There |
was time when he whirled the fire. |
brand, the rack, the thumb screw, the
halter and the law; and many an hon
est man, because he was honest, paid to
him the forfeiture of liberty and life.
1t is not so bad now; still, there is
great deal of cross firing at the pulpit,
and many a poor minister sinks his
manhood out Of sight by vainly trying
to please all.
This doctrinal man that have men
toned, is the representative of class
of men in all denominations. John
Calvin was leading man Of the party.
He acted out his prominent trait when
he gave his voice and influence to the
burning of Michael Servetus, just be-
cause he denied the doctrine Of the
trinity. So of Prof. Patton, when he
impaled Prof. Swing on the horns of
the Presbyterian bull, and drove him
out of that communion. So, too, of
the Methodist church, when it pitched
DR.. Thomas overheard, to sink or swim,
as he might, in the broad, free waters
of the world. The same trait is exhib-
tied in great variety Of ways. 1t is
the very thing which makes so wide q
distinction between our evangelical"
neighbors and ourselves. Each party
adheres to its own doctrines, firmly and
strongly, and that is all well enough,
but while we are willing to acknowl-
edge all good people to be Christians,
according to the test, ''By their fruits
ye shall know Them" they seem to
overlook the test of goodness, and all
virtues beside, and to rest and rely en-
tirely on the essentials of d0ctrinal
faith. Paul says: "Now abideth faith,
hope and charity, these three, but the
greatest of these is charity;'' yet the
doctrinal dogmatist affirms, Nov abid-
eth charity, hope and faith, but the
greatest of the three, and by far the
greatest Of all great things, is sound,
evangelical, orthodox faith. 1t was
that position which ousted Swing and
Thomas; it was the same position
which barred the door against Chan
ming, Ballou, and host of the saints
in every age; they believed in the faith,
they chung to the hope, but they made
charity supreme over all.
True doctrines are indispensable to a
right gospel faith, but the common vir-
tues of life must not be overlooked.
Here lies the point of danger. Doc
trines are good for nothing, except as
they affect the heart and the life fol
good. The very object of doctrine,
reproof, correction and instruction in
righteousness" is, that the imam OF
God may be perfect, thoroughly fur
nished unto all good works" The doc
trines of the intellect must distill in
love upon the heart, and flow out in
gentle offices of good to all around
That was the rule of the Saviour, 'By
this shall all men know that We are my
disciples, if We have love one to an
other.' And therefore you see, it is
not right to get around to the doctrina
side of Christianity, and then insist
that it has no other side. The gospel i;
full-rounded, manufactured, and very
beautiful thing, 1t is adapted to al
times, all seasons, all places, all per
sons, and all circumstances. In the
brightest periods of youth, it is glori
Gus vision; when sadness and suffering
come, that vision is radiant with love
And SO believers of the gospel ought
never to forget, whatever their persona
peculiarities may be, that 1.-THE end Of
the commandment is charity, out of {
pure heart, and of good conscience
and of faith unfeigned."
Another man thinks religion synony
nous with fear. He sees in the gloomy
man the genuine religious man. The
very clouds and storms, natures agen
cies for good, are emblems of divine
wrath to him. He always appeals tt
the awful consequences of not being
religious. If you are not solemnly
pious to-day, you shall go down to end
less burnings tomorrow. He seems tC
forget that nature has sunlight, and
rainbows, aud flowers, and singing birds
and many beautiful things which be.
speak the cheerfulness and the happi-
ness of Gods children, as the children
of nature. He makes the fear of end
less woe the basis, the center, the su.
perstrueture, the crown, the sine qua non
of the gospel. He does not like the
preacher, if he will not appeal to the
sentiment of fear in the most terrific
manner. He must make the gospel a
magazine of freworks-of blazing pyro-
technics-of terrible thunderbolts- of
dynamite earthquakes-and he must
make the sinner believe they shall play
upon him eternally, if he will not re-
pent and join the church. Tertullian
was good ancient example of this man
of terror. Jonathan Edwards is very
good modern example. And here is
another influence making mischief in
the world, by presenting the gospel in