Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-05-18
An rsTEnEsrING PAPER

An INTERESTING PAPER
Read by MIR. L. y. FITCH at westvilIe |
Congregational Church.
The following article is rspublished In
with requests from many psople
Who were unable to obtain copies Of the
JOURNAL AND CoUR1xR containing It:
The following paper was prepared by our
esteemed townsman, Mr.. L. w. Fitch of
Westville, as general answer to questions
asked of him by members Of his bible
which needed considsra
ton to answer satisfactorily. The paper
was read to the class by Mr.. Fitch and
afterwards BY request to the church, West
Vile Congregational. Al will be seen,
though not comprehensive, the paper
touches upon vital points Of belief:
wHAT I DO net BELIEvE AND WHAT DO
BELIEvH.
The most recent form of infidelity is
known a. agnosticism. The word To OF
Greek derivation, and 1t signifies shat
which ID not and cannot be known. The
sgnostic asserts that the linitation OF tho
human mind render 1t impossible, either to
affirm or to deny the existence of God, or
of an unseen world, and that such exist
ence is NOT only now unknown, but 1t will
be always unknoWable. The historical
facts that God has held supernatural COM
munications with men, and that He has
oondescsnded to visit this earth and to
dwell for q time among men In the person
of our Lord, he utterly ignores. His view
IL limited entirely to the present LIE. no
is without God in the world, having no
hope. The light that was in him has be-
come darkness, and how great 10 that
darkness. If sgnosticiam is religion,
1t 10 the religion of despair. II stiles
every noble yearning of the soul and falls
back upon the cheerlsss epicurean maxim,
ssLst US eat and drink, for tomorrow We
de-"
Over against such belittling estimate
of the meaning of life I place the inspiring
realities that await our coming after life IL
over.
Ny belief, In few of it's outlines, is az
follows:
came into being by the fat of the Al
mighty and, by reason of His gracious
choice, In the nineteenth century and In
civilized land, rather than at any other
period and In the midst of barbarian.
am passing through life under constant
divine guidance, all my steps bsing direct
ed by an everything Providencs. When
| life is over shall go to be forever with the
Lord
As to Gods purpose In my creation, &c
far a. I can understand 1t, 1t was that
should cherish kindly thoughts toward al
| my fellow beings, and that should cause
such thoughts to flow out In continue
| succession of good deeds; and bslieve
| moreover, that He wished to have another
| soul to love Him, and whom He might lov'
| and hide under the shadow of His wings
| comforting him as q mother comfortett
| her children. For the God, who has prom
| Used to wipe all tears from our eyes, mus
be an Infinitely gentle being. .
| I bslieve in the eternal reunion of friend
| in the world to come. For as, according
| to the scriptures, all who love the Lord ar
to be forever With Him, 1t follows logical.
that they will be forever in one another
society. This fact is thus expressed in
verse of Henry Affords beautiful hymn
upon the general resurrection:
| Oh, then what raptured greetings
What knittings severed friendships up,
Whore partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle,
| That brimmed with tears of late,
| Orphans no longer fatherless,
| Hor widows desolate.
| believe that We shall have bodies Tx
the glo1ifsd body of our Lord, bodies tbs
fire cannot burn, water cannot drown, an
that sickness cannot invade; that work wi
be without fatigue, that employments wi
be delightfully."- suited to our tastes and ca
pacities, and that, as the years and th
ages of eternity pass over our heads, ther
will be no weakening or diminution of on
faculties, but an ever-increasing luster
them all.
believe in the universally OF sin In tt
race of Adam, and in Gods displaasure
sin, bat that, whenever anyone turns wit
fixed purpose of heart away from ali wronl
thinking and wrong doing, God IL just I
admit such An one into His full fello wshi]
and He not only forgives him, but never q
terward reproaches him for any of h
tranegressioHs. Yet / do not believe
the attainment of perfect holiness in tn
world A Christians life may be divide
into two periods; the first ending with b
repentance and Gods forgiveness; the Ia
, continuing until his death, and durir
, | which he is often unwillingly betrayed I'M
sinful acts through the latent strength I
evil propensities or by reason of evil su
| roundings. Such acts ne lamentr, an
therefore God, instead of being angry vii
him, bestows more grace upon him and
faithful to confirm him to the end.
Soz
] pensations Of eternity will be the opport1
nifty to repair any wrong that we may hs1
done to anyone, either consciously or III
/ | consciously, in thought, word or dee
Otherwise I cannot gee how 1t is possible Il
our blessedness to be full and complete.
I. believe that God deals out to Us tris
, | and sfnlotions, not from wanton capri
nor without cause; but their design is
, wean us from an undue love of the press
world and to draw us into a closer COZ
munion with Himself; and, whenever th
end shall be accomplished, they will
entirely withdrawn. We shall then kno
what 1t is to trust in the Lord forever
. our fears and forebodings in view Of Il
uncertainties of the future will vanish ar
We can adopt as our own these confidel
words of Faber:
have NO cares Q blessed will!
For sill my cares are Thine;
live in triumph, Lord, for Thou