Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-08-16

ONE and knock at the door of yOur
louse, you open it, and give me the
oest seat in your parlor. If / should
come at you to-day with an argument;
II with sarcasm. you would answer me
with sarcasm; blow for blow, stroke for
stroke; but when l come and knock at
the door of your heart, you open it and
say Come in, my brother, and tell me
Ill you know about Christ and
| Heaven"
Listen 70 two or three questions.
Are you as happy as you used to be
when you believed in the truth of the
Christian religion? Would you like to
have your children travel on in the
road in which you are now travelling?
You had relative who professed to be
Christian, and was thoroughly con-
sistent, living and dying in the faith of
the Gospel Would you not like to live
the same quiet life, and die the same
peaceful death? / received letter,
sent me by one who has rejected the
Christian religion. 1t says: Il am old
enough to know that the joys and
pleasures of life are evanescent, and to
realize the fact that it must be com
Portable in old age TO believe in some
thing relative to the future, and TO
have faith in some system that pro-
poses to save. / am free to confess
that | would be happier if could exer-
else the simple and beautiful faith that
is possessed by many whom know. 1
am not willingly out of the church or
out of the faith. My state of uncer-
tainty is one of unrest Sometimes
doubt my immortality and look upon
the death-bed as the closing scene,
after which there is nothing What
shall | do that have not done2
All! skepticism is a dark and doleful
land. Let me say that this Bible is
either true or false. If it be false we
are as well off as you; if it be true,
then which of us is safer9
Let me also ask whether your trouble
has not been that you COMPOUNDED
Christianity with the inconsistent
character of some who profess it. You
are lawyer. In your profession there
are mean and dishonest men. Is that
anything against the law? You are a
doctor. There are unskilled and con-
N~N PN-bAp nun III NOAi 10
that anything against medicine? You
are a merchant. There are thieves
and defrauders in your business. Is
that anything against merchandise?
Behold, then, the unfairness of charg-
ing upon Christianity the wickedness
of its disciples We admit some of the |
charges against those who profess re-
ligion. Some of the most gigantic 1
swindles of the present day have been I
carried ON by members of the church. |
There are men in the churches who |
would not be trusted with five dollars |
without good collateral security |
They leave their business dishon-
estes in the vestibule of the church
as they go in and sit at the communion.
Having concluded the sacrament, they
get up. wipe the wine from their
lips, go out, and take up their evils
where they left off. To serve the devil
is their regular work; to serve God is a
sort of play-spell With a Sunday
sponge they expect to wipe off from
their business slate all the past weeks
Inconsistencies You have no more
right to take such mans life as
specimen of religion than you have to
take the twisted irons and split tim
bers that lie on the beach at Coney Is
and as specimen of an American ship.
It is time we drew a line between re-
igion and the frailties of those who
profess it.
Do you not feel that the Bible, take
{ all in all, is about the best book that
H.. i l., q ~ /
inow any book that has as much in it?
Do you not think, upon the whole, that
is influence has been benefcent? /
ome to you with both hands extended
oward you. In one hand.;I have the
Bible, and in the other l have moth
ng. This Bible in one hand / will
urrender forever just as soon as in my
ther hand You can put book that is
'etter.
God, oldfashioned religion of your
athers-the God whom they wor- |,
hiped, TO the Bible they read, to the
on which they leaned, to the
ross on which they hung their eternal
expectations. You have not been happy
day since you swung off; you will
OF be happy minute until you swing J
ack.
Again: There may be some of you
tho, in the attempt after Christian
fe. will have to run against powerful =
ASSIGNS and appetites. Perhaps it is
disposition to anger that you have TO
ontend against; and perhaps, while in :
very serious mood, you hear Of q
that makes you feel q
nat you must swear or die. =
now of a Christian man who was
nee so exasperated that he said TO a :
lean customer: II can not swear at you
Iyself, for l am a member of the ,
nurch; but if you will go down stairs :,
" partner in business will swear at =
ou." All your good resolutions here =
fore have been torn to tatters by ex-
losions of temper. Now, there is no y
arm in getting mad if you only get =,
ad at sin. You need to bride and
Iddle these hot-breathed passions, and .
l.. | II