Year: 1875

hell Of penal torment in the next world and
into a far away heaven from which certainly large
part of those whom we love VIII be shut out Again,
Jesus taught that tho kingdom Of heaven comes not
with observation, but is within you--a silent hidden
thing Of the heart and conscience and character begin
ming in the smallest germs OF good planted I'D the MIND
and growing and developing silently and naturally as
the influence Of heaven spreads or corn grows in
the field; first the blade then the ear, then the u
corn in the Orthodoxy teaches us on the other
hand-is it not too much 10 so that the kingdom
OF heaven comes with observation and "Lol here's"
and "Lol there's-with words, with excitements
of preaching and singing and loud exhortation, with
outward professions, with conversions


BLAzoNED WORLD,


and all that of thing Again, Jesus taught that
they who in the judgment day should be accepted and
hear the welcome words-"Come, ye blessed Of my
Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation Of the world" were not those who said
Lord God have we not prophesied in Thy name, &c,
The TO be saved those who did the will OF the
Father by feeding the hungry clothing the Naked visit
ing the SICK receiving the stranger minsterng 10 the
wants Of the poor and suffering and OF their brother
human beings in this world. Orthodoxy, on the other
hand teaches that those who shall be accepted at the
judgment are those who have simply beleved-beleved
that


Jesus died and paid it all


Yes all the debt they owe


Finally, to mention other antagonisms, Jesus
taught that the only proper object of worship for human
beings is God, the Father Of a-even inditing form
of prayer beginning Our Father which art heaven"
and giving any hint of encouragement or ntoer
TO anything which looked in the direction OF
worship OF himself Orthodoxy however that is Prot
esant orthodoxy of the o-calledevangelical typea
which specially popular England ana Amer
lea just now, and which into contact with
than any other-has reversed all this and
erected Jesus into not simply an object but the prnci
pal object of human worship Virgin Mary worship Is
scarcely conspicuous in Catholic countries than
Jesus worship is getting to be in this country Not only
in preaching but in hymns prayers God has fallen
quite into the background, and Jesus has taken his
place


Quite recently minister, discussing the Sermon
the Mount, remarked that this sermon OF Christ
very noticeable and for several reasons First all it





noticeable for that for what IL did
say the truth could not be escaped he argued,
that that lengthy and complete of all of Jesus
public discourses, in which He laid down the great
truths He had to offer, never more fully anywhere els
the great Teacher altogether omitted everything which
under the head Of the doctrines of orthodoxy.
He explained and set forth the Christianity which He
had to offer TO men, with all that left And il
follow the teachings of Jesus right from that time
TO the end do not know how deny that
always find Him setting forth Christianity which has
all these peculiar orthodox doctrines lett out The
Trinity, Adams fall, total depravlty, the plan of
dempton $50 called the atonement as taught by orho
doxy and every other one all wanting. The only
seeming exception is the


DOCTRINE ETERNAL HE'LL,


and even in this the exception is rather imaginary than
real for in those where Jesus referred punish
ment in the next world and uses the word everlasting
eternan in connection with in every the Greek
diOn dOnos, translated eternal everlasting the
same word which used repeatedly in other places in
the New Testament in connection with things which
come to an end.


The speaker continued some length in opposition
to the doctrine of eternal punishment hereafter and
then proceeded to argue that orthodoxy is irrational
and unreasonable. He said charge it with being
quite antagonstic is TO the teaching OF
Christ After subsantiating this point at great length,
he proceededto consider


IMMORTALITY ORTHODOXY.


affirm that it is not only (rsD contrary to the teach
ings of Jesus and second irrational, but that it is
(thrd) essentially immoral Mind, do not say that
people in the orthodox theology necessarily immoral
people. Certainly some men of morals rreproachable
men who undoubtedly regard orthodoxy true.
And some preachers who preach with great vigor and
power against sin, and in favor of righteousness,
Is,
orthodoxy, theology, is mixed up, through and
through with ideas that are immoral in their tendency;
that nearly or quite every essential doctrine of it is
either founded upon or else necessarily involves prn-
cipes which when egitimately carried out and lust SO
far they legitimatey carried out lead TO the
degradation of God and to the moral injury of men The
fact that these tendencies are to somo extent prac
cay checked, and that these principles do not always
flow to their legitimate results, does not change the
nature of the all If place bread upon my din
ner table that has poison in it. and serve it out
to my family, 1t Is only poor excuse that
also serve out with it other food that is
heathful, that provide TO extent medi-
cines and antdotes for the poison The fact is poison
is poison, whether material poison moral poison
and should never be given into either stomach BRAIN
nor can II be with impunity Let us for moment look
at few OF the leading doctrines OF orthodoxy sep
arately. For example, the doctrine earnestly
preached OF the inalbiity OF the Bible, the idea
concerning the Bible that every word of 1t word of
Cod and that the book must be accepted from lid
lid with no reservations.


After referring to the many improbable stories con-
tanned in the Scriptures, and the things which
done and regarded as right which we're in the ceares
antagonistic to Gods law, he said -''Yct every
man who claims that the Bible is nfable and to be ac
ccpted as every part and particle from God and per-


Thefall of Adam, the doctrines of election and fore
ordination, the atonement the trinity and total de-
pravity then referred to and from
Unitarian point of view. He claimed that scepticsm
was becoming more and more rife throughout
the land Men are respectful to the in
stitutions OF Christianity, and in many
rent pews and subscribe toward building churches and
go far favor their wives and children going
to church They themselves slip out Of going as much
as possible preerrng 10 stay at home and read Tynda
and Spencer and Proctor and the reviews and the
daily papers, from which they get something that
commends itself their and feeds their nte
gence, rather than TO church and hear doctrines
which they have heard hundred times and which an
pear plainly absurd the oftener they hear them
1t is not very long since the New York Evangelist
speaking on this subject, used such words these
"Among all the earnest minded young men, who
this moment leading in thought and action in America
venture to say that our-hfths sceptcal of the
great historical facts Of Christianity" What is taught
as Christian doctrine by the churches claims of
their consideration and there is among them general
disrust OF the clergy class, and utter disgust
with the very aspect Of modern Christianity and of
Christian worship. "This scepticsm is not 1ippant"
continues the Erdn9eiist 'tle is said about it, 1t
is not popularity Of radicals and fanatics :"


The intelligence OF the age drifts away from the teach
ing of the churches of this because ought to- and
il will continue TO drift more and surely
truth is truth and God rules until the time comes when
the churches shall have theology TO teach that does
oppose plain teachings Of Christ that does not
outrage common sense; that does not violate mans
deepest OF justice and right and that has not
plainly foised itself upon Christianity from without
oIbuOuoAy uaS uoHe. tcH you Jnab men VINO Stanu
up to-day, in this enlightened age and coun-
try, TO rear the old decaying doctrines of orthodoxy
are just bombardng the best brain and culture of the
country right out OF the churches No matter if these
men do draw crowded houses and win what for the
moment seems success. 1t is all the same Their
cess is rushligh-a Whit OF sober blows IL out
In the long run-in the deep and permanent and real
effect which they productivity drive the best thought
and intelligence Of the land away from Christianity,
and sad is TO say it, in the direction of disbelief of
all religion The only thing that hold the intelli-
gence Of the age and still more emphatcally the only
thing that can hold the vastly enlarged inteln-
gence Of the ages coming, is Christianity
did not teach; everything which is not reasonable;
everything which Is not sweet and pure and high and
worthy and hence everything which does not commend
itself TO the earnest and devout intelligence Of the time
Friends believe me- such Christianity is the certain
inherItor Of the future We may live TO see the
time when Il shall prevail but prevail it must by and