Gospel Herald, 1860-09-22

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Devoted, to Olirisfiariitjr, Morality, the Interesta of Sabbath Schools, Social Impro-v-ement, Temperance, Edtacatioii, and General Ne-ws.
"BEHOLD,   I   BRING   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GREAT   JOY  ....  ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   "WILL   TOWARD   MEN.'
VOL. 17.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, SEPT. 22, I860.
NO. 20.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
Wrillen fur the Ootpel Uerald.
The Orphan's BeYerle.
BY UIS.9. R. N. OliAYTOK. A Stranger on a foreign shore,
Avray ftom those I love moat dear, "Without a n:olh«r'fl loving voice.
Or Bister's kindly cheer,
I -wandered forth at close of day. And thus beneath an oak reclined.
And while I -watched the brook at play, Theso thoughts came passing through my mind:
Of many a joyoua day that's passed. Of many a cherished hope that's fled—
Of those 1 fondly loved on earth. That no-w sleep -with the silent dead.
YcB, tliey are gone—and 1 alon e. Am left to tread life's weary -way;
Yet soon PU meet tbem iu that Homij Where every tear is wiped a-way.
For God has said that he would be
A Father lo the poor and lone. And wheu from sorrow 1 am free,
He'll take me lo tho orphan's home.
Oi/nthiuna, Ind., Auy. 24, 18(10,
ORIGINALITIES.
Diirinely Inspired Truth the Only Sure Basis of Action.
BY H, SIMONTON,
As statod in a former article, I here repettt that I do not claim perfection fur tho Christian Church, neither in , theory or practice. We are like other men—we are human. We are imper¬ fect in judgment, and liable to make mistakes. 1 most freely admit that ¦with cthcra we may hold errors in theory, and manifest many iu pratical life. Eut while I admit thi.s, I think I may be permitted to claim honesty of i n- tention in the selection and practice of Our religious sentiments, and an aver¬ age atnount of moral and i^piritual goodness of heart and life, with those of other, older and larger religious churches amoug us. This is not said in tho light and spirit of boasting, tor we have nothing of which to boast, either before G-od or man; but it is said in the light of truth, and in the exercise of our Christian right of self- defense. Should thore be those found in other churohes -who have the boldness aud self-confidence to claim sinless perfection, in theory and prac¬ tice, I suppose thoy must be permitted to judge in matters of evangelical faitli; but I am of the opinion that none such can be found, at least among reasonable and rational men, -who have any respect for liberty of con¬ science and freedom of religious sonti- niont. Although there may be none found amongTrotestani; churches who claim the divine seal of sinless perfec¬ tion in religious sentiment and prac-1 tiee, yet I regret to say that there are] tho.so who iu, their practice stand on I this selfish basis. They claitn thej God-given right to judge for them¬ selves in matters of religious fuith, and then assume the right to condemn oth¬ ers for a difference of opinion; on dis¬ puted technical points in Theology,— This, in my humble judgment, is a species and relic of A/ieri/, and be¬ longs to the dark ages of the Church, and is yet ono grand element of the
Roman Catholic Church. The Protest¬ ant Church does not admit this self-as¬ sumed claim, yet many of them set up this claim in their actions, in the most selfish manner.
This is only another evidence ofthe iron rule of selfish sectarianism over the spirit and actions of other-wise good men. When wo come to examine closely into the feelings and actions of many in different churches, who profess and claim to be the fast friends of liberal feeling, we find them all cov¬ ered over with this selfish, dogmatical spirit.
It requires a cautious spirit, and an humble devoted heart, wholly under the control of the living, saving prin¬ ciples of revealed truth, not to bo drawn from the right path by the selfish na¬ ture and sectional character of the creed system. Its native element is selfishness. It meets the demands of the carnal, selfish dispositions of men. Nothing is better calculated to promote self-worship than the conflict¬ ing creeds of the different churche,«; they never can eome together in the spirit of love. In proportion as men put confidence in creeds as rules of ac¬ tion, in any sense of the term, just ih that proportion will they lose confi¬ dence in the Word of God as the rule of action. 1 do not eay that men in¬ tend to do this; but they do it They say by thoir confidence in creeds, that the Word of God is not perfect,
A living, active and confiding faith in the God-given inspiration of the Bible, connected with uniform devo¬ tional obedience to the teachings of the good Master, will result in a.well-built Chri.stian Character, which faith and character should commend the person or persons to the highest character of Christian confidence, of all tho good and true in the (Uiristian sense of the term. This is coming to the only swre basis—ihe living fountain head, where mon can drink of the living waters of life, unpolluted by coming in contact with Creed and old Theological abstrac¬ tions, and vain speculations, and un¬ reasonable cominandmonts of selfish, sectarian men,
Here is a solid, immovable and un¬ polluted basis, on which to stand—the divinely inspired word of God, which will stand in the judgment ofthe great day. While the intolertint confessions of faith,. Creeds of Silfish men, tho de¬ crees of general councils, will all be lost sight of by the Judge of all hearts. Thon the confidence of good men in the word of God as the highest rule of action, and their honest obedience to it, and their rejection of ci^eeds as rules of action, will be sust^ained.— Nothing will commend men to the ad¬ miration ofthe Judge, but an unsha¬ ken confidence in his word, and a liv¬ ing Christian Character, formed by active obedience to the divine will,— Such as are redeerfted bj' the redeem¬ ing blood of Christ, from all the vile pollutions of sin. All who are saved, must be covered by the cross of Christ. Men.must rest in himtheirliving head. He must be all in all,
111 proportion as men put their con¬ fidence in creeds, doctrines and com¬ inandmonts of men, as articles of faith, and rules of church government, they wili almost insensibly lose sight ofthe groat truth on which they should stand.
The infallibility of the word of God, by which they shoull be governed, and by which they should judge of, and measure tho evanreh'cal charactci of the faith and life of others who may not see every part of revealed truth, from the same stand-point with   thom.
There are in ray opinion, two great points essential for men to see and feel. That nothing will stand approved ol God in the judgment of the last day, but the truth of God—its iufallibk- teachings and obedience to it, which will form the highest grade of charac¬ ter—even Christian Character, which, in my humble opinion, is the only positive and certain test of member¬ ship, in the spiritual body of Christ; and the only sure basis of fellowship amoug the brotherhood of Christ,
I think that men may, and do hold different opinions on many parts ol revealed truth; and at the same time, all hold the same fundamental Bibli truths, in substance, on all vital points connected with the plan of salvation Because a man holds thnt there is n Trinity of three persons in tbe Infinite God, it does not sliow tbat he does not believe in the God given inspiration of Gospel truth, and that he does not hold the evangelical Biblo truth, that Jesus is theChrist, the son of God, and only God-given medium  of salvation.
This old notioD. ofa Trinity of per¬ sons in God, is only an old, mysteri¬ ous, incomprehensible, ideal something of the imagination, and not a living, understanding reality to the mind.— All who hold the God-L'iven inspira¬ tion ofthe new institution, believe that Jesus is tbo Christ, tlie son of God, and the God-given medium of salvation. This, is tho groat, leading truth, taught in tho word of God, and the one to be believed by all, before they can be saved.
Unshaken confidence in the divine will, connected with active obedience, wherein the person or persons make a personal and positive application of the Gospel plan of salviition, is what is required of men. This is evangelical find it when and where, and aiiiong whom we may; and is and has been the living sentiment of tho Christian Church, Spiritual life and union with the Father and Son—Living, Holy Christ-like mind and character, is the grand and glorious point to whicli Christian men and women should aim at in life. The basis of all this is, a belief in the God-given inspiration of the blessed Bible, and tho divine mis¬ sion of Christ, tho Son of God, and sent of the Father.
This will prepare men to look on theii fellow men from a mote Ubeial and ele\ated stand point than that of selfiih cieedfc Whcie this is the no ble aim of men in spiitui,! life, no selfish settatian spiiit and dogma will in the letst bc peimitted to bias then minds, in making up then estimate of thepeismal po-iitneandiel itivc value of theu fellow men who diftci -iMth tbem in opinion—in this C'liistlike condition of miml thoy < m do it m the pure light of divine tiuili
The nioic men cultivite thi. spiiitu al uatuu and Iniiig chaiattu ol tho goodilaitci and live in thobouudkos ocean of the loMi ot God the less con fidence will thej havo m cuels and confessions of f iitb     The whole men
tal and spiritual man will be taken up and lost in the fullness of Christ and the perfection of revealed truth; compared with this, creeds will look small and worthless.
The Christian connection have, and do yet hold that the Bible is of God, and that the Gospel of Christ is tho only divine system ot salvation by which the world can be saved. None hold this great fundamental truth with a more confiding confidence. Should we define our leading doctrines in the form of a creed, and make it a test of the evangelical character of Christian faith, it would 'not make our confidence any stronger in the God-given inspi¬ ration of the Bible—the divine mis¬ sion of Christ, nor us any better peo¬ ple. This would only be offering our opinion of what the Bible teaches, in the form of a creed, as a test of the evangelical faith of others. This would be doing what no class of men havo any divine right to do, be they ever so- learned, wise and good!
God has given the law of action— tho remedial system of salvation—and it is tho equal' right and duty of all men to examine the plan and practice for themselves. The man or men who are not willing to sirant this to other,s, but condemnthem for a difference of religious opinion, such are selfish and sectarian in feeling and action, and have not tho souls of ' noble-minded men.
Men may differ widely in opinion and honest conception of Theological sentiment, and all hold an abiding confidence in the divine insjiiration of tho Bible, and God-given mission of Christ; and when and whore they from tho deejiest sentiments of the heart obey tho commandments; first, with mental, intellectual aud spiritual devotion, and second, in external acts of obedience, thoy are all good men in the light of truth, and should bo re¬ ceived as such by all christian people. God will judge according to our works.
This is what I call, living above the sectional, sectarian nature and char¬ acter of the creed system, and seltish- ness, in all its forms, in wliich it acts so detriraeutal to the best good, and the final, and glorious consumation , of union, in spirit and action, among all practical and devoted Christians. I may be in an error, but I am net able to perceive npon what rational basis, this position is not in nccordance with the nature and spirit of revealed truth.
When I reflect minutely, upon the benevolent character of the Divine Father, in tbe plan of salvation; and the lenient mannei in whicli He has dtali >viti oiling mm, Iholditasuie oasis fiom which to conclude th it wo, ai a Christian people have not been toolibcial notan-y moieso, than ttie natuic of tho suh]<.tt, and tho coiidi tion of men demands m oui basis of Chiistian union Oui paternal Father has minifcbted uioat libtiality of feel itig and action lowaids Ins feeble, ti ling childien in man-y i dhts ^xlicic they did not see rovoah d ti uth in the s ime light IP whii h ho pu (-cntcd it to them and v\htio tlic-y did uot oboj' it as unifinm, and to the full cxknt of its dcmtiid on thom
I take It foi gl anted that nom will claim peifcctioii in thton oi   ]iiactico
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