The Russellville Democrat., 1890-03-13


 gians of tho last three hundred and twenty-six years and put yonr head un- der the sleeve of the gown of six tecnth century doctor. could call the names of twenty living Presbyterian ministers of religion who could make better creed than John Calvin. The nineteenth century ought rot to be called to sit at the feet of the sixteenth.
 But" you say, it is the same old Bible, and John Calvin had that as we'll as the present student of the Script urcs."
 Yes; SO it is the same old sun in the heavens, but in our time it has gone to making daguerreotypes and photo graphs. It is the same old water, but in our century 1t has gone to running steam engines. It Is the same old elec- tricity, but in our time it has become a 1 lightning errand boy. So 1t is the old Bible, but new applications, new uses, new interpretations You must remember that during the last three hundred years words have changed their meaning and some of them now mean more and some less. 1 do not think that John Calvin believed as some say he did, in the damnation of in- fants, although some of the recent hot disputes would seem to imply that there is such thing as the damnation of in- fants.
 A man who believes in the damnation of infants himself deserves to lose Heaven. do not think any good man could admit such possibility. What Christ will do with all the babies in the next world I conclude from what He did with the babies in Palestine when He hugged them and kissed them. When some of you grown people go out of this world your doubtful destiny will be an embarrassment to ministers off ciating at your obsequies, who will have to be cautious so as not to hurt surviving friends. But when tho dar- ling children go there are no ifs" or ''buts' or guesses. We must remember that good John Calvin was logician and metaphysician and by the pro- clivities of his nature put some things in an unfortunate way. Logic has it's use and metaphysics has it's use but they are not good at making creeds. | A gardener hands you blooming rose, dewy fresh, but severe botanist comes to you and says: sI will show you the structure of this rose." And he proceeds to take 1t apart and pulls of the leaves, and he says: There are I the petals" and he takes out the an- thers and he says: Just look at the wonderful structure of these floral pill lars, and then he cuts the stem to show | you the juices of the plant. So logic or metaphysics takes the aromatic rose of the Christian religion, and says: 'I will | just show you how this rose of religion was fashioned;n and it pulls of of it piece and says: That is the human will" and another piece and says: This is Gods will" and another piece and says: This is sovereignty" and an other piece and says This is free agency" this is this and that is that And while stand looking at the frag ments of the rose pulled apart one whom the Marys took for a gardener comes in and presents me witha crim- son rose, red as blood, and says: "Inhale | the sweetness of this, wear it on your heart and wear it orever." l must con- fess that prefer the rose in full bloom to the rose pulled apart
 | What time we have had with the | dogmatics, the apologetics and the her meneutics The defect in some of the creeds is that they try to tell us all about the decrees of God Now, the only human being that was ever com potent to handle that subject was Paul, and he would not have been competent had he not been inspired. believe in the sovereignty of God and believe in mans free agency, but no one can har- monize the two. It is not necessary that he harmonize them. Every ser mon that I have ever heard that at | tempted such harmonization was to me as clear as London fog, as clear as mud. My brother of the nineteenth century, my brother of the sixteenth century, give us Paul's statement and leave out your own. Better one chapter of Paul on that subject than all of Call wins institutes, able and honest and mighty as they are. Do not try to measure either the Throne of God or the thunderbolts of God with your little steel pen What do you know about the decrees? You can not pry open the l doors of Gods eternal counsels. You can not explain the mysteries of Gods government now, much less the mys- teries of His government five hundred quintillion of years ago
 | I move for creed for all our denomi- nations made out of Scripture quota tions pure and simple. That would take the earth for God. That would be impregnable against infidelity and | Apollyonic assault. That would be be- yond human criticism. The denomina- tion, whatever it's name be, that can rise up to that will be the church of the millennium, will swallow up all other denominations and be the one that will be the bride when the Bridegroom com eth. Let us make it simpler and plain CT for people to get into the kingdom of God. Do not hinder people by the idea that they may not have been elected. Do not tag on to the one essential of faith in Christ any of the innumerable non-essentials. A man who heartily accepts Christ is a Christian, and the man who does not accept Him is not a Christian, and that Is all there is of 1t. He need not believe in election or reprobation. He need not believe in the eternal generation of the Son. He need not believe in everlasting punish ment. He need not believe in infant baptism He need not believe in plen- ary inspiration. Faith in Christ is the criterion, is the test is the pivot is the indispensable.
 But there are those who would add unto the tests rather than subtract from them There are thousands who would not accept persons into church member \ ship if they drink wine or if they smoke cigars or if they attend the theater or if they play cards or if they drive a fast horse. Now, l do not drink wine or smoke or attend the theater, never played game of cards, and do not drive fast horse, although would if l owned one. But do not substitute tests which the Bible does not establish. There is one passage of Scripture wide
 H-.l A. A.