St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-08-18

promulga1e the theories Of that denomi-
nation, and then the man shall proclaim
some other theory, he has broken his
oath, and he is an out and -out perjurer
Nevertheless, l declare for largest liberty
In religious discussion. I would no more
have the attempt to rear monument tt
Thomas Paine interfered with than
would have interfered with the lift ng o
the splendid monument to Washington
Largest liberty for the body, largest lib.
erty for the mind, largest liberty for the
soul.
Orthodoxy, beginning with the Sand
witch Islands, has captured vast regions
Of barbarism for civilization, while hetro-
doxy has to capture the first square inch
Blatant Tor many years in Great Britain
and the United States, and strutting about
with peacockian braggadocio, it has yet
to capture the first continent, the first
State, the first township, the first ward,
the first space Of ground as big as you
could cover with the small end of sharp
pin. Ninety-nine out of every hundred OF
the Protestant churches of America were
built by people who believed in an entire
Bible. The pulpit now may preach some
other Gospel, but it is heterodox gun on
an orthodox carriage. The foundations
OF all the churches that are Of very great
use in this world to- day were laid by men
who believed the Bible from lid to lid,
and if can not take it in that way will
not take it at all; just as if received a
letter that pretended to come from a
friend, and part Of it was his and part
some body else's, and the other part some
body else's, and it was a sort of literary
mongrelism, would throw the garbled
sheets into the waste basket.
No church of very great influence to-
day but was built by those who believed
in an entire Bible. Neither will church
last long built on part of the Bible.
You have noticed, I suppose, that as soon
as man begins to give up sthe Bible he is
apt to preach in some hall, and he has
an audience while he lives, and when he
dies the church dies. II thought that
my church in Brooklyn was built on a
quarter Of the Bible, or half Bible, Or
three-quarters of Bible, or ninety mine
one hundredths of Bible, I would ex-
pect it to die when I die; but when I
know it is built on the entire word of
God, know it will last two hundred years
after you and I sleep the last sleep. Oh,
the splendors Of an orthodoxy which, with
ten thousand hands and ten thousand pull
pits, and ten thousand Christian churches,
is trying to save the world.
In Music Hall, Boston, for many years
stood Theodore Parker battling ortho-
doxy, giving it, as some supposed at that
time, its death wound. He was the most
man ever heard or expect
to hear, and I came out from hearing
him, thinking in my boyhood way:
"Well, that's the death of the Church"
On that street, and not far from being OPP
posite, stood Park Congregational
Church, called by It's enemies: "Hell-fire
Corner" Theodore Parker died, and his
church died with him; or, il it is in
existence, it is so small you can not see it
with the naked eye. Park Congregation
al Church still stands on s'Hell-fire Cor
ner," laundering away the magifce Mt
truths of this glorious orthodoxy just as
though Theodore Parker had never lived.
All that Boston, or Brooklyn, or New
York, or the world ever got that is worth
having came through the wide aqueducs
If orthodoxy from the throne of God.
Behold the splendors of character built
Up orthodoxy. Who had the greatest hu-
nan intellect the world ever saw? Paul
n physical stature insignificant; in mind,
read and shoulders above all the giants
If the age. Orthodox from scalp to heel.
Who was the greatest poet the ages ever
aw, acknowledged to be so both by in
dels and Christians? John Milton, see
ng more without eyes than any body else
YER saw with eyes. Orthodox from scalp
o heel. Who was the greatest reformer
he world has ever seen? so acknowledged
y the infidel as well as by the Christians?
1artln Luther. Orthodox from scalp to
eel.
Then look at the certitudes. Oh man,
elieving in an entire Bible, where did you |
ONE from9 Answer:
II descended from perfect parentage |
/ Paradise, and Jehovah breathed into |
~ nostrils the breath Of life. am
on of God"
o man, believing in half-and- half |
ible, believing in Bible in spots, where |
Id YOU come from? Answer:
SIT is all uncertain; in my ancestral
ne away back there was an orang- outang |
nd tadpole and a polywog, aud it took
Lillions Of years to get me evoluted."
O man, believin. in Bible in spots,
here are you going to when you quit
lis world? Answer:
''Going into a'great to be, so on int
lie great somewhere, and then I shall
ass through on to the great anywhere,
nd shall probably arrivs in the no.
here.
That's where thought you would fetch
,. O man, believing in an entire Bible,
Id believing with all your heart, where
e you going to when you leave this
orld? Answer:
81 am going to my Faith er's house;
n going into the companionship Of my.
we'd ones who have gone before; am
,ing to leave all my sins, and am GO
e to be with God and like God forever
Id forever"
oh, the glorious certitudes Of orthe-
ky!
Behold the splendors of orthodoxy in
J announcement Of two destinies.
Palace and penitentiary. Palace with
ates on all sides through which all may
tier and live on celestial luxuries, world
ithout end, and all for the knocking and
Q asking. A palace grander than If all
q Alham bras and Versailles and the
'indsor castles and the winter gard ems
Id the imperial abodes Of all the earth
sre heaved up into one architectural
DRY. At the other end Of the universe
penitentlary where men who want their
as can have Thorn. Would it be fair that
N and should have our choice of Christ
i'd the palace, and other men be denied
cir choice Of sin and eternal degrade
On? Palace and penitentiary. The
st Of no use unless you have the last.
.ooklyn and New York would be better