The Portland daily press., 1892-12-19
THE NEW ORTHODOXY.

| when W0Tk is secured.
ie THE NEW ORTHODOXY.
| Rev. DR.. Merrill Answers the Question "Is
| 1t UniversaIist?'-1n Revealed Religion
Only is Salvation.
At the Second Parish church yesterday
afternoon Rev. DR.. J. G. Merrill, the
pastor, preached the third of his inter.
esting series Of sermons on "The New
Orthodoxy" His text was from Ju.
Ill: 10, II, and the topic of the sermon
was SIS the New Orthodoxy Universal
lists'' To this question the affirmative
answer is alleged in many quarters. Per-
haps it would not be if it were always
borne in mind that s.new orthodoxy
''new theology" and ''new departure
are by no means synonymous terms.
New orthodoxy is revealed religion in
the terms of common sense, in the light
of modern science and philosophy.
Is it suniversalist?''
1t is so if Jesus is. Jesus Christ is su-
preme authority in all matters in regard
to which he declared himself. All that
Jesus has taught in this matter has been
| recorded in the Four Gospels With a
reverspt aud scholarly determination to
know the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth declared by our
Lord in this matter, it certainly seems
impossible to hold any other opinion
than that Jesus Christ taught the doc
trine of eternal perdition. Theodore
Parker was manly when he said: Jesus
Christ taught the doctrine of eternal
punishment; I therefore repudiste him as
teacher in regard to this matter. HE
is more manly who says ''Jesus Christ
taught this doctrine. He certainly must
know more about this matter than can.
1 defer to His Judgment" There is no
higher presumption than for any human
being to put his own opinions or judg-
ment above those of the Being whom all
the ages have reverepced and no age
more than our own.
The new theology has therefore to
bear the odium of holding this awful
truth. But it issome such odium, as he
should bear who, instead of giving us
ether when the house is on fire, would
even with violence drag us from our beds.
The new theology, however, differs
from much that has gone before in three
particulars: First, 1t refuses to express
in finite terms those traits which are
necessarily infinite. 1t is unwilling to
exhaust metaphysics and remorseless
logic in giving conception of the word
eternal, and then say that Jesus in using
the word had our conception of it, It
says, Jesus gave us to understand that
we are in danger of a aperdition which
was so dreadful that he used the strong
est terms of current speech to describe
it,
Second. The new orthodoxy declines
to anticipate the decisions of the final
Judgment. 1t is unwilling to declare of
one, save that it knows that he has gone
to bliss or woe. It may express a hope
or conviction in regard to the soul that
has gone to the future world, but to say,
as did men of fifty years ago that gener-
alton after generation of heather have
gone down to perdition, or to say abso-
lutely that any human being is irretriev-
ably lost is beyond the province of hu-
manity. All we know is that multi
tudes are lost, who it does not declare.
Third. The new orthodoxy repudi-
which the poets and theologians of
former age are responsible, not Jesus
and the Bible.
Fourth. The new orthodoxy declares
that they who are lost are lost after all
that infinite power, wisdom and love
could do for their salvation has been ex-
hausted.
But there is another answer to the
question, Is the new orthodoxy "univer-
salist''?
1t is so if modern science and philoso-
ply are universalist.
Here distinction should be sharply
drawn between modern science and
modern scientific men. The modern
man of science is inclined to ignore the
question relating to a future existence.
But if he is truly scientific he can not
deny immortality, and so long as he can
not deny immortality. science teaches
without mistake, that perditIon is posi-
BILE.
Nothing is more absolute in modern
science than that causes are followed by
effects. that sin has its appropriate pun
ishment and that eternal sin should ex-
pect eternal punishment.
Nothing is more unscientific therefore
in this matter than to deny the doctrine
of eternal punishment, and just so far as
modern science honors humanity by de-
claring its immortality just so far as it
recognizes the fact that humanity has
failed of its ideal and to fail of one's
ideal involves limitations, is it an unim-
peached witness for eternal perdition.
But the glory of the new othodoxy is
yet to be Stated 1t is that it is restor-
ing to its proper emphasis the doctrine
involved in the matter before us to-
day.
Science has no such word as salvation
in its broadest and deepest sense. Re-
vealed religion is salvation. The Bible
does not reveal single ''hartl'' doctrine,
it recognizes them al, lit does reveal the
gospel, .ssgood news'' as the word ,signi-
fes. It makes Love supreme, It uses
every legitimate argument to persuade
men to, accept as their Savior, Teacher
and Friend, Him " hor came to this world
not to condemn men but to save.them.
Ice Crop Looking Well.
AIfnITsrA December 17.-tThe Kenne.