Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-08-01

"He hath showed thee, o man, what ID
good and what doth the lord require ol
thee, but to do jnstlv, and TO love mercy,
and to walk humbly with thy Godr'-
Micah 0:s.
We live In an age Of theological nnrea
The veritles Of our faith are being .ques..
toned, debated and criticized BY friend
and foe, 40 they never were before. And
many are alarmed! But why be alarm
cdr The church has passed through
many bitter conflicts, and she has come
forth from them only to shlne the bright
er. and to become q welghter power to
upllft and save the world.
There was time when liberty OF con-
science was undresmed of-when criti.
cism would be promptly suppressed and
punished. Every mans faith was dxed
for him by functionary empowered TO
interpret the will of heaven. Dissent
was disloyalty. Many terrible crimes
have been perpetrated In the name OF
Religion, but religion as Interpreted oy
men. There has been q great deal or In
tolerance and oppression and .persecu-
tion through the ages, under the CLOAK
of Religion. Take the Puritans, they
were q grand race Of men, but q more
intolerant, more blgoted race OF men
Il would be impossible to find. 1t has
been said, "About all the religious free
dom the Puritans knew was Think as
we do, or suffer the consequences !"
4There is only one God, and Mahomet
10 his prophet" So said the founder OF
Mohsmmedanlsm. And there are peo'
pie to-day who think and say there Is
only one religion and zee haze n. But 1
want YOU to notice that this religion Is
their Oen narrow Interpretation OF 1t.
'sThere II but one church and ee are
that church." 80 some say. Christianity
with such persons IL series OF doctrines
to be received, that IL, doctrines In
the sense Of theological propositions.
Christendom IL divided by sectarianism
and therefore correct opinion has been
considered of supreme Importance.
Orthodoxy, or what Is regarded a.
such, has been believed to be the crown
Ing virtue, the great criterion OF Chris
tianlty, by multitudes, and Is by numbers
In the present day. 1t has been, ana
still II, made to do that which charity
should do, ''cover multitude OF SINS,
and rightly 80, II to believe In the Lord
Jesus Christ, Il to assent to teRsts. talso
leads to the conclusion that the more
doctrines man assents to,-the more
fully he Il a theologian-the more ad-
vanced and really Christian Il he.
This conception OF Christianity has led
to many evils, to bitter prosecutions. 1t
has lighted the fires of persecution, and
covered fields with blood. Two hundred
years ago two men were tied to the tall
Of cart and whipped through the streets
of Boston, with knotted lashes, their
mouths being stopped with wooden gags
to prevent their cries Of agony from
being heard. And what for? Simply be-
cause they were Qudksrs! a woman was
tied to the whipping post which stood
on the Common, and beaten nearly 10
death, and whyf Because she was
Quakeress! Michael Servetus could not
believe the doctrine OF the trinity, aud
he was burned at the stake. Because
John Murray advocated Gods universal
and unchanging love he was prosecuted
and stoned.
But thank God the times are changing.
I know that there are good, holy, con-
cOnsecrated, Christlike men, who are
being persecutcd still by other Christian
peopie, simply because they have the
courage to think differently on certain
doctrines. Take the case between the
advocates and the opponents OF Infant
baptism. The high churchman regards II
as the commencement Of spiritual life,
as ipso hcto, the means and the channel
Of the chlld's regeneration. Another
class Of churchmen regard 1t as holy
sacrament of Christ's Institution, general
ly necessary to salvation, and to be ad-
ministered TO infants In faith and prayer.
The Baptists, so-called, reject the bap-
tism of Infants as neither demanded nor
justified by Scripture. The controversy
Is loud and long and bitter. The church.
man is convinced that 1t Il to be deduced
by the most satisfactory inference from
the words Of Christ, from old Testament
analogy, from the testimony OF church
history, and early ecclesiastical writer's.
The Baptist IL unconvinced. But both
appeal honestly and reverently to the
Supreme Oracle. Both are ready to give
a reason for their tenet and practice.
At the recent conference ut Bruns-
wick the preacher Mr.. Williamson OF
Augusta said, "What IL salvationy IL 1t
a logical system OF philosophical specuis-
tlon about the being OF God and the
nature Of msn, the mental acceptance OF
whieh SYSTEM aud belief, In the correctness
Of such speculations, constitutes sdIrd-
tiong Ia the man who accepts the West
Minister Confession and the Congrega-
tiopal creed of 'S3 therefore saved
man? May he not publicly profess be-
lief In these theological standards, sub
mit to the rite Of baptism and press to
his llps the emblems Of SaviOur's life,
and vet practically be devil! III then the
ology and creed are minor matters, and
must be held as such, there must be
something deeper and more rifdl. What
/. that somethingS What IL the essen
tial message of the Gospel II not theology
and creeds Is 1t not the apprecia-
tlon of the life Of God as manifested In
the earthly experience OF Jesus Christ'
But II not, II 1t consists In first having a
perfect philosophy Of the trinity, the per-
son Of Christ, Inspiration OF the Scrip
lures, and the dogma Of endless woe,
then briefly, there be few that be sdred.
Snow, God help many Of the ministers OF
our church who thus can scarcely be saw
ed. but where are the laity to appear,
who care for none of these things, but
have simply been anxious to feed the
poor, visit the fatherless and the widowy'
The positive slnfulness Of Insisting
on salvation by theology and creed has
shown itself In bitter rivalry and
strife through which It has sectarianized
the body of Christ, and made OF none
effect the high prlestly prayer OF the Son
of God, TIL now each church ls looked
upon by the unevangellzed In the COM
munlty as an outpost ola sectarian club,
rather than an outpost OF the Kingdom
Of God.
II ever the church is to atone for this
sin It never can be by putting her neck In
to the yoke of an antiquated ecclesias-
ticism, nor through the more dangerous
way Of speculative compromises, but In
life and spirit agreeing on the deepest
and most vital conception Of the essen
tial OF human salvation, aud allowing, IL
necessary, difference OF opinion on every
thing else. In this the work would lose
q good deal of orthodox and heterodox
blgotry and intellectual Phariseelsm,
unkind feelings, sectarlan anlmosities,
and theological rivalries. On the other
hand, II would gain heavenly spirit OF
sweetness and light, OF sympathy Tor It's
ain and weakness, akin to that which
wept over Jerusalem In the person OF the
man Of Nazareth, and an exhibition OK
the milk OF human Kindness which
would aim to llft In practical way the
hp rdens frou the hack OF the weary and