« VOL. 1. O nly One Life. S IL V E R T O N , O REGON . T H U R SD A Y , MAY Christian system. 2 7 , iS 9 > . NO. 30. of God, since with us he is not onl\ corrupts bis soul. Rev. Barrows says: “ The H indoo fath er> hut husband, brother, Suppose I should say th a t at the ’Tis not for m an to trifle; life is brief, irit today is strangely spirit strangei; stirred and tnothe*, friend. H ad C hristianity centre of the earth th ere is a d ia And sin is here. O ur age is b u t th e falling of a leaf, restless, and there never was a more ever to contend with a religion mond one hundred miles in d ia m A dropping te a r. We have no tim e to sp o rt aw ay th e hours ; favorable tim e for a large re- which h a d a sound philosophy for eter, and that I would give $10,000 'All m ust be e arn est in a w’orld like ours. enforcem ent of the various d e p a rt a basis? Can a religion resting on to any man who would believe my historic foundation be as perm anent statem ent. Could such a prom ise Not nnfny lives, b u t only one have we; m ents of C hristian work.” One, only one. and satisfactory as a religion rest- be regarded as evidence? How sacred should th a t one life ever be— The reinforcem ent is needed at , j j . j, T. , *ng on ideas? Is there salvation Day after day filled up w ith blessed toil, i In tellig en t people would not ask , . . , , . t H our after h o u r still bringing in new hom e, and needed badlv. . Belief for those of us who have heard of for rew ards, but reasons. Only in th e su p e rn a tu ra l religion of L . . . . • n . ■ . , , . sp o il! , . .. •* . , the h isto n e C hrist, but to whom he hypocrites would ask for the — Selected C hristianity, in the m iracles, in the is not so attra c tiv e as our own m oney. fall of m an, in salvation by C h rist’s and sages? W hv should we Rev. B arro w s a n d th e H indoos. blood, in the superhum an character . saints Yet, according to th e New T esta . , , .. , .. , , . , r . I study the bible when we have not m ent, C hrist offers a rew ard to of C hrist, in a personal Devil, in Rev. J. Barrows says: “ The fail yet m astered our own scriptures? those who would believe, and this everlasting punishm ent, in the ure of Hindooism to furnish peace Does not the A lm ighty give to every prom ised rew ard was to take the divine inspiration and a u th o rity of m an th a t religion which he sees and m oral h ealing to the individual place of evidence. W hen C h rist the Bible— belief in these is steadily is best fitted for him .” and regeneration to its m illions of m ade th is promise he forgot, ig declining in the church and outside votaries is becoming a p p a re n t to B. F. UNDERW OOD. nored, or held in contem pt the rec the church, in the p ulpit as well as the H indoos them selves. The titude of a brave, free and n atu ra l in the pew. In such a condition, The Church and Truth. reforming sects are an em phatic a n soul. when great tracts in our cities are nouncem ent of this social and churchless, when church continues To compel a man to desert the The declaration th a t salv atio n is religious failure.” to exist, especially — w for the w ealthy •- I stan d ard of reason, the church does the reward for belief is inconsistent The in d ividual am ong the H indoos and fashionable classes, because of! not entirely rely on the th re a t of with m ental freedom , and could has as much “ peace” and m oral th eir social and esthetic.features, eternal pain to he endured in a n have been m ade by no man who healing” as does the individual and th eir exclusiveness, rath er than other world, hut holds out the re thought th a t evidence sustained among Christians and as for general because of an y interest in the ward of everlasting joy. the slightest relation to belief. “ regeneration” th ere are no nations doctrines m entioned above, C h risti To those who believe it promises Every serm on in which men have on earth more in need of it than a n ity is in a fine condition to a t the endless ecstacies of heaven. If been told th a t they could save their the Christian nations. In w hat tem pt the work of converting India it cannot frighten it will bribe. It souls by believing has been an in Pagan nation can be found more whose heathen teachers are am ong refits on fear and hope. ju ry . Such serm ons dull tne m oral drunkenness, p ro stitution, ab n o rm us try in g to show the superiority A religion, to com m and the re sense, and subvert the true concep al vice, cheating, bribing, stealing, as well as the sufficiency of their spect of intelligent men, should tion of virtue and duty. m urdering, m unicipal corruption, faith! rest on a foundation of established The true m an, when asked to be robbing the people by legislative Rev. J. H. Barrows presents some facts. It should appeal, not to lieve, asks for evidence. The tru e and judicial m ethods and destroying hum an life in w ar th a n have for of the “ m ental differences” of the passion, not to hope and fear, but m an, who asks an o th er to believe, It should ask offers evidence. centuries disgraced the nations of H indoo m ind in th e form of the to the judgm ent. Christendom. The fact th a t there follow'iug inquiries which, he says, th a t all the faculties of the m ind, B ut this is not all. are “ reform ing sect” in In d ia shows are those most frequently put in all the senses, should assem ble and In spite of the th rea t of etern al private or public: take counsel together, and th a t its th a t th e m oral and progressive p ain—of th e prom ise ot ev erlasting claim s he passed upon and tested spirit exists there and is allowed to “ Is faith in the historic C hrist joy, unbelievers increased, an d the w ithout prejudice, w ithout fear, in a-sert itself. In Christendom for h u n essential to salv atio n ? If so, what churches took a n o th er step. the calm of perfect candor. dreds of years church and state became of those who lived before the The churches said to the u n b e combined to crush out every advent of C hrist or wrho have never But the church cries: “ Believe lievers, the heretics: “ A lthough “ reforming sect” th a t appeared and heard of him? How can the sacri on the Lord Jesu s C hrist and thou our God will punish you forever in to suppress every m ovem ent for the fice of C h rist’s m ere body atone for shalt he saved.” W ithout th is be another w orld—in his prison—th e • m ancipation of the people from the sins of the soul? Is not God lief there is no salvation. S alva doors of which open only to receive, civil and religious despotism , and om nipresent in stones and anim als, tion is th e reward for belief. we, unless you believe, will torm ent now reform is possible only w'h^re and if so w hat evil is there in so- Belief is, and forever m ust be, you now » the power of the church has been called idolatry? Is man an isolat the result of evidence. A promised * , , , , . . _ . , , , And then the m em bers of these limited and public opinion has ed creation at a p articu lar tim e rew ard is not evidence. It sheds i . . . » . been modified by the progress of and on this e a rth ? W hy should no intellectual light. It establishes churches, led by priests, popes, and freethought and science, which there l>e only one Savior? W hy no fact, answ ers no objection, and clergym en, sought out their unbe lieving neighbors—chained them in everywhere go hand in hand. should not m ancóm e to God direct dissipates no doubt. dungeons, stretched them on racks, Says Rev. J. H. Barrows: “ The ly, w ithout the intervention of a Is it honest to offer a reward for crushed their bones, cu t out th eir claim th a t the C hristian religion is m ediator? Do you not believe in the belief? tongues, extinguished th eir eyes, essentially universal, was m eant to u ltim ate salvation of all souls? If The man who gives monev to a be so from the beginning and is not, is not your C h ristian ity in- judge or ju ro r for a decision or ver- flayed them alive, and consumed sure to cover an d dom inate the ferior to H indooism , which provides diet is guilty of a crime. W hy ? their poor bodies in flames. All this was done because these earth is very d istu rb in g to the for the final salvation of all? Why Because he induces the judge, the Hindoo pride, and arouses his dis should a religion which claim s to juror, to decide, not according to C hristian savages ° believed ---------- in --- the —- sent much more violently th an the be uni versal have originated so late the law, to the facts, the right, bqt dogm a of eternal p ain — because claim th a t C h ristia n ity is true. in history? W hat are th e character- according to the bribe. they believed th a t heaven was the rew ard for belief. Hindoos believe th a t they can istic differences between Hindoos So believing, The bribe is not evidence. absorb everything th a t is tru e and and A m ericans? W ill C hristian- So the promise of C hrist to re they were th e enemies of free remain loyal to H indooism !” ity m ake progress against a religion ward those who will believe if» a th o u g h t and speech; they cared Hindooism, th a t is philosophical so highly eclectic as Hindooism? bribe. It is an attem p t to m ake a n o thing for conscience, nothing for Hindooism, does not need to absorb Is not m aterial im provem ent an im- prom ise take the place of evidence, th e veracity of a soul—n o thing for C hristianity for it has alread y all pedim ent to religious im provem ent? He who says th a t be believes, and ^he m an n er of a m an. th at can be called tru th in the H ave we not the highest conception does this for the sake of reward, R. G. I ngersoll .