Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-03-08
make = Dssrsr creed tnsa Sonz Cslvn- rns
Nineteenth century ought nos % bs c>lisd 20
ait NJ the feet Of The Sirse~nth.

THE SANK, BUT USED DTyERxNrLY
"But," you say, lit h TIE same old Bible.
ard John Calvin had that well as the pres
snt student Of the Scriptures" Yes. 50 It Il
the same old sun I'm the heavens. but in our
time IL has gone 10 making daguerreotypes
and photographs IL is the same old water.
but in our century il has gone 20 running
steam engines IL is the same old electricity,
but In our time it has become a lightning
footed errand boy. SO IL Is the old Bible, but
new applications, uses, new interpreted
tons 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 l do not think that
John Calvin believed, some say he did, in
the damnation OF infants, although some OF
the recent hot disputes would seem TO imply
that there Is such thing ~ the damna
ton OF infants. 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 conclude from what be did with |
the babies in Palestine when he Rugged thern !
and kissed them. When some OF you grown |
people 60 out OF this world your doubtful des- |
tiny will be an embarrassment to ministers |
officiating at your cbsequies, who viii have
TO be cautious so as not 20 hurt surviving |
friends But when the darling children &c
must remember that good John Calvin was q
logician and metaphy sician and by the pro-
cifvities OF his nature put souns things TO- an
unfortunate wav. f.nBric mas ~ ssee md me-
saphysics has its use, but they 80 act good at
making creeds A gardener hands you
blooming rose. dewy fresh. but a severe boz
tanist comes to you with rose and says: ~
viii show you the structure of this rose"
and he proceeds to take is apart, and
pulls of the leaves and he says; There
are the petals" and he takes out the
anthers and he says: "Just look at the
wonderful structure of these coral pill
lars" and then he cuts the stem 20 show
you the juices OF the plant So logic or meta
| physics takes the aromatic rose OF the Chris
tan religion and says: II will just show you
how this rose of religion was fashioned" and
it pulls off OF it a piece and says: THAT is
the human viii" and another piece and says:
''This is Gods will" and another piece and
says: This is sovereignty" and another piece
and says: This is free agency" this Is this
and that is that. And while stand looking
ut the fragments of the rose pulled apart, one
whom the Marys took for a gardener comes
In and presents me with crimson rose, red
as blood, and says: "Inhale the sweetness OF
this, wear it on your heart and wear 1t for
ever" must confess that l prefer tho -oss
In full bloom to the rose pulled apart. What
= time we have bad with the dogmatics. the
apologetics and the hermeneutics The defect
In some OF the creeds il that they try to tell us
all about the DEGREES Of God Now the only
human being that was ever competent TO
handle that subject was Paul, and he would
not have been competent had lac not been in
spired. believe in the sovereignty Of God
and believe I'm mans free agency, but no
one can harmonic the two. II is not neces-
sary that vs. harmonic them Every sermon
that have ever heard that attempted such
fermentation TO me a clear q Lon
don fog, as clear mud. My brother OF the
Nineteenth century, my brother OF the Six
teenth century, give US Paul's statement and
leave out your own Better one chapter OF
Paul on that subject than all OF Caivin's in
stitutes, able and honest and mighty they
are. Do not try to measure either the throne
, OF God OF the thunderbolts Of God with your
little steel pen. What do you know about
8 the decreesa You cannot pry open the door
{ of Gods eternal counsels You cannot ex
plain the mysteries OF Gods governmenl
: now, much less the mysteries Of his govern
. nent five hundred quintilion OF years ago
move for a creed for ali our denomination
r1ads out OF Scripture quotations pnre ard
r simple That world take the eArti
for God. That wcud be imprcgnabl'
4 againss inndelity and Apollyonic assault
. That would be beyond human criticism. Th'
= denomination. whatever its name be, that cal
!, lennium, will swallow up all other denomina
. lions and be the one that viii be the brid
q when the Bridegroom cometh. Lot us max
4 it simpler and palmer for people TO get int
; the kingdom OF God Do not hinder pcopl
n by the idea that they may not have bee
q elected Do not tag on 10 the one essential Q
% faith in Christ any Of the innumerable nor
n essentials. man who heartily accept
10 Christ Is Christian, and the man who doe
50 rhrfcf nd fhaf
10 all there is of It, he need not believe In eie<
3: ton or reprobation. He need not believe 1
D. the eternal generation Of the Son. he nee
he not believe in everlasting punishment b
q need not believe in infant baptism be nee
Of not believe In plenary inspiration Faith
ct Christ Is the criterion, il the test, Is the pivo
Id Is the indispensable. But there are tho
re who would add unto the teeta rnths
,ff than subtract from them There a.
Is; thousands who would not accept persol
nd into church membership II they drir
be wine, or II they smoke cigars, or II the
N attend the theatre, or IL they play card
nd or If they drive fast horse. Now do n
K drink wine or smoke or attend the theatr
50 never played game Of cards and do n
"a drive a fast horse, although would II
I'm owned one But do not substitute tes
at which the Bible does not establish There
US one passage of Scripture wide enough to l
10 all in who ought TO enter and to keep o
ist all who ought to be kept out: Believe
~ the Lord Jesus, Christ and thou shalt
saved-n Get a mans heart right and his 4
will be right But now that the old cree
ny have been put under public scrutiny, son
we thing radical must be done. Some VOL
din split them, some would carve them, sol
we would eIongats them. some would abbrevis
ob- them At the present moment and In
nd present shape they are hindrance LazaI
To "a alive but hampered with the old zre
ID clothes. If you want one glorious cbur'
nat free and unencumbered, take of tho &C
OF ments of old ecclesiastical vocabulary. Lo
rat, her, and let her go
Gus DOUBTS lAND FEARS
an Again, there are Christians who are uni
Of sepulchral shadows and hinderad and h
out pied by doubts and fears and sins long q
1ut repented of. What they need is to und
ing stand the liberty of the sons Of God III