The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-14

tradition and Opinions-or be ostracis-
ed.
8. 1.-THE unity of the God head, and
the trinity of the persons therein"
"The unity of the God-head" was the
national creed of the Jews from the
patriarchs-received by revelation, but
'the trinity of the persons therein"
was product of the private judg-
ment" of Egyptians, Greeks and Hin
docs, several centuries before Christ.
By and by in the third century some of
the Christians concluded that they too
would believe in a trinity of equal per-
sons in the GOd-head Somebody was
found base enough to amend the New
Testament by forging into its lines
something about "three that bear wit
ness in Heaven" text that Jesus and
the Apostles had forgotten to put in.
John VI. The "trinity of persons in
the GOd-head" is therefore venerable
pagan fossil, borrowed by the Chris
tians from the private judgment" Of
Hindoos, Egyptians and Greeks.
4 THE utter deprayity of human
nature" This is the fourth plank in
the theological platform that is to re-
present the ''soundness" of our Dubu-
que theology. 1t is a part Of the old
fierce doctrine of the fall as Calvinism
perpetuates it in the Presbyterian Con-
fession of Faith (ch. L. II. ILL.,
teaching that our first parents became
dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all
the faculties and parts of soul and
body" "They being the root Of all
mankind, the same death in sin was
conveyed to all their posterity." From
this original corruption we are utterly
indisposed, disabled and made opposite
to all good" PIP. 3, 8, 40.
1t is from this comforting doctrine of
total depravity and natural defilement
that the world has drawn the beautiful
and consoliDg doctrine of infant dam
nation, for the same confession of faith
declares that only "elect infants and
others can be saved" Others not
elected remain under the curse of the
fall, and cannot see Heaven or the face
of God.
l wonder that the Pastors Union"
didnot draw still further from the divine
comforts of Calvinism and reprint for
the reading public the kindred doctrine
that ''By the decree of God for the
manifestation of his glory, some men
and angels are predestined unto ever
lasting life, and others are foreordained
to everlasting death" "And these
angels and men thus predestinated are
particularly and unchangeably designed
and their number is so certain and
definite that it cannot be either increas-
ed or diminished ,''-pp. 1924. 1t will
be refreshing to those plastic people in
the various churches who have boasted
of the liberality of their doctrines, and
have c0ddled themselves with the COM
fOrting notion that no old dogmas are
brought out to disturb them. 1t will
be refreshing now to see their pastors
united upon a platform that is taken
bodily from Calvinistic total depravity,
infant damnation and predestination.
Reading these things makes it seem
as if somebody had turned back the
hands on the dial of our life until the
middle ages had come again.
6. But there are a plenty more of
interesting planks in the platform from
which Dubuque theology is to proceed.
1.-The justification of the sinner by
faith alone"
No beggarly works, no moral char
acter, no good deeds, no pure hearted
ness, but faith alone. "Only believe"
Doing is no way to the kingdom" :"
"By faith alone is the fossil theology
of the fossil platform. This plank that
ignores works and spuIns truth is
worthy to be written by the side of
that which declares human nature
totally depraved, and souls predestined
to hell from the foundation of the
world To this stage of Christian CD
enlightenment have we come at last!
But again the assumption of this fossil
platform is equal to any emergency
and it declares:
7. The resurrection of the body.n
y modest faith in the immortality
of the soul will not do. We must go
further and declare the immortality of
the ''OId clothes" that the soul has
worn. Immortality of man as spirit
will not do. We can't be Orthodox
and dwell with the saints amid the be-
attitudes of this platform unless we be-
lieve in the resurrection of the body.
Not even would they have us believe in
a spiritual body, but these bones and
muscles after worms have eaten them,
and dogs have gnawed them, and
bullets have mangled them must be
called up aud transported through the
sky to the great assembly. What
comfort this is. Let us write down
our Pastors Union as a gallant defend
er of the faith-fOr advocating the res
of bones and muscles-ex-