St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-12
BY THE SPECTACLE OF THE
MANY CONFLICTING DENOM- m
e NATIONS. ST
i9Fi1
WHAT INF1DELITY THRlVES ON.
Contrasts of Divergent Beliefs
1ol2nE
Made in Language of Incis-r,or
i've Character. u=ih

Ql1eTeuC. cnurcneS, must present a
strange spectacle. He finds that the
Bible declares in favor of one Lord,
one faith, one baptism; yet he sees
the hundreds of conflicting denomina-
lions, all protesting different and
oftentimeS contradictory doctrines, all
pretending to have the truth, and all
laying claim to sincerity. Well may he
repeat the query of st. Paul: rs Christ
divided?" His wonderment cannot but
increase on hearing the widespread
theory which is styled broad-mined
and charitable, that one church is as
good as another; that creeds are
things of taste and choice. What
wonder that infidelity SCOTS at such
pretenSions!
No matter to what church you may
belong, no matter what creed you may
profess, no matter how you may wor-
ship God, provided you act consistently
with your convictions, is the express
sion of a maxim as unSound as it is
popular. However fiattering the asser-
ton may be that all forms of Chris
tianity are equally good and true and
acceptable to heaven, reason condemns
it and the Bible rejects it. Were the
contention made that contradictory
views on any other question are all
true its palpable absurdity would be
granted at once. What does reason
say? Its verdict is that two con-
Trajectory statements cannot both be
true at once. If l say that two and
two make four and you contend that
two and two make five one of us must
be wrong. If you apply the same
principle to the various systems of re-
l1g1on now in existence you will realize
the untenable nature of the claim that
all of them can have the sanction of
Christ. He cannot contradict himself
Only one religion can have his ap-
prevail. 1t is undeniable that the diff
ferent churches
CONTRADICT EACH OTHER
in vital doctrines. 1t is a subterfuge
to assert that they agree on essentials
They do not. Perhaps the Trinitarian
who upholds the divinity of Christ and
the Unitarian who rejects it agree on
essentials! Can both be right? Per-
haps the Universalist who teaches that
all men will finally be saved and the
Presbyterian who believes in an old
fashioned hell agree On essentials. Are
both in possession of the truth? Can
the church which holds that baptism
| is essential to salvation and the church
which denies its necessity both be IN
| the right? Can the Catholic who holds
that the pope is infallible in matters of
faith and morals in certain given con-
ditions and the Episcopalian who main
tains that he is not infallible join hands
and bring themselves to think that one
is just as near to the truth as the
| other? L don't believe it. 1 place too
nigh an estimate on their intelligence.
| Evidently, if one is true, the other is
false. There is no medium Again the
church which insists. on but a portion
OF revealed truth cannot be as good a
| guide for humanity as the church
Which teaches it all. Christ intensI.-
that we should have it all, unmixed
with errors. We need it ALL Truly
such things look like vital points. If
not, what is essential in Christianity ?
whoever asserts that the various
churches find equal favor with heaven
In the same breath affirms that God is
| as well pleased with error as with
truth. 1t is impossible. Error and
| truth can never be the same to Him.
II essential truthfulness is an attribute
OF the Divine Being, then He cannot
but love truth and detest falsehood
Then church No. l which proclairns a
certain text and church No. which
denies 1t cannot be equally accepta Bile
TO him. TO the unthinking it NAV
seem to be a, blessing that there are as
many forms of religion as there are
| tastes, sentiments, inclina tons. bI,t
were Christ to give his sanction to
them all, He would be the author of
contradictions, and as absurd q being
as the Egyptian Osiris or the Hindo
Vishnu. What does the Bible save
1t is interesting to know what Christ
thought Of the maxim that all
churches are equally good. Let us see.
HIS command to His apostles is as
clear and unmistakable as Iane,,a oe
can make it. Going therefore teach
all nations, teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever 1 have com
manded you"-all the truths of reveI.-
ton without exception, without in
crease, without decrease EVERYWHERE
and always your teaching is to be one
and the same whether it be pleasing or
dlspieasing to the likes or disIilzes of
human nature; whether it be delivered
10 rich Or poor, prince or peasant
whether it be made known to Greek
or Roman, Scythian or African; and
he that beiieveth not shall be con.
demned." The apostles were not
authorized to preach one doctrine in
one country and its CONTRADICTORY fl
the inhabitants of another country
Never.
A NOTE OF SARCASM. gso
They who advocate the idea that n
is matter of no Importance via,
people believe would have Christ ia.
dress his apostles in language like this,
Now, st. Peter, you will visit fbe
Romans. They are proud masters rot
many nations, and slaves of MANY
vices. Wecannot afford to offend them
Take up My gospel and strike out The
olsagreeable passages which oppose
their shortcomings. Preach to them
the revised edition of Christian doe.
tr1ne, and all will be we'll 1t makes
no difference to Me whether they ae-
cept My gospel in its entirety or only
the portion Of it which pleases them
best. Well, st. Peter, you are goine
to announce My gospel to many peo-
pie. Should any of them be Offended
at the idea of an everlasting hell spare
their tender sensibilities Discourse
beautifully on the joys of heaven, but
utter not a word on the misery of the
damned. Should there arise teachers
with religions somewhat different from
yours do not condemn them. Be lib.
eral. They are all right. You know,
one creed is as good as another.
If st. Paul was of the opinion thai
all religions are Of equal value, why
was he so uncharitable as to write thus
to the Galatians: But though we OF
an angel from heaven preach a gospe,
to you beside that which we have
preached to you let him be anathema.'
An outsider may justly ridicule
Christians who lay great stress or
their sincerity and who care little what
they believe, whether they claim mem.
bership in this church or in that. Sin.
certify is an estimable trait but good
as it is, it is not a, substitute for rights
| and precious as it is, it is not so prec.