The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-31

that IN doing this they must get rid of the Bible
This they have done by putting IL with all the
profane writings of the world. They would tell
you that they love the Bible, but " hen you come
to understand them they do not love
1t This is the book of all
books that gets their most maddened
assaults. II you will let them call IL "a book
which had its growth from the religious nature
OF man, and not the voice of God to man, they
VIII love II as the school boy loves the back
numbers OF the Atlantic Monthly II you will let
them call the church institution which has
sprung up from the religious side of mems ma
ture, they will write for it tneir most lovely
poetry, and lay upon its affairs their fairest iow
ers They can find no gift too precious
TO give for its advancement. But when you
teu them that the church should be the house
OF God, and that Gods house il house of
prayer, they have no words too severe to utter
against it And you will see in all their SER
mons, writings and lectures that when they
speak OF the church favorably 1t 10 not the
church OF Christ that they mean, butt is THAR
church thai they are Ia. King about. II is their
humanitarian system which politely tells the
King OF Glory that they have no particular need
Tor Him; as to there being throne n the
heavens they do not believe il anyway. This is
one OF the things that they make laughing
stock. How glad we should all be that this
great white throne Of the universe is not to be
reigns.
Theodore Parker WIS an enemy of Christ: he
wrote and toied against Him. Ralph Waldo En-
erson was q bitter enemy OF Christ Jesus. He
did not want II S claim to being divine admitted.
On trip to Europe he wrote back to friend
saying: "We must get rid of Christ" These
Unitarians would have wrecked the front OF the
universe If they could have done it. How shall
man think to change the eternal Christ?
m yph ri 0f VI So
many strange things are charged to the church,
there is one more serious misstatement deserv
ing careful attention, and that has reference to
Gods plan of saving sinner. And let it once
more be emphasized here that ii 10 not ques-
ton as TO what is the church's plan of saving
soul. that this learned age might arrive at
some degree of clear thinking at this point! As
to what the church has taught, whatever may
be understood by the term church, shou d not
weigh with any candid scholar feathers
weight, not unless Ii can be shown that GOD has
committed to the church his saving power This
has never been claimed by those who have made
their appeal to the Bible. Unitarians love to
tell us that they are the only people who insist
upon character in this matter of salvation. They
would leave their hearers to the thought that
In some way those who bel eve in the divine
authorship OF the Bible care nothing about char
acter. 1t was publicly stated in your city by
their champion that the orthodox Christian
teaches that you may go to the darkest prison
cell, and there bend over the murderer, ami by
sprinkling few drops OF water upon his brow
just before he swings into eternity you may
send him out to the other world as pure as an
angel of light
You knowahat this Christian age is contend
ing for just what the inspired word teaches.
VIII those who love questions SO well admit
few at this point7 Win those who make such
statements show US where any such teaching
can be found in the great text book OF Cflristi-
anity?
Scholars know that the writings known as the
Holy Scriptures teach no such thing Aud yet
this statement is so often repeated that there
Thousands who come 10 think that it must be in
the Bible. The real fact in the case is this, that
there was never book written that laid such
stress upon character as does the Bible This is
the BOOK which tells us that without holiness
no man shall see God. This il the book that in
sists upon all holiness, and truth, and purity,
and uprightness, and loneliness, and manliness
entering into our lives if we would think to be
pleasing unto God. And this is the book that
calls our race to begin this life OF purity in the
days of our youth, and to live it until the last
hours OF old age.
Now, in the face of these things, how comes
1t that the statements cheered when made to the
effect that the Christian world lays no stress
upon character?
The Bible uses no such misleading statements
as these: "a man is saved when he is crowned
king OF himself. He is then saved for this world
or for any other world II it did make use of
any such language, who could understand what
was meant? When is a man crowned king of
himself? Who is to be the judge of this king
ship? 1t would seem that the final analysis of
tn statement would mean that man is saved
when he does as he pleases. And this IL cheered
because it is just what the unregenerated
heart Graves. But the plan of God is
to save men by taking them away from
their sins. A man down hundreds of feet
in mine filed with choke-damp is in danger.
Every moment that he remains there lessons the
probabilities that he shall live. But by heroic
effort he is carried to the pure air above He Is
saved, because he ia out of danger. He Is out of
the deadly element. 1t is not question of be-
ing crowned, but ii in a question of life and
death.
The Bible plan is to save the man first, and
crown him afterwards. To take him out of the
deadly element: take him out of danger Get
him away from his sins; get a Christ-like
character formed in him, then, and only then,
is he saved.
Finally, notice that the very thing that is 80
much objected to IN this humanitarian system
is the browning glory of the Bible 1t merci-
fully offers to do what ali the powers below the
throne cannot do. Ii offers to those who do not
deserve 1t the free pardon of their sins in Christ
Jesus. By faith in the Son of God. and by turn
ing from ali their sins and living lives of purity
men can be saved eternalIy. These things will
remain unchanged when the universe is no
more Christ is the same.
OF course this brings in the divine element
The supernatural 10 brought to bear upon every
life that becomes Godlike. 1t shows us that un-
less God intervene there can be no redemption
1t asks Us to face the fact of Christ's divinity
With Him is all power. He can, therefore, save
IN flta nttf n fAa
need 10 undergo any change in order that
God may commune with His children. 1t does
not need to change in order that the Heavenly
Father may hear the prayers of His children and
answer them. How very strange some people
talk when they come 70 face the matter oil PRAYER.
They talk as If prayer meant that human beings
are TO change suns and stars in their course
That they are to roll worlds into new oebits and
change the course of things. Their ncton of
prayer is no more ludicrous than il would be II,
when q child asks its mother for bread, that
mother should say: "This is asking too much.
Bread means that the sun shall change its
place that the world must revolve like wheel.
that winds must sweep continents, that vast
sheets of water must rise from the bosom of the
ocean upon the wings OF the wind aud be car.
ried over the earth and sifted down as the
maid would sprinkle her flower garden. and IL
must fall upon the seed and produce a harvest"
True. the very thought OF bread means all this.
But the true mother would say: Though every
world in our solar system must change in order
that child may have a biscuit, yet do not re-
main hungry, do not get alarmed at the vast
ness OF 1t; but come when you are hungry, for
il has all been provided for in the making OF
worlds"
So. friends, everything that we need and every
nettion which we are encouraged to make have
all been provided for IN making the worlds
no not get scared; nothing Is going to