S ucht
FÛ/i
VOL 1.
For the Torch of Ken»on.
S IL V E R T O N , O REGON , TH U R SD A Y , OCTOBER 21, Í897.
NO. 51,
, dox doctrine th a t belief in C hris-j ject of pity, rath e r th an revenge?
The B rain .
tia n ity is essential to salvation.
There are idiots in m orality as well
By K. G In gcrt.nl 1.
There is no possibility here of as idiots in intellect; and although
By G race E. G ru b er.
Where rushes are growing, and green evading a dilem a. If belief is an society is justified in forcible re-
The dark continent of m otive
Where'wUlovvs^are1 waving to breeze
re(P ‘1>lte to salvation, then straining such unfortunate persons, and desire has never been explored.
so serene;
m illions of sincere d isbelievers! in self-defence, why should an om- In the brain, th a t wondrous world
sm all bowers,
m u i . u n < . th e m o st heinous-
n- n ip o te n t G o d , whom they can not with one in h ab itan t, there are re­
And bright E nglish daisy is rightly justice conceivable. Or, if no such harm , alter creating them , inflict
th e q u e e n :
com lition is absolutely necessary, upon them a kind of punishm ent, cesses dim and d ark , treacherous
W ith th e b rig h t sun beguiling, all na
then the siorv of atonem ent be- which, in cutting off the possibility sands and dangerous shores, where
tu re is sm iling.
And my soul is entrance«! by th e c o , ^ a fab le, a n d th e p la n of salva- of reform ation, c«»nld serve only to seem ing sirens tem pt and fade;
rteauties of m orn ;
’
h
H ere n a tu re ’s bestow ing, with sweet 'H o n a farce. W hat was the need g r .ttik th e m a lig n ity of a d em o n ? stream s th at rise in unknow n lands
zephyrs blow ing,
th a t C hrist should die to save th e ' Second, if faith is not an especial from hidden springs, strange seas
All th e splendor of n a tu re , th is scene
to adorn.
believing sinners if the disbelievers I gift of God, and if it is p ro p e r’ that
with ebb and flow of tides, resist­
Then upw ard w hile gazing, to expanse can be entitled to the sam e salv a­ we sh o u ld lx* g u id ed by reason in th e
less billows urged by storm s of
am azing.
tion?
And
if
honest
Infidels
can
sel» ctio n of a creed, o u g h t we th e n flame, profound and awful depths
I ’m held by a pow er which I cannot
md be saved the same as believers, ¡ to he east into a “ iake of eternal
c o n ce al;
hidden by m ist of dream s, obscure
W hile intensely I ponder, I n a tu ra lly then God is measureless!v unjust
fire” for choosing a belief or disbe- and phantom realm s where vague
w onder,
Spellbound by those beauties which and cruel.
lief which is in strict ac ciid a n ce I and fearful things are h a lf reveaiwl,
n a tu re reveal.
It is sometimes adm itted th a t if with our reason? If the Roman
To each of us m ortals, th ro ’ E a r th ’s
jungles where passion’s tigers
a man should I’ve a pure life, th a t Catholic C hurch should indeed he
w ondrous jxirtals,
crouch, and skies of cloud and blue
A b rig h t light is (learning to d a rk ­ is, exhibit the sinlessness of a C hris­
the “ A lleinseligm aehende,” and onr; where fancies fly with painted
ness e rase;
Yet, can it lie b etter, w hen unbound tian, w ithout faith, there might he reason tells us it is hut a corruption
wings th a t dazzle and m islead; and
from e a r th ’s fetter,
some
hope
of
his
salvation.
But
if
of
the
tru
e
fold
of
C
hrist,
and
th
a
t
If we find not these beauties, which
tin* poor sovereign of th is pictured
it is conceded that simple m orality, P rotestantism expresses the true world is led by old desires and an-
in life we em brace?
We know e arth has bow ers, clear <»r honest devotion to the Religion w’J l of G*»d, ought w»‘ to he punish- cient hate», and stained bv crimes
stream s, and bright flowers,
of H um anity, can entitle a man to < (1 f< r being Protestant? But sup­
Y et w e’ve all felt th e th o rn s which
of m any vanished years, and p u sh ­
salvation, is not this a positive con­ pose our reason assures us th a t
belong to th e rose ;
ed by hands th a t long ago were
Y et who would not liear th em , and tradiction of every fundam enta
neither Rom anism nor P ro testa n t- dust, u n til he feels like some he­
gladly com pare them
teaching
of
the
C
hristian
religion
¡¡s
W ith th e stream lets of m y th , of
rn, nor any other form o f super-I wildered slave th a t Mockery has
which nobody knows?
a s distinguished from A thei-tic or n a tu ra lis m is w o rth y of creedence, throned and crowned,
R em em ber th e d e ar ones, th e loved
H u m an itarian philosophy? If the ought we then to he held guilty b e -{
ones, th e n e ar ones,
T hat in life we would clasp to our skeptic can fare as well as the be­
cause we rem ain true to ourcon vie
P rie sts, K ings an d People.
h e a rt’s warm em b race;
liever,
of
what
value
an*
C
h
rist’s
Should we e n te r a sphere ami not find
tions? Surely hut one logical a n - 1
“ ~
o u r loves th ere,
swer
can
be
g
iv
e
n
to
th
is
question.
,en
,e
different
nations, in a
words to Nicodemus:
“ Except a
O, who could, or who would, find joy
T hird, if we do not receive our tran sp o rt of fury, were going to tear
m an he horn again, he can not see
in th at place?
kingdom of G od?”
W hy “ saving failh ’ as an especial divine in pieces the men who had thus
Just give me th e e a rth , w ith its so r­ the
and dare not .trust the voice of deceived them ; hut the legislator,
rows, its m irth ,
should a m an he converted, or gift,
reason, there can he b u t one oilier .... ...
... .
, , . ,
The loved ones I cherish and fondly
“ born again.” if he can be endowed way left; viz., by accident. That,
1 'g 1
,,,wveD)e,|t <>f violence,
would hold.
Life’s day is a stream , w h e th er rough with th e elem ents of holiness at Ids any soul could m erit endless tor- ai ( H KHe< *he chiefs and doctors:
or serene,
hat!” said he, “ instructors o f
G liding onw ard ! yet keeping th e se­ n atu ral birth? And th at this is m ent for not being aware of certian i
c re t u n to ld :
possible can no longer he denied. conditions which only accident <»r nations, is it thus th a t you have
O, y et if we would, a h , how tru ly we
could make known, is an deceived them ?” And the terrified
It is vain to say th a t lofty-m inded chance
could
idea which of course needs no dis- priests replied: “O legislator! we
Shed a heavenly light on o u r own Infidels are indebted to careful
cussion. We are thus compelled
e a rth ly s p h e r e ;
are men. The people are so super­
H elp th e w ayw ard, th e blind—love train in g in childhood, or C hristian to ad m it th a t no D eity could justly
our bro th er m an k in d ,
parentage, lor their moral excel­ reqrfire hum an beings to observe stitious! they have themselves en ­
Then sigh not for heaven, for heaven
lence. It is now conceded by the an y conditions whatsoever as nec- couraged these errors.” And the
is here.
a s sa rv to s a lv a tio n , since th e pos-
mosi em inent theologians, th at all ! gjhility of our observing the condi- kings said: “0 legislator! the peo­
The Plan of Salvation.
the moral principals of C hristianity tions would rest with him alone, ple are so servile and so ignorant!
l»y I cigar <!. Beall
were taught and practiced by and lie would therefore himself he ’hev prostrated them selves before
First, if this “saving fa ith ” is a heathen philosophers who never resp o n sib le for ev ery ca se of non- the yoke, which we scarcely dared
to show them .” Then the legisla­
“ gift of God,” and he purposely heard of Christ or tire C hristian accept« nee.
W ith regard to these obvious de­ tor, turn in g to the people: “ P e o ­
witholds it from certain men, could Bible.
Hence, there can he no fects in the Scheme of Redem ption,
any thing more unjust he conceived reason why men today can not at- orthodoxy has given and can give ple!” said he, “ rem em ber w hat you
than th a t he should then dam n tain the same developm ent inde­ hut one reply; viz., “ There is no have ju st heard; they are two
And
it is indelible truths. Yes, you y o u r­
those m en? If it is God’s plan pendently of C hristian dogmas. sincere Infidelity.”
to inspire faith in the m inds of all But, granting, for the sake of argu­ w orthy of note th at in the New selves cause the evils of which you
T estam ent no special provision is
yourselves encourage
who are to he saved, is he not then m ent, th a t the wok ! belief as ever m entioned for honest unbelief com plain;
responsible for the skepticism and used in the Bible, does not neces- on the part of any w ho have heard the ty ran ts, by a base adulation of
However, nothing their power, by an im prudent a d ­
consequent punishm ent of all dis­ sarilly mean lielief at all, and that the Gospel.
believers? Some C hristians hold to avoid any reflection upon the is easier dernonstr.«ted th an the m iration of th eir false beneficence,
th a t faith m ay be obtained by justice of G’»d, it m ay he interpretdd existence of m illions who- con- by servility in obedience, by licen­
„
. scientiously reject th e suiiernatur
prayer. To ask a confirmed ath e­
nieiin 'good works, or purity of
,.f ,ho iijbfe in t b . face of tiousness in liberty, and by a cred-
ist to pray for faith is about as character; the question still re- every argum ent th a t can he present- uloUH o p t i o n of every im position,
whom shall you wreak ven-
rational as to advise a drow ning m ains, would there be any justice ed in its d ef use. A d linked w i'h
m an to swim to the shore for a in consigning even a wicked man 'o ’his fact the conviction must come gean<*e for the faults com m itted bv
boat. There are thousands of noble everlasting pain, when the very to every candid and reflective m ind, your own ignorance and c u p id ity 7”
cause of hie d epravity was an organ- th a t th e Plan „ « S a lv a tio n is co ,- An,|
Rtruck Milll
men and women who have not faith ization
I 11« M I £ a » n •» d VI a n • vll
e n V
v I iro n m e n t V which
’»Hist , s is v w
te n • > t v w ■
ith
V ■ ■ n e ith e r th
VI1V
e v
c<>n*titu-
z v» v
i»
- • .
1 .
enough even to begin to pray, and em anated solely from God himself? Hon of hum an nature, nor any log- U8I° " , rem ained in m ournful sil-
if orthodoxy is true, they m ust suf- II a man is inherently vile, and dis- ical conception of a just or merci- p,,ce- Trom \ olney’s R uins of
Em pires.
fer eternally, or else it is not ortho- posed only to evil, is he not an oh- ful God.
H eaven is Here.