Year: 1873

Colorless Christianity.


The Duke of Somerset, whose remarl1a-
BILE book on Modern Skepticism we have
noticed on another page, heads one of his
chapters "Colorless Christianity. The
terms are suggestive. They indicate a
great deal more than they express. They
raise the question at once whether Chris
tianity is .colorless religion. ee r4-


Certainly the modern statements and
representations of it are very highly col
ored. They are remarkable for nothing
so much as for the deep, strong striking
hues they wear. Every creed is a piece
of painting done in yellow, black, red,
and blue. Every sect is distinguished by
the stripe of its dogma, and the peculiar
tinge or tint of its piety. From the mo-
ment the religion dropped from. the lips
of its author, like water from a crystal
spring so pure that it reflected the heav-
ems In its transparent stream, the process
of discoloration began, and atseveFy stage
\ of its history some new doctrine has al
tered its complexion, or it has caught a
different hue from the urn of ceremonial
in which it has been held, or from the
lights and shades of the period it has
flowed through. Christianity to-day is a
many-colored religion, and SO identified
in the popular apprehension with the
different hues it has caught and held,
that thousands are unable to conceive of
the religion apart from its discolorations.


1t is safe to say that four-ffths of all
our modern Indifference to and unbelief
of Christianity is caused by its discolora-
tions. 1t is not the-religion pure and
simple, which has the love of God and
the love of man for its essential elements,
that men object to or turn away from


Tbapa ic M TopOtaSt au tho Eol6aT1
Rule, the forgiveness of enemies, the
spirit of love, the philanthropy that sac
rifces self for others and for truth, the
pietys that trusts everything to God.
There is no rebellion against the idea of
Gods parents character and government
of the world, nor the theology that un-
derlies the parable of the Prodigal Son,
nor the ethics that find expression in the
Good Samaritan. All that is essential to
and characteristic in the Christian; re
ligion is beyond dispute; and contend as
theologians and critics may about the
accuracy of the Gospels and the his
torical verify of thetlife of Jesus, there is
no question that the specific type of
character represented by Christ is trans
cendently grand and holy. This is color
less Christianity, the pure white radiance
of religion which contrasts so divinely
with the strangely-t and earthy-hued
faiths of ancient and modern times that
we wonder not that it seems to any to
have come from heaven. And the real
question of religion to-day, is not whether
any of the doctrinal systems. which AFRO
gate the Christian name shall succeed in
maintaining its pretensions, and compel
all the others to submit or quit the field,
nor whether we cannot get rid of Chris
tianity altogether by merging it in a
medly of ethnic religions until all that is
characteristic and potential in it is
bleached away; but whether these essen
tial, primitive, and potential qualities of
it shall have recognition and sway. Shall
we have the religion without its discol-
orations?


1t is just here that all sectarians show
their want of faith and insight Color
less Christianity, they cry, is no Chris
tianity at ALL A religion without set of
positive doctrines to hedge it about and
a ritual to give it body and visibility, is a
mere abstraction Christianity without
creed and ceremonial is mere morality,
worthless as wind. But Methodist, and
Baptist, and Presbyterian fail to see that
Christianity existed and was very posi-
tive and powerful force in the great
centres of ancient life, for centuries be-
fore any of our modern ereeds and wor-
ships were elaborated. The Roman
Catholic cannot get within six centuries
of the Man of Nazareth. Make a par
ticular creed and worship essential to
salvation, and either the believers of the
first centuries or three fourths of their
modern followers are lost. Admit that
some belief is of the highest Importance;
but it does not follow from this admis-
sion that belief in any of the great staples
of modern theology is essential. There
is not the slightest reason for thin king
that Jesus believed single one of them,
that either j John'or Paul was a Trinita-
rian, that Peter believed he held the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, or that
James held the doctrine Of substitution.
or that Polycarp, or ST. Ignatius, or
Origen, or any of the early missionaries
of the religion, believed in the Nicene
Creed or that which bears the name of
Athanasius If creed we must have
why not be content with that which con
tented the founder of Christianity him
self2 Is it not enough to believe in the
Fatherhood and loving care of God, the
brotherhood of man, the superiority Of
duty to dogma, and the spirit of love and
a life ofgoodness to all forms of worship?
Is not colorless Christianity all the Chris
tianity there really is?


The sooner our sectarian teachers an
swer these questions in the affirmative
lAl0 OSltSE JOf tnS ana nldilh1htl.
The discolorations are not only not the
religion, but the result of foreign if not
pernicious additions. The sooner it is
released from them and left to flow in
its intrinsic purity, and shine in It's own
white light, the sooner will it command
the homage and win the faith and renew
the life of the world. Call it mere moral
ity, if the hurling of such an epithet
affords the least relief. Christendom has
spent eighteen hundred years in quarrel
ling over and oontending about systems
of theology, and with desolating if not
damning results. Now let it Substitute
ethics for dogmas, and instead of believ-
ing q creed in order to lead life, believe
in a great life of goodness and all that is
essential to it and goes to make it rich
and noble, and leave the creed to be set
tied by each man for himself. So, and
not otherwise, shall we have the peace
that comes from purity, and the kingdom
which is truth and love.