The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-22
p1sHop sEssUMs AND THE
CLERGY.

in the picayune formal protest OF
PRESBYTERIAN, Methodist, Baptist
and Lutheran clergymen of New Or
leans against some of the expressions
advanced by Bishop Sessums in his
notable series of lenten sermons de-
liyered at Trinity Church. In tins
protest the Bishop is accused OF PAN
theism. denying the personality OF
God and reducing him to mere flesh.
He is accused OF denying the fall OF
man from a state of primitive holl-
ness of denying that Christ hath res
deemed us through his blood" the
atonement being not sacrlficial on
ering for sin, but consisting merely
in the Influence of good example
reclaiming man from the error of-his
way. 1t accuses him of the absolute
denial of the future punishment OF
the wicked in the world to come, and
the assertion OF the final restoration
OF all men to the favor of God in a
state of probation after death. The
protest also accuses the Bishop OF
sinking religion into mere hunanita-
rianism that he denies the necessity
of faith in the Redeemer and Of re-
pentance for sin, OF love to God or
any of the graces of the holy spirit.
In other words the Bishops ortho-
doxy is questioned very pointedly,
and the clergy of New Orleans are
very much stirred up over his reli9-
ions views as set forth in this lenten
sermon. The following, SO say the
clergy, is pantheisic:
According to the modern process
of reasoning, religion is grouping Of
the divine around the human, instead
of the human around the divine; in
stead of RELOCATING God to the out
side, he is brought closer to man
Therefore, the great mystery OF the
trinity is understood now to mean
not that the mysterious triad exists
alone, ip-seme desert abyss OF space
hut mat God the father, Sod the son
and God the holy ghost are part o.
the universe and dwell in it, and thai
the external world is but nantes
tatlon of the living God that mar
and God and the universe are fuseo
into one. This is the christian con
ception of the trinity.
Here is the part that strikes at thu
final restoration Of man to God:
The old idea of the church being
select company OF Gods elect, who
after the wreck of matter and thu
crash OF world, will be gathered to :
personal God. has been replaced By
The grand and inspiring conception
of the sublime truth that the true
church embraces all humanity as
family, under God our common Faith
er, because God is God.
Here is the part that denies the fu
ture punishment Of man:
And IL by sin man lapses from TIT
sublime, divine ideal, the penalty viii
not be to- consign him to some infer
y nal sphere, to eternal damnation, bu
he punishment will rather be the in
i ense, agonHipg realization Of havin!
shattered the divine ideal, of contem
plating the height at which he stoot
and the deptnsto which he has fallen
The length Of that punishment vii
depend upon the duration OF tim
which the soul viii take to acknowl
edge its errors, its guilt. its rebellion
until the soul purges out its SIN
claims kinship with God. Then wi
the merciful father stretch out hl
hand and rescue that pleading sor
from its abyss Of woe and receive il
serene and emancipated, into his IL
Unite mercy.
These religious controversies hav
been going on ever since the dawn
civilization to the present time, an
they will continue to keep soclet
stirred up as long as the world LAST
at least until the millennium. In tt
meantime, whatever man may say,
whatever sect he may belong, or hoy
ever much the world is divided an
split into religious or fanatical aggr
gations-it matters what not-tl
eternal purpose Of the Great Beir
is going steadily on, and the profile
of creation, of life, Of universal b
ing, both animate and inanimat
will continue through the ages
come according TO the will of Hi
: who seeth all things as in the lis
Of day. So it doesn't matter mu
about religious crecds, dogmas, SCI
or doctrEcs, so long as man w
ships God according to the dicta1
OF his own conscience. II he dc
this, he will receive whatever rewa
<hara ;s in store for him. Got