( v * 
 
 H MOV 9 1S23 * 
 
 BX 7321 .M3 1861 
 McKinney, A. L . 1819-1901. 
 Positive theology : or, My 
 reasons for being a member 
 
Digitized by 
 
 the Internet Archive 
 
 
 
 in 2014 
 
 
 
 https://archive.org/details/positivetheologyOOmcki_0 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY; 
 
 (* NOV 
 
 OE, 
 
 MY REASONS FOR BEING A MEMBER 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 A. L. McKINNE Y. 
 
 TIIOY, OI1IO. 
 
 CINCINNATI, 0.: 
 APPLEGATE & CO., PUBLISHERS, 
 
 No. 43 MAIN STEEET. 
 
 i«6i. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1861, 
 
 By W. T. HAWTHORN, 
 
 Iu the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Southern District of Ohio. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Somewhat more than a year since, a very simple cir- 
 cumstance awakened the thought in my mind, that a work 
 similar to the one I now send forth, might aid in diffusing 
 the enlarged and liberal sentiments and feelings on relig- 
 ion now obtaining strong footing in the Christian world; 
 and also that it might help in showing to the public the 
 true position of the Christian Church. I immediately 
 sketched the plan of the work, and commenced its prepa- 
 ration for the press. My first intention was to compass the 
 whole in a pamphlet of about one hundred pages, that it 
 might have the greater number of buyers and readers. 
 But experience soon taught me the impracticability of 
 doing even ordinary justice to the questions I proposed 
 discussing in so narrow limits. I was, therefore, com- 
 pelled either to abandon the undertaking or give up my 
 first intention respecting its size. I chose the latter; hence 
 the book that now commences its voyage, long or short, 
 prosperous or disastrous. 
 
 It will not, I trust, be regarded in me as asking exten- 
 uation for any faults this volume may contain, if I should 
 say, that it has been written amid the wearying labors 
 and exhausting cares and anxieties of ministerial duties ; 
 
 (iii) 
 
iv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and those in the same profession -will know, "by happy 
 experience," how to estimate them. And I may add, that 
 during the same period, I have been holding, with a cler- 
 gyman of this State, a written discussion, which has 
 already reached over three hundred pages, and which will, 
 if Providence permits, run through two hundred more. 
 But enough of this. I have voluntarily written the book, 
 and must, therefore, assume the responsibility, whatever 
 may have been the circumstances surrounding me. 
 
 The questions developed in its pages are of great in- 
 terest, entering largely into the true basis of Christian 
 brotherhood ; and likewise form the distinctive features 
 of the Christian Church. I have also aimed to discuss 
 them in the form of familiar letters, with this principle 
 distinctly before me: that I would not advocate any senti- 
 ment, nor submit any argument, which I should desire in 
 the future to recall. How far I have been controlled by 
 this, time and more mature reflection may determine. As 
 it is, I commit this volume to the brotherhood as the con- 
 scientious and cherished sentiments ' of a brother. 
 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTEE I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Bible is the only Eule of Eeligious Faith and 
 
 Practice 7 
 
 LETTEE II. 
 "Christian" is the only divinely authorized Name by 
 which the Followers of Christ should be called 38 
 
 LETTEE III. 
 Christian Character is the only true Test of Christian 
 
 Fellowship 74 
 
 LETTEE IY. ^ 
 The Question, What is Christian Character ? answered. 141 
 
 LETTEE Y. 
 
 The Sentiments of the Christian Church respecting 
 God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, com- 
 pared with those enunciated by various Creeds 195 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Letter I. 
 
 My Dear Sir and Brother : 
 
 You have kindly asked me for my rea- 
 sons for being a member of the Christian 
 Church, and it becomes my duty as a can- 
 did man to give them ; as far, at least, as 
 is, at present, practicable. That you have 
 a right to make this request, I most cheer- 
 fully grant, and with equal cheerfulness set 
 about the work of answering. I do this : 
 first, because you confess your want of 
 information touching my religious senti- 
 ments, held in common with the Church 
 of which I am a member; and, second, 
 because I regard them, my sentiments, as 
 founded in truth. This, however, remains 
 to be demonstrated to you. 
 
 (7) ' 
 
8 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Before I state my first reason, permit 
 me to guard you in two directions : 1st. I 
 do not claim to be the exponent of the 
 sentiments which form the characteristics 
 of the Christian Church, distinguishing it 
 from other religious denominations ; yet, I 
 may say, without being chargeable with 
 egotism, that I am familiar with, and cor- 
 dially accept them as the platform of 
 my faith and practice. 2d. I wish to be 
 clearly understood, wdien referring to the 
 sentiments of other religious denomina- 
 tions, that I do so only that you may judge 
 whether they or I are the more nearly 
 "evangelical" and with no unkind or uncour- 
 teous feelings, for many among them I hold 
 as pious, devout Christians, numbering them 
 with my cherished friends. 
 
 Having guarded you in these two direc- 
 tions, I shall proceed to submit my first 
 reason for being a member of the Chris- 
 tian Church, viz. : This Church accepts the 
 Bible — the Scriptures of the Old and New 
 Testaments — as Us oxly eule of religious 
 faith and practice. This it does without 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 9 
 
 the addition of creed or confession of faith, 
 asking its members to study earnestly this 
 inspired law of the kingdom, and to obey 
 its commandments to the best of their abil- 
 ity; at the same time, it concedes to all 
 the right of conscience in their search after 
 and perception of truth. It desires no 
 mind to be trammeled by the decrees of 
 either popes, or cardinals, or bishops, or 
 Councils, or Synods, or- Conferences ; but 
 to be left free with the Bible as its only 
 infallible light, its unerring guide. 
 
 Now all this suits me well. Not only 
 does it meet the warmest feelings of my 
 heart, but it commands the deliberate ap- 
 proval of my judgment. A higher and 
 broader plain of religious association can 
 not, in this life, be secured. It is the 
 highest stand-point of Christian liberty, 
 overlooking God's kingdom of truth, where 
 no creed or confession of faith lifts up its 
 walls of brass, circumscribing the vision 
 to its own stereotyped limits. There are 
 no dogmas here, backed up by ecclesiastical 
 authority, projecting their shadows between 
 
10 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 the soul and its search after more light. 
 If new and more consistent ideas of Chris- 
 tianity are developed to the mind, it does 
 not tremble to accept them, lest they should 
 prove too large for the graduated scale of 
 orthodoxy ; lest it — the soul — should be de- 
 clared walking upon territory outside of the 
 limits meted out by self-named "evangel- 
 ical" D. D.'s. 
 
 Permit me, now, to proceed with a de- 
 monstration of the soundness of the first 
 reason for my religious association. By 
 referring to it, you will see there are 
 two points included. 1st. The Bible is a 
 sufficient rule for religious faith. 2d. The 
 Bible is a sufficient rule for religious 
 practice. These two questions, though 
 closely allied, admit distinct statements 
 and arguments ; and I avail myself of this 
 that you may the more easily follow the 
 demonstration. But, before proceeding 
 further, it may be well to define in what 
 sense I use the word rule. I mean by 
 this term a principle, standard, or director]] ; 
 that which adjusts or regulates. We are 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 11 
 
 now pretty well prepared to go forward ; I 
 with the demonstration, and you with the 
 investigation of its correctness. 
 
 My first argument, that the "Bible is a 
 sufficient ride for religious faith" rests upon 
 the language of the Spirit. There is no 
 question more clearly taught in the Scrip- 
 tures than that they contain a full and 
 complete development of the truths and 
 facts essential to a sound religious faith. 
 The very admission that they were given 
 by "inspiration of God," and that salvation 
 depends upon their being accepted as such 
 by us, is sufficient of itself to place the point 
 under argument beyond the reach of cavil. 
 To acknowledge that God has prepared 
 means for the return of this degenerate 
 world — this outlying but rebellious colo- 
 ny of his — to himself; and that faith in 
 certain fundamental truths and facts is 
 indispensable to this return ; and then to 
 affirm, either directly or indirectly, that 
 he has not in these means given a basis 
 sufficiently broad, incorporating specific 
 statements of the truths and facts to be 
 
12 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 believed, is at variance with every correct 
 idea of an all-wise and loving Father. 
 Therefore, upon the admission that God 
 has prepared a remedial system for the 
 world's redemption, the conclusion is irre- 
 sistible, that in this he has furnished am- 
 ple means for the faith of both head and 
 heart, and needs not the aid of Councils, 
 Conferences, Assemblies, creeds, or confes- 
 sions of faith to do this work. 
 
 But let me refer you to the direct testi- 
 mony of the Spirit: "And many other signs 
 truh/ did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, 
 which are not written in this book: but these 
 are written, that ye might believe that Jesus 
 is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believ- 
 ing, ye might have life through his name." — 
 John xx : 30, 31. It is evident that the 
 record of Christ's life, including many of 
 his miracles, given by Matthew, Mark, 
 Luke, and John, was designed to be a plain 
 source of evidence, to produce and control 
 our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God 
 and the Savior of the world. Indeed, this 
 is substantially affirmed in these words: 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 13 
 
 " But these are written, that ye might be- 
 lieve that Jesus is the. Christ, the Son of 
 God;" that our faith might rest in the 
 word of inspiration, and not in the wisdom 
 of men. Not only the purpose of these 
 records is given, viz. : that the world might 
 believe in Christ, but their sufficiency as a 
 rule of faith is affirmed. 
 
 The testimony of the apostle Paul, given 
 in his letter to the Christian Church at 
 Rome, is no less direct in proof of the 
 point before us. He says : "So then faith 
 cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
 God." — Rom. x: 17. From this quotation 
 the following conclusions may be drawn : 
 1st. The Bible, or word of God, furnishes 
 the evidence upon all religious questions 
 essential to be believed as conditions of sal- 
 vation. 2d. The senses — as hearing — are 
 the mediums through which this evidence 
 is presented to the mind, or through which 
 the mind is to become acquainted with 
 the questions to be believed and the evi- 
 dence sustaining them. * 3d. Faith is the 
 result of the mind's apprehending these 
 
14 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 questions and their evidence, and its cor- 
 dially accepting them. If these conclu- 
 sions are correct, (and I see not, in view 
 of the text quoted, how they can be other- 
 wise,) it follows that the Christian's faith 
 is predicated upon the evidence God has 
 given in his word. And as that faith, ac- 
 companied by corresponding works, is suf- 
 ficient to save him, so must the testimony 
 upon which it rests be equally ample. But 
 this testimony is to be found in the Bible ; 
 therefore, the word of God is a sufficient 
 rule for religious faith. 
 
 In the twenty-fourth chapter of Luke 
 you will find an interesting account of an 
 interview between Christ and two of his 
 disciples, in which they, supposing him to 
 be a stranger, gave a brief narrative of 
 Jesus of iNazareth, his mighty works, his 
 death, his burial, and also of the rumor 
 that his sepulcher was found empty that 
 morning ; and that certain women had seen 
 a vision of angels, " who said that he was 
 alive." The latte? facts they were strongly 
 inclined to doubt. To them the Lord re- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 15 
 
 plies, " 0 fools, and slow of heart to believe 
 all that the prophets have spoken /" Here 
 Christ charges them, and justly, too, with 
 Stupidity of heart in not believing the 
 things of which they were in doubt. This 
 want of faith in them was the result of 
 their negligence in closely studying the 
 writings of the prophets concerning the 
 Messiah, and, also, their failure in accepting 
 his teachings concerning the work of his 
 mission. Now the force of this allegation 
 lies in this, that the testimony of the proph- 
 ets, corroborated by Christ's own teaching, 
 was all-sufficient upon which to rest their 
 faith in all the facts connected with the 
 birth, teaching, works, sufferings, death, 
 and resurrection of Jesus ; for if this testi- 
 mony was not ample, then were they not 
 justly chargeable with carelessness and stu- 
 pidity. 
 
 By referring to the fourth chapter of 
 John's narrative of Christ, you will find a 
 record of a conversation between Jesus and 
 a woman of Samaria, in which he speaks 
 many precious truths. The woman, being 
 
16 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 convinced, from what he told her, that he 
 was the Christ, went into the city and re- 
 ported all that he said; hence it is written, 
 "And many of the Samaritans of that city 
 believed on him for the saying of the woman." 
 But after listening two days to the words 
 of holy truth uttered by the Messiah him- 
 self, they turned to the woman and said, 
 "Now we believe, not because of thy saying ; 
 for ive have heard him ourselves, and know 
 that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the 
 world." It is evident, 1st. That the faith 
 of the Samaritans in Christ as the Mes- 
 siah rested upon the testimony he gave ; 
 2d. Since this faith was sufficient, so must 
 th.e evidence producing it have been. 
 
 Let me conclude this argument by refer- 
 ring to a very striking passage in the prayer 
 of Jesus, recorded by John. The Master 
 says : " Neither pray I for these alone, but for 
 them also which shall believe on me through 
 their word" — John xvii: 20. You will ob- 
 serve that Christ prays most fervently for 
 his apostles, whom he was shortly to com- 
 mission to go into all the world and preach 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 17 
 
 the word; then for all those who, in after 
 ages, should entertain living faith in him, 
 through the word preached. It will be re- 
 marked that this living faith, which brings 
 its possessors within the purview of Christ's 
 prayer, is based upon the word or testi- 
 mony of the apostles ; and as this faith is 
 all-embracing, uniting the soul to the Re- 
 deemer, so must, I conclude, the foundation 
 — the Scriptures — upon which it rests be 
 altogether adequate. 
 
 The second argument in maintenance of 
 the question — the Bible is a sufficient rule 
 for religious faith — is that the final appeal 
 in all matters of Christian faith among 
 Protestant denominations, is made to it. 
 This is evident from the standard writings 
 of the various sects, in which the testimony 
 of the Bible is given in proof of the doc- 
 trine affirmed, and which testimony is re- 
 garded as final. It matters not how in^e- 
 niously a treatise on what may be called 
 fundamental Christian truth is written, it 
 Avill not be accepted as sound if it is not 
 sustained by the teachings of the Scrip- 
 2 
 
18 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 tures ; or, to say the very least, it must 
 have the apparent support of them. It is 
 furthermore evident that an appeal to the 
 Bible on all points of Christian doctrine is 
 regarded as final, by the different religious 
 organizations, from their usual method 
 of pulpit-teaching. It is expected, nay, 
 more, it is held imperative, that he who 
 comes before the public as a teacher of 
 Divine things, shall sustain the sentiments 
 he affirms, either by the direct language of 
 the Scriptures, or else by their clearly im- 
 plied evidence. Now all this is a tacit 
 admission that the Bible is the only and 
 complete rule for religious faith. 
 
 The third argument in support of the 
 point under examination rests upon the 
 express declaration of this sentiment by 
 nine-tenths, if not nineteen-twentieths of 
 all the creeds and confessions of faith in 
 the Protestant world. For any one of them 
 to deny the proposition I am affirming, and 
 then give the Bible, without note or com- 
 ment, into the hands of the masses, would 
 be as inconsistent as to acknowledge all s 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 19 
 
 that I claim, and then take it from their 
 230Ssession. 
 
 But I will let some of these creeds speak - 
 for themselves on this point. The " Con- 
 fession of Faith" received by both wings — 
 the New and Old School — of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church, says: "Under the name of 
 holy Scripture, or the word of God written, 
 are now contained *ill the books of the Old 
 and New Testament, which are these :" — 
 then follows a catalogue of the books of the 
 Bible; after which, it adds — "All which 
 are given by inspiration of God to be the 
 rule of faith and life." — Chap, i : sec. 2d. 
 Again, in sec. 6th, it says : " The whole 
 counsel of God, concerning all things neces- 
 sary for his own glory, man's salvation, 
 faith, and life, is either expressly set down 
 in Scripture, or by good and necessary con- 
 sequence may be deduced from Scripture." 
 Now all this is from high authority — from 
 two large and influential religious denomi- 
 nations, embodying much learning — and 
 should have great weight with those who 
 compose their membership. 
 
20 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Permit me to introduce the testimony of 
 the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. It says : " The holy Scriptures 
 contain all things necessary to salvation, so 
 that whatsoever is not read therein, nor 
 may be proved thereby, is not to be re- 
 quired of any man, that it should be be- 
 s lieved as an article of faith or be thought 
 requisite or necessary t§ salvation." — Sec. 
 2d, art. 5th. Again, in its " General 
 Rules," sec. 1st, item 7th, it says: "These 
 are the general rules of our societies ; all 
 of which we are taught of God to observe, 
 even in his- written word, which is the only 
 rule, and the sufficient rule both of our 
 faith and practice." 
 
 I may add here that the fifth article of 
 the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church — as indeed many of their articles 
 of faith are — is nearly a verbatim copy of 
 the sixth article of religion of the Protest- 
 ant Episcopal Church ; hence, I have the 
 direct testimony of two more large and 
 influential religious bodies in proof of my 
 position. I am surely in a large as well 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 21 
 
 as good company ; especially so when it is 
 remembered that all Protestant denomi- 
 nations give substantially the same testi- 
 mony. 
 
 For the sake of variety and for the in- 
 formation of those who may not know the 
 fact, there is one Church — the Roman 
 Catholic— that takes ground directly op- 
 posed to that for which I am now pleading. 
 The Bible is not the throne of authority to 
 each member; but the Church settles all 
 questions of faith. And it will be remem- 
 bered that when this Church is said to 
 determine articles of faith, the whole mem- 
 bership is not included. None but the 
 pope, bishops, priests, and dignitaries are 
 admitted to this "conclave." The laity 
 have nothing to do but to hear and accept, 
 without question, under the pains and pen- 
 alties of the most terrible anathemas. To 
 show that this Church — the ecclesiastics 
 — deny an appeal to the Bible in matters 
 of faith, I need only give the language of 
 Archbishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, used in 
 an address at the laying of the corner-stone 
 
22 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 of the Church of St. Francis de Sales, on 
 Bunker Hill, Sept. 11th, 1859. He says: 
 "And God never allowed any man to ap- 
 peal from the Church to the Bible." This 
 is conclusive, as Mr. Purcell stands at the 
 head of authority among Roman Catho- 
 lics in the United States. It is due that 
 Church that we acknowledge its consist- 
 ency ; for it denies the right of appeal from 
 its decisions on questions of faith, and acts 
 accordingly. It is encouraging, however, 
 that we have the Protestant world fully 
 committed in favor of the proposition, That 
 the Bible is a sufficient rule for faith. 
 
 You may ask, "How can the various 
 religious denominations reconcile their 
 declaration, 'that the Bible is a sufficient 
 rule for Christian faith,' with their mak- 
 ing and defending creeds and confessions 
 of faith, distinct from the Scriptures?" 
 Well, sir, such a question is more easily 
 asked than answered ; and since I acknowl- 
 edge no creed but the Bible, I shall not 
 even attempt its solution, but leave it for 
 those who grant all that I claim for the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 23 
 
 one, yet tenaciously cling tc the other, 
 however inconsistent it renders their prao* * 
 tice with their theory. 
 
 I shall now proceed to sustain the second 
 point contained in the first reason for my 
 being a member of the Christian Church, 
 viz. : That the Bible is a sufficient rule for 
 religious practice. And it may be well to 
 define what I mean by the word practice. 
 I use it to signify Christian life or conduct. 
 Of course, the term rule is to be understood 
 in the same sense as in the argument of 
 the former point. 
 
 To proceed. My first argument in proof 
 of the question now before us, is drawn 
 from the positive claims of the Scriptures. 
 It is written: "All Scripture (is) given by in- 
 spiration of God, and is profitable for doc- 
 trine, for reproof for correction, for instruc- 
 tion in righteousness ; that the man of God 
 may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto 
 all good ivorks." — 2 Tim. iii : 16, 17. In 
 this quotation, there are four specialties, 
 all entering into a Christian life, for the 
 attainment of which the Scriptures are 
 
24 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 given. 1st. Doctrine, rendered from the 
 word mdaaxahav, and means, in this con- 
 nection, teaching first principles or truths. 
 2d. Reproof, from the word e/^ov, and 
 it from shy y co, and means to convince of 
 error, to refute, to show to be erroneous. 
 3d. Correction, from the word e-a^opdco' 
 otv, and means to strengthen, to restore 
 to a pristine state. 4th. Instruction, from 
 TiatbEiav, and it from Ttatdzuco, and the lat- 
 ter from Trace, (a child,) and means to 
 lead forward, to train up, as one would a 
 child. In these four particulars — teach- 
 ing, convincing of error, straightening, and 
 training — to secure which the Scriptures 
 are eminently serviceable — the following 
 conclusions are clearly deducible : 1st. 
 That they, the holy writings, are suffi- 
 ciently plain in setting forth all funda- 
 mental religious truth or doctrine essential 
 to a sound, vigorous faith. 2d. That they 
 are entirely competent to correct or reprove 
 the mind of any erroneous idea or senti- 
 ment it may entertain. 3d. That they 
 furnish all the instruction necessary to en- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 25 
 
 able the mind to straighten or correct any , 
 erroneous impressions or sentiments it may 
 have, and to conduct it into the way of 
 truth. 4th. That they are fully ample 
 to train the soul that has received their 
 teachings, marked the errors it may have 
 imbibed and straightened or corrected 
 them, up to a higher plain of Christian 
 experience — to bring it nearer the bosom 
 of Grod. The ultimatum of all these price- 
 less treasures of the Bible, is "that the 
 man of God may be perfect, thoroughly 
 furnished unto all good works." 
 
 Again : there are many passages in the 
 Bible that clearly maintain its entire suf- 
 ficiency as a rule of religious practice. My 
 limits, however, will allow me to give but 
 a few of them. In the nineteenth Psalm 
 we read: "The law of the Lord is perfect, 
 converting (or restoring) the soul. The testi- 
 mony of the Lord is sure, making wise the 
 simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, 
 rejoicing the heart. The commandment of 
 the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes r The 
 terms law, statutes, testimonies, and com- 
 
26 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 mandment doubtless refer to the revealed 
 will of God contained in the Old Testa- 
 ment Scriptures, but may now, without any 
 infraction of truth, include the writings of 
 the New Testament. I may, therefore, 
 claim from this testimony, 1st. The compe- 
 tency of the Bible to restore the soul by 
 the perfection and plainness of its truth ; 
 2d. To impart wisdom to the understand- 
 ing by its clear testimony ; 3d. To fill the 
 soul with joyful hope by its righteous stat- 
 utes ; 4th. To impart light to the intellect 
 by the adaptation of its commandments to 
 the various relations and duties of life. 
 
 Paul, in writing his second letter to Tim- 
 othy, says: "And that from a child thou 
 hast knoivn the holy Scriptures, which are 
 able to make thee wise unto salvation, through 
 faith which is in Christ Jesus" This sus- 
 tains with much force the preceding quo- 
 tations, and affirms the sufficiency of the 
 Scriptures to impart the wisdom necessary 
 to salvation. 
 
 My second argument in proof of the po- 
 sition under investigation is, That the Bible 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 27 
 
 teaches certain leading principles which are 
 entirely competent to govern men in all honor- 
 able and useful relations and pursuits in life. 
 They are called Truth, Justice, Righteous- 
 ness, Integrity, Candor, Compassion, Philan- 
 thropy, etc. That these principles are 
 clearly inculcated in the Scriptures, will 
 not be denied ; and that they are practical 
 in all righteous employments, is indisputa- 
 bly evident. Truth is designed to hold 
 control over both head and heart in all 
 occupations which contribute to the well- 
 being of the human family, from the low- 
 est up, through all grades, to the very 
 highest plain of action. So of the other 
 leading principles ; all are to be inter- 
 woven with the very elements of the soul ; 
 and when their firm, clear, Divine counsel 
 prevails, man will be true to his God, to 
 himself, and to the world. It matters not 
 whether he is in the President's chair, in 
 the halls of Congress, on the judge's bench, 
 in the counting-room, in the mechanic's 
 shop, on the farm, or in the busy marts of 
 trade, these principles, clothed as they are 
 
28 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 with God's authority, are broad enough to 
 cover the entire area of any or all these 
 callings, and strong enough to sustain any 
 one who may fill them. 
 
 My third argument, in further maintain- 
 ing the position assumed, rests upon the 
 special direction of the Scriptures m sundry 
 religious duties growing out of various rela- 
 tions. 
 
 1st. Our duty arising from the relation 
 we sustain to the entire brotherhood of 
 man is set forth, with great clearness, in the 
 words of Christ, and is called by common 
 consent "The Golden Rule:" "Therefore, 
 all things whatsoever ye would that men 
 should do to you, do ye even so to them." — 
 Matt, vii : 12. How plain and comprehen- 
 sive this law! and were it obeyed, how 
 grand would be the harmony among men ! 
 
 2d. In the social relation the teachings of 
 the Scriptures are not less explicit in fur- 
 nishing rules of action. I will refer to one : 
 "Tliou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself'' 
 The practical result of this law is thus 
 given by an apostle: "Love tvorketh no ill 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 29 
 
 to its neighbor" Surely no one can ask for 
 a better precept, nor can a better be given. 
 
 3d. Over the home circle the law of the 
 kingdom projects its authority, its Divine 
 direction. It addresses the husband, say- 
 ing: "Husbands, love your wives, even as 
 Christ also loved the Church and gave him- 
 self for it ." To the wife, it says : "Wives, 
 submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as 
 unto the Lord." It then turns to the chil- 
 dren, and, in beautiful simplicity, gives 
 them a rule of action under which they 
 should live while around the home hearth- 
 stone, and the impress of which they should 
 bear- in their hearts through life. It is 
 this : " Children, obey your parents in the Lord; 
 for this is right. Honor thy father and 
 mother; which is the first commandment with 
 promise." It then turns to the head of the 
 family, and, still pointing to the children, 
 says: "And ye fathers, provoke not your 
 children to wrath, but bring them up in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord." How 
 surely have the holy Scriptures hedged 
 about the home sanctuary with rules of 
 
30 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 life ; and safely will dwell that household, 
 the members of which commit their keep- 
 ing to these Divine regulations. There is 
 no need of the wisdom or authority of 
 creeds or confessions of faith, than the 
 Bible, to place the family under the wings 
 of the Father of love. 
 
 4th. On the duties consequent upon the 
 relation of membership in the Church of 
 Christ, the Bible is so full that it would 
 seem like a work of supererogation for 
 me to attempt the proof. Yet it may be 
 necessary that I refer to the fact and its 
 demonstration. (1.) "Not forsaking the 
 assembling of yourselves together, as the man- 
 ner of some is; but exhorting one another, 
 and so much the more, as ye see the day ap- 
 proaching T — Heb. x: 25. This is a plain 
 rule admonishing Christians to meet for 
 public worship, and to exhort each other to 
 steadfastness in their profession. (2.) The 
 entire consecration of one's self to God is 
 enforced in these words: "I beseech you, 
 therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that 
 ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 31 
 
 acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable 
 service." — Rom. xii : L (3.) There are 
 plain rules given for private and public 
 prayer, "But thou, when thou prayed, enter 
 into thj closet, and when thou heist shut tliy 
 door, pray to thip Father, which is in secret," 
 etc. — Matt, vi : 6. " Confess your faults 
 one to another, and pray one for another, that 
 ye may be healed." — James v: 16. But it 
 is needless that I should extend this refer- 
 ence further, since rules for religious obedi- 
 ence are found on every page, especially of 
 the New Testament ; and no sincere in- 
 quirer need remain long in doubt respect- 
 ing his duty. 
 
 5th. It is claimed by some that the Bible 
 gives no special rule by which a trespass- 
 ing member of Church can be properly 
 and effectually dealt with. Such as raise 
 this question certainly must have forgotten 
 the instruction of Christ, which meets the 
 case in hand. He says : u Moreover, if thy 
 brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell 
 him his fault between thee and him eilone; if 
 he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." 
 
\ 
 
 32 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. ' 
 
 — Matt, xviii : 15. On the efficacy of this 
 rule in reconciling difficulties that may 
 arise between brethren, I risk nothing in 
 making this statement, that ninety-nine- 
 hundredths of the troubles arising from 
 personal trespass, disturbing the peace of 
 the Church, might be effectually and har- 
 moniously adjusted if this section of the 
 law were, in its letter and spirit, strictly 
 followed. In it there is profound philos- 
 ophy, according with human experience. 
 This must appear evident, if you will but 
 examine the first of the three steps in the 
 process : " Go and tell him his fault between 
 thee and him alone. 11 This interview is to 
 be strictly private ; free from all excite- 
 ment arising from the presence of others, 
 which is often a barrier to the spirit of 
 conciliation. If this step to effect a recon- 
 ciliation is successful, the matter is to rest 
 here ; but if it should fail, then the next 
 step is provided for — verse 16th ; and if 
 this should not succeed, the further process 
 is prescribed : M Tell it to the Church 11 — 
 verse 17th; and if he should still persist 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 33 
 
 in the wrong, then his place is with the 
 heathen man and publican. The rule is 
 complete ; and no man professing Chris- 
 tianity, will presume to raise a question 
 against its perfection. I will give another 
 rule adapted to the restoration of an erring 
 "brother: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken 
 in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such 
 a one in the spirit of meekness; considering 
 thyself lest thou also be tempted." — Gral. vi: 
 1. This breathes the spirit of the Master, 
 who went about doing good. It makes it 
 the duty of the truly Christian man to go 
 meekly, gently, and kindly to the erring 
 one, and earnestly labor for his restoration. 
 I may claim for this what I did for the law 
 respecting a trespassing brother: that it 
 will seldom fail in bringing the wanderer 
 back to the narrow way. 
 
 I have now given my first reason, with 
 brief arguments and proofs, for being a 
 member of the Christian Church, and I 
 trust it will be satisfactory ; at least, I have 
 aimed to speak plainly and candidly, and 
 am willing to abide the verdict of an impar- 
 3 
 
34 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 tial juror, who decides according to reason 
 and the law of the kingdom. 
 
 You may, however, ask, "Do not all 
 Protestant .denominations claim to take 
 the Bible as their rule of faith and prac- 
 tice?" To this I answer, Yes; and lest I 
 should be regarded as not treating them 
 with Christian courtesy and fairness, let 
 me refer to the facts upon which this claim 
 is set up, and also the evidence of its truth- 
 fulness. 
 
 The facts are these: 1st. The}^ confess the 
 inspiration of the Bible ; tliat it is not of 
 man, but of God. This is going far toward 
 acknowledging the Scriptures as a sufficient 
 law for faith and life. Indeed, it is vir- 
 tually accepting them as such. But, 2d. 
 There is an explicit avowal, that the Bible 
 is entirely competent to guide the earnest 
 inquirer into all truth, which forms the 
 basis of Christian faith and practice, and 
 that they receive it as the law of the 
 Church. This is evident from the quota- 
 tions I have already given from some of 
 their creeds and confessions of faith ; and 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 35 
 
 knowing which, should I fail to acknowl- 
 edge it, I certainly would be justly charge- 
 able with a want of fair dealing ; and this 
 I am desirous to avoid in these letters. 
 
 Here, however, a stern query presses it- 
 self forward, demanding to be heard, and 
 will not be set aside, namely : The truth- 
 fulness of this claim. How far is it well 
 established ? Candor compels me to an- 
 swer that, although made with sincerity, its 
 veracity is seriously questionable, for the 
 following reasons : 1st. Each of the denom- 
 inations to which I have referred, and oth- 
 f ers not mentioned, have what they call a 
 "Creed," or "Confession of Faith," more 
 or less formidable in size, in which are 
 special propositions, styled, "Articles of 
 Faith," setting forth points of doctrine 
 which form the basis of Church organiza- 
 tion and fellowship ; and to which all are 
 expected to subscribe who become mem- 
 bers. To the candidate for membership, a 
 sufficient number of leading questions are 
 propounded to call out his sentiments re- 
 specting these "Articles of Faith;" and 
 
36 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 if he is found deficient, that is, if he should 
 seriously doubt the Scriptural soundness of 
 these "dogmas" he is either rejected or else 
 held to further examination. 
 
 A second reason why this claim is seri- 
 ously questionable is, if a member of one 
 of these denominations should deny the 
 authority of its "creed," how much soever 
 he might affirm his faith in the Scriptures, 
 he would be tried by it, and expelled from 
 the Church for heresy, if he persisted. 
 This must be true, else it, the creed, is in- 
 operative. Their members are tried by 
 the Confession of Faith, and not by the 
 Bible. This, I am very sure, is a fair 
 statement of the facts as they are. I am 
 fully aware that these respective "articles" 
 of belief are affirmed to be fully sustained 
 by the Scriptures. But this is a question 
 giving strong grounds of debate, and one 
 which I do not now propose taking up. 
 
 You have before you now two of my 
 reasons for seriously doubting the truth- 
 fulness of the claim set up by the different 
 Protestant denominations, that they accept 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 37 
 
 the Bible as the only rule of faith and prac- 
 tice, while each has a creed separate from 
 it. I leave you as a candid man, in the 
 light of all the facts with which you must 
 be familiar, to decide how far my reasons 
 are conclusive, and how far their claim is 
 well founded. 
 
 Fraternally yours. 
 
Letter II. 
 
 My Dear Sir and Brother : 
 
 In my former letter I gave you one rea- 
 son why I am a member of the Christian 
 Church, and I now, in further complying 
 with your earnest request, avail myself of 
 the blessings of Divine Providence to give 
 a second, which I do with entire confidence, 
 feeling assured of your sincerity in making 
 the inquiry, and of the Scriptural truth of 
 my position. An impartial hearing is all 
 that is asked. 
 
 My second reason why I am a member 
 of the Christian Church is, this brother- 
 hood receives the name Christian as the 
 only divinely authorized appellation by which 
 the followers of Christ should he designated 
 or called. This they do meekly, reverently, 
 and not arrogantly, as is charged by some. 
 And certainly the name is beautiful and 
 expressive, associating with itself the most 
 (38) 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 39 
 
 deeply interesting events and relations con- 
 nected with the world's history, namely: 
 the birth, life, teaching, death, and resur- 
 rection of Christ, our redemption from the 
 bondage of sin through him, and our rela- 
 tion to him as "Head over all things to the 
 Church." But as beautiful and expressive 
 as the term Christian is, and as strongly as 
 we may be inclined to give it the unmis- 
 takable preference, it will not do to claim 
 it to be the only divinely authorized name 
 by which the disciples of Christ should be 
 called without the clearest proof. To de- 
 mand this is just and right, and to give it 
 is the imperative duty of him who may set 
 up this claim, or else abandon it as an 
 assumption, incapable of demonstration. 
 It has been, for some years past, my fixed 
 habit to accept that as true which was ac- 
 companied by incontestable testimony, and 
 that only. I might not reject at orfce that 
 which was wanting in proof ; but when this 
 occurred, I held it in abeyance for further 
 development. Should I, therefore, ask you , 
 or any one to receive as true that which 
 
40 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 is not sustained by evidence, I certainly 
 would lay myself open to the charge of 
 inconsistency. To ask at the hands of 
 others that which I will not permit them 
 to ask at my own, would be highly ungen- 
 erous, uncharitable, and dogmatic. In 
 view of this, I proceed to lay before you 
 the proof upon which the second reason for 
 my present Church relation rests. 
 
 1st. In Luke's history of apostolic la- 
 bor, we have this record: u And when he 
 had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. 
 And it came to pass, that a whole year they 
 assembled themselves tvith the Church, and 
 taught much people. And the disciples were 
 called Christians first in Antioch" — Acts xi: 
 26. Here, in this renowned city, the me- 
 tropolis of Syria, to which Pliny gave the 
 title, "Queen of the East," surpassed 
 only by two others in the Roman empire 
 — Rome and Alexandria — the followers 
 of Christ were called "Christians" And 
 this occurred during the year Barnabas 
 * and Saul were employed there in preach- 
 ing the word; and it is highly probable 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 41 
 
 that they gave this- name to the disci- 
 ples ; and, if so, that they did it by Divine 
 direction, which I shall presently demon- 
 strate. 
 
 Before proceeding to prove the point 
 here assumed, permit me to refer to the 
 following question not unfrequently raised 
 adverse to it : " That this name was given 
 to the disciples by the citizens of Antioch, 
 in derision, as a nickname." • To this, I 
 oppose the following: (1.) It is a gratui- 
 tous assumption, without the shadow of 
 proof. And this ii? the settlement of a 
 grave question only weakens the cause 
 of the party introducing it, and tends to 
 strengthen the opposite. (2.) The proba- 
 bilities are, that had the people of the city 
 given a name in derision as a term of re- 
 proach, they would have selected one more 
 opprobrious, since they were famous for 
 their scurrilous wit, and not the very appro- 
 priate, significant, and expressive appella- 
 tion "Christian." Had they — the citizens of 
 Antioch — desired to have given a name to 
 the followers of the Messiah ; and had they 
 
42 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 been induced to do this from the highest 
 respect and admiration for them, and the 
 religion they professed ; and had they been 
 guided in their choice by their refined 
 Greek civilization, and by the inspiration 
 of the Infinite One, they could not have 
 selected one so just, so unexceptionable, so 
 comprehensive, and so all-sided in its sig- 
 nification as the one mentioned in the text. 
 It is a complete circle in its meaning — an 
 entire sphere. To be a Christian indeed, 
 is to include within one's self all those 
 qualities of mind and heart which the 
 terms disciple, saint, brother, child of God, 
 son of God, etc., express ; hence the name 
 Christian, in its orb of expression, embraces 
 the entire sum of qualities and relations 
 designated by these terms. This can be 
 said of no one of them. I therefore repeat, 
 the probabilities are, that had the citizens 
 of Antioch given a name to the disciples 
 in derision, it would have been one expres- 
 sive of their contemptuous and scurri- 
 lous purpose, since their inventive genius 
 was proverbial in this direction, and not 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 43 
 
 one compassing our relation to each other, 
 to Christ, and to God. 
 
 2d. The meaning of the Greek word 
 rendered "were called," inevitably and 
 forever sets aside the question raised, that 
 this "name was given as a reproach." 
 And in the development of this position, I 
 purpose introducing my first argument in 
 demonstration of the proposition, "That the 
 term Christian is the only divinely authorized 
 name by which the followers of Christ should 
 be called." Now, if it can be made to ap- 
 pear that the original word in Acts xi: 26, 
 translated "were called," uniformly means, 
 in the Xew Testament, to impart a Divine 
 warning, to give instruction under the guid- 
 ance of inspiration ; and, in the passive 
 voice, to receive Divine monition or coun- 
 sel, and, when the verb is intransitive, to 
 be named or known by a particular appel- 
 lation ; I say, when these facts are made 
 to appear, then it must follow conclusively 
 that the term "Christian" given to the dis- 
 ciples in Antioch, was by the inspiration 
 of God. And further: if it is made to 
 
44 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 appear that the Greek word used in con- 
 nection with the name "disciple, saint, 
 heir," etc., rendered by our English word 
 "called" does not, of necessity, mean to 
 impart by Divine monition, then it also 
 necessarily follows that "Christian" is the 
 only name given to believers in Christ by 
 Divine direction. This is as clear and di- 
 rect statement of the points — of which 
 there are two — to be proven, and which 
 are indispensable to sustain the proposi- 
 tion, as I can give. 
 
 I shall now proceed to demonstrate the 
 first point, namely : That the original word, 
 Xpypareaeu, rendered by the words, "were 
 called " in Acts xi: 26, uniformly means, in 
 the New Testament, to act by or receive 
 Divine direction. 
 
 1st. I refer you to Matt, ii : 12, which 
 reads : "And being warned (^/^tiaziadv^zz) 
 of God in a dream, that they should not 
 return to Herod, they departed into their 
 own country another way." The history 
 of this text is briefly as follows : Certain 
 Magi, or wise men, were led, by the ap- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 45 
 
 pearance of a star in the East, to Jerusa- 
 lem, in search of him "who was born king 
 of the Jews." Herod, the son of Antipa- 
 ter, an Iclumean, was, by the authority of 
 the Roman government, the king of the 
 Jewish nation ; and hearing the rumor that 
 one was recently born who was heir to the 
 throne upon which he sat, he was "greatly 
 troubled," and resolved that this rival 
 should be put to death. To effect this, he 
 called the wise men who were in search of 
 this new king, and requested them when 
 they should find the young child to bring 
 him word, for he was ignorant respecting 
 the home of the infant. This he did under 
 the plea that he might "come and worship 
 him also." The probabilities are that the 
 Magi agreed to his request ; but He who 
 guided them by the star in the East to 
 where the young child and his mother were, 
 guarded the fulfillment of His word ; and 
 before these sages had left the presence of 
 the Messiah, to whom they paid worship 
 and presented costly gifts, their way was 
 made plain before them. The Divine hand 
 
46 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 turned their feet from the palace of Herod, 
 and led them by another way into their 
 own country. That these men acted by 
 Divine direction in not returning to Herod, 
 will not be denied by any one ; and yet the 
 word translated "were warned of God" is 
 from the same (xp^p^co) that the word 
 rendered "were called" in Acts xi : 26, 
 is. 
 
 2d. In Matt, ii: 22, the following rec- 
 ord is given: "But when he heard that 
 Archelaus did reign . in Judea in room of 
 his father Herod, he was afraid to go thith- 
 er : notwithstanding, being warned of God 
 (jpTjpaTtodecs} in a dream." The account of 
 this text is : Mary and Joseph, the mother 
 and reputed father of Christ, were directed 
 by Jehovah to take the young child and 
 make their escape into Egypt to avoid the 
 wrath of Herod. Here they remained un- 
 til word was brought by an angel that those 
 who sought to harm the child were dead ; 
 when they, warned by a dream, returned 
 into the land of Israel. That Joseph acted 
 by Divine monition, in his returning from 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 47 
 
 Egypt to tlie land of Israel, will not be 
 questioned. ; and the Greek word rendered 
 
 being warned of God" is from the, same 
 (jp^aazt^co) one which is translated "being 
 warned of God " in the 12th verse. 
 
 3d. I now refer you to Luke ii : 26, ■ 
 which reads: "And it was revealed (*e- 
 ynr l u.o-><7>j.v,o^) unto him by the Holy Ghost, 
 that he should not see death before he 
 had seen the Lord's Christ." We are 
 told by the inspired historian that there 
 was in Jerusalem one " whose name was 
 Simeon, a just and devout man, waiting for 
 the consolation of Israel." This venerable 
 servant of God, who is supposed to have 
 been president of the Grand Sanhedrim, 
 and "one of the most celebrated doctors 
 and philosophers that had appeared in the 
 Jewish nation since the time of Moses," 
 clung with strong hope to the promises of 
 deliverance to his countrymen — his breth- 
 ren. He waited for the consolation of Is- 
 rael ; but age was dimming the brightness 
 of his eyes, and weakening the strength of 
 his frame, and he would appear to anxiously 
 
48 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 « 
 
 ask the question ; " Shall I live to witness 
 ^ie desire of my heart — the. coming of the 
 Lord's Anointed?" His anxious spirit 
 was put to rest by being " divinely in- 
 formed" by "an express communication 
 from God," that his eyes should behold the 
 light of the Gentiles, and the glory of Is- 
 rael. This Divine communication is ex- 
 pressed by the word xe%p7j fiarca/ievou, which is 
 from the same {yfW a ~ l ^ C0 ) as those already 
 introduced, and is of like signification. 
 
 4th. I next ask your attention to Acts 
 x: 22: "And they said, Cornelius the 
 centurion, a just man, and one that feareth 
 God, and of good report among all the 
 nations of the Jews, was warned from God 
 {zyp^ixa-ztaQr^ by a holy angel to send for thee 
 into his house, and to hear words of thee." 
 The history of this text is : Cornelius, who 
 sustains an interesting character in this 
 connection, was an officer in the Roman 
 army. He was, nevertheless, a devout, just, 
 holy, and benevolent man, fearing God with 
 all his house. Doubtless his mind was 
 struggling to gain clearer conceptions of the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 49 
 
 character of the Infinite Being; to obtain 
 more decided evidence of the forgiveness of 
 sins, and to look forward through a less 
 obscuring vail to an immortal life. Here 
 was offered a beautiful gateway to intro- 
 duce to the Gentile world the Light of Life 
 — the brightness of the Father's glory — 
 opening upon the centurion and his kins- 
 men a new and more glorious realm of faith 
 and experience. About the ninth hour of 
 the day, he saw an angel "coming unto 
 him," who gave him directions how to pro- 
 ceed so as to gain that for which he sighed. 
 In obedience to the instruction given, he 
 sent messengers to Joppa to invite Simon 
 Peter to his house, who should tell him 
 what he ought to do, that he might enjoy 
 clearer light and firmer hope in God. Now 
 that in all this Cornelius acted under the 
 guidance of God, is beyond the reach of 
 cavil even. And the words " was warned 
 from God" (sypr^artadrj^ which assure us of 
 this, are from the same original word (yf> T r 
 uaz^io^ that those I have already quoted 
 are. 
 
 4 
 
50 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 5th. In further proof of my position, I 
 introduce Hebrews viii: 5, which reads: 
 " Who serve unto the example and shadow 
 of heavenly things, as Moses w r as admon- 
 ished of Grod (xexpypareffae) when he was 
 about to make the tabernacle ; for, See 
 (saith he) that thou make all things accord- 
 ing to the pattern showed to thee in the 
 mount." By referring to the twenty-fifth, 
 twenty-sixth, and twenty-seventh chapters 
 of Exodus, you will find a detailed ac- 
 count of the instruction Jehovah gave - to 
 Moses respecting the construction of the 
 tabernacle. Its size, configuration, and its 
 court ; the kind and quality of the mate- 
 rials of which it was to be built, were 
 minutely given. The furniture of the 
 sanctum and the sanctum sanctorum, the 
 number of pieces, their names, of what to 
 be constructed, how to be made, and where 
 to be placed, were all set forth with partic- 
 ular exactness and detail. All this direc- 
 tion God laid before Moses in Mount Sinai, 
 accompanying it with the following positive 
 injunction ; " And look that thou make 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 51 
 
 them after the pattern which was showed 
 thee in the mount." — Exodus xxv : 40. 
 There can not, it strikes me, be the shadow 
 of a doubt that Moses built the taberna- 
 cle, and furnished it, under the especial 
 instruction of God. And the very phrase, 
 11 was admonished of God" (xpytmreeat) which 
 expresses this leading of the Jewish law- 
 giver, in his work, by the Divine hand, is 
 from the same word (XPW 0 *^ 0 *) that those 
 are which have been referred to. 
 
 6th. In the eleventh chapter and seventh 
 verse of Hebrews is the following allusion 
 to Noah and his salvation, together with his 
 household, by obeying Divine instruction : 
 "By faith Noah, being warned of God 
 (yp^/M-cads':) of things not seen as yet, 
 moved with fear, prepared an ark to the 
 saving of his house." A brief and yet 
 comprehensive record of the event to which 
 the text refers, may be found in Genesis, 
 sixth chapter. The sins of the world had 
 reached their culmination. The day of ter- 
 rible retribution was approaching. Xoah, 
 in consideration of his righteousness, had 
 
52 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 " found grace in the eyes of the Lord." He 
 was Warned of the approaching danger, and 
 commanded to build an ark — the plan of 
 which God laid before him — for the salva- 
 tion of himself and family. In obedience 
 to the directions given, he and all his were 
 saved. Permit me to ask, Can there be a 
 question raised respecting Xoah's being led 
 in this preparation by the inspiration of the 
 Almighty ? To me it appears impossible. 
 And yet the same word is used to express , 
 this Divine guidance of jNToah that was em- 
 ployed in giving the name "Christian" to 
 the disciples in Antioch. 
 
 7th. I will refer to one more text, and 
 then rest my proof, predicated upon the 
 word XprjpaTt^ on this point. "But what 
 saith the answer of God (ypr / /w~t<7y.o^ un- 
 to him ? I have reserved to myself seven 
 thousand men, who have not bowed the knee 
 to the image of Baal." — Rom. xi : 4. The 
 facts to which reference is here made, may 
 be found recorded in 1 Kings, nineteenth 
 chapter. Elijah complained of the treach- 
 ery and corruption of Israel, declaring that 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 53 
 
 he alone of all the prophets was left, and 
 that his life was sought. To which Jeho- 
 vah replies : " But I have left me seven 
 thousand in Israel, all the knees which 
 have not bowed unto Baal, and every 
 mouth which hath not kissed him." The 
 word used in this text (Rom. xi : 4) sig- 
 nifies a response from God — a Divine an- 
 swer — correcting a wrong impression in the 
 mind of this ancient and faithful servant. 
 
 Suffer me here, in closing this part of 
 my proof, to ask your special attention to 
 the remarkable fact, that in Matt, ii : 12, 
 22; Acts x: 22; Heb. viii: 5; xi; 7; and 
 Rom. xi: 4, the word deoo — "of God" — is 
 not in the Greek ; and yet our translators 
 have supplied it as though it were, and 
 very justly too; for the words xP y ]! mTl(J ^ evTe ^) 
 Xprjpo.TcadzcQ, e%prjp.o.Ttod7], y.zy p-q parte at ^ yp-qpa- 
 
 zcadecc;, and XPVf mu<T f w ^, meaning to give Di- 
 vine instruction and response, clearly im- 
 ply the phrase "of God." This, of itself, 
 is very decided proof of my position. And 
 the question naturally comes up, Why not 
 supply the phrase "of God" in Acts xi; 
 
54 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 26, as well as in other places where the 
 same word occurs ; and especially since 
 there are no known conditions connected 
 with its use on that occasion why it should 
 not be ? The passage would then read : 
 4 'And the disciples were called of God 
 Christians first in Antioch." 
 
 In introducing the preceding texts in 
 demonstration of the point assumed, name- 
 ly : That the word yj^aazCco uniformly means, 
 in the New Testament, to give Divine instruc- 
 tion, or to act under it, I have been careful 
 to present a brief history of each, that the 
 meaning of the word might be clearly seen ; 
 and that it is employed in the sense I claim 
 will not be denied by any candid and well- 
 informed man. This being the uniform 
 scope of the word when used by the writers 
 of the New Testament, it conclusively fol- 
 lows that the disciples in Antioch were 
 called Christians by the inspiration of God ; 
 therefore, the name Christian is divinely 
 authorized. 
 
 I now propose asking your attention to 
 the testimony of Dr. Adam Clark, on the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 55 
 
 signification of the word xPW aTe ^9 given in 
 his comment on Acts xi ; 26. He says : 
 " The word yp-^au^co in our common text 
 which we translate were called, signifies, in 
 the New Testament, to appoint, warn, or 
 nominate by Divine direction. If, there- 
 fore, the name was given by Divine appoint- 
 ment, it is most likely that Saul and Bar- 
 nabas were directed to give it ; and that, 
 therefore, the name Christian is from God, 
 as well as that grace and holiness which 
 are so essentially required and implied in 
 the character. Before this time the Jew- 
 ish converts were simply called among 
 themselves disciples, that is, learners, be- 
 lievers, saints, the Church, or assembly; and 
 by their enemies, Nazarenes, Galileans, the 
 men of this toay or sect ; and perhaps by 
 other names which are not come down to 
 us. They considered themselves as one 
 family, and hence the appellation of breth- 
 ren was frequent among them. It was the 
 design of God to make all who believed of 
 one heart and one soul, that they might con- 
 sider him as their Father, and live and love 
 
56 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 like children of the same household. A 
 Christian, therefore, is the highest char- 
 acter which any human being can bear 
 upon earth; and to receive it from God, 
 as those appear to have done, how glorious 
 the title." 
 
 In this quotation, two points are admit- 
 ted by the learned and able commentator, 
 namely : 1st. That the word %pr}fjtazt£m sig- 
 nifies, in the New Testament, to aj)point, 
 warn, or nominate by Divine direction." 
 2d. That the disciples in Antioch "appear 
 to have" received the appellation Christian 
 "from God." Now, in conceding these, 
 there is a virtual granting of the position 
 I have assumed ; for they substantially 
 amount to the same proposition. 
 
 The second point in the statement of the 
 argument, that the original word rendered 
 call, in connection with the terms disciple, 
 saint, brethren, now claims attention. This 
 word (xaAsw) means to invite, to direct, to 
 come, to summon, to call to any duty, to invite 
 to be, etc., and nowhere necessarily signi- 
 fies to be divinely instructed, or led by inspira- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 57 
 
 tion, or named by Divine direction. A few 
 references will be sufficient to set this 
 clearly before you: (1.) "To all that be in 
 Rome, beloved of God, called (xlrjzoc^ from 
 yjjlzco) to be saints." — Rom. i: 7. "Unto 
 the Church of God which is in Corinth, to 
 them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, 
 called (xXrjzoto) to be saints," etc. — 1 Cor. 
 i : 2. It is evident that the meaning of 
 the term "call" or "called" is limited to 
 the simple idea of inviting to be or to become. 
 Again : " For both he that sanctifieth and 
 they who are sanctified, are all of one ; 
 for which cause he is not ashamed to call 
 (xaXeev) them brethren." — Heb. ii : 11. 
 "For many are called, (eem xfyToe,) but few 
 are chosen." — Matt, xxii : 14. "I marvel 
 that j;e are so soon removed from him that 
 called (xaXeeavTos) you into the grace of 
 Christ, unto another gospel." — Gal. i: 6. 
 " For, brethren, ye have been called (sxfy- 
 drjTs) unto liberty ; only use not liberty for 
 an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve 
 one another." — Gal. v : 13. It sometimes 
 means the speaking a name or title, not by 
 
58 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Divine monition, as in Luke xv: 19: "And 
 am no more worthy to be called {xk^vm) 
 thy son ; make me as one of thy hired serv- 
 ants." In 1 Corinthians xv : 9, we read: 
 "For I am the least of the apostles, that 
 am not meet to be called (xaXeetrOae) an 
 apostle, because I persecuted the Church 
 of God." From these and numerous other 
 texts the conclusion is irresistible that this 
 word is never used to signify Divine moni- 
 tion ; therefore, the question that some have 
 raised that, since the followers of Christ 
 were called "disciples, saints, brethren" etc., 
 as well as Christians, if the one were given 
 by inspiration then were the others also, 
 is without any foundation ; for the words 
 used in connection with the former ("dis- 
 ciple," etc.) and with the latter (" Chris- 
 tian") are entirely different in their scope 
 and meaning, as I have clearly shown. 
 And I think you will not charge me with 
 either egotism or dogmatism, if I now 
 claim that I have fairly met and set aside 
 the assertion that the appellation " Chris- 
 tian" was given to the disciples in Antioch 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 59 
 
 in derision ; and that I have demonstrated 
 that this name — Christian — is the only divinely 
 authorized appellation by which the followers 
 of the Messiah should be called. 
 
 A second reason why "Christian" is ac- 
 cepted by this brotherhood as their only 
 religious name rests upon those texts where 
 it is especially mentioned or else certainly 
 implied. True, these are not numerous. 
 Dr. Clark says : "It is worthy of remark 
 that this name occurs in only three places 
 in the New Testament." Wow, the plain 
 inference from this statement of the doc- 
 tor's is, that, since it is so seldom men- 
 tioned in the law of the kingdom, it would 
 be presuming rather much to claim it as 
 the Heaven-ordained name for the disciples 
 of Christ. Certainly those who would con- 
 demn others as presumptuous on so slight 
 ground as this have forgotten the law which 
 saith : " The testimony of two men is true, ;" 
 and also, " That in the mouth of two or 
 three witnesses, every word may be estab- 
 lished." 
 
 But I will give the testimony as I find it 
 
60 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 in the holy record. In Acts xxvi ; 28, we 
 read : " Then Agrippa said unto Paul, 
 Almost thou persuadest me to be a Chris- 
 tian." This, assuredly, is a frank and 
 manly, expression of a truthful sentiment, 
 the basis of which was his — Agrippa's — 
 knowledge of, and belief in, the prophets, 
 who spoke concerning the Messiah, and the 
 apostle's forcible reasoning that Jesus was 
 the Christ. It was the result of Paul's 
 demonstration and the king's faith. But 
 why use the term Christian instead of dis- 
 ciple or saint ? The inference is, that the 
 disciples or saints were generally known 
 by that appellation, and, hence, was their 
 common name in Csesarea as well as in An- 
 tioch. This inference is greatly strength- 
 ened by the fact that this appellation was 
 given to the brethren in the latter city 
 about the year 42, and that Agrippa's con- 
 fession was made about the year 62 — twenty 
 years afterward. Quite enough time for it 
 to have been received in all the Churches, 
 since the apostles and their <?o-workers in 
 the ministry traveled extensively from city 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 61 
 
 to city, visiting the various congregations to 
 strengthen them in the faith, and especially 
 since it was given by Divine appointment 
 in Antioch. 
 
 The next text I shall ask attention to, 
 may be found by referring to 1 Peter iv : 
 16: " Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, 
 let him not be ashamed ; but let him glo- 
 rify God on this behalf." It is evident 
 that the saints to whom this and the suc- 
 ceeding letter were addressed, were known 
 as Christians, and because of this were li- 
 able to suffer persecution. The apostle 
 recognized them by this name ; and among 
 their enemies this was their distinctive ap- 
 pellation, which marked them as objects of 
 jealous hate and bitter malignity ; hence, 
 the peculiar structure of the text : "If any 
 man suffer as a Christian," that is, because 
 he is known as a Christian. This was suf- 
 ficient to subject him to reproach and con- 
 tumely, to thrust him into prison, and to 
 bind him to the stake. 
 
 Permit me, now, to refer you to two 
 quotations, in which the name Christian is 
 
62 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 clearly implied. Ephesians iii: 14, 15: 
 " For this cause I bow my knees unto the 
 Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom 
 the whole family in heaven and earth is 
 named." James ii : 7: "Do they not blas- 
 pheme that worthy name by which ye are 
 called?" In the former of these texts, the 
 following points are deducible : 1st. That 
 God has but one family, which includes 
 all the redeemed in heaven and on earth. 
 2d. That the members of this family, at 
 the time this letter was written by the in- 
 spired penman, bore the same appellation 
 or name. 3d. That this name was Chris- 
 tian ; for the apostle says : "Of whom," 
 that is, of Christ, or from him, "the whole 
 family in heaven and earth is named." 
 Dr. Clark, in commenting on this passage, 
 says : " Christ gives the name of Christian 
 to all the real members of his Church upon 
 earth ; and to all the spirits of just men 
 (saved since his advent and through his 
 blood) in heaven." It is certainly true 
 that the members of God's family who 
 have gone to mansions above have no sect- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 63 
 
 arian or party names, but are known as 
 Christ's redeemed ones — as Christians — for 
 of him they are called ; therefore, I con- 
 clude, that, since the entire family in heav- 
 en and earth is divinely called by one name, 
 those members still dwelling in tabernacles 
 of clay should not assume sectional or un- 
 authorized appellations ; but cheerfully and 
 meekly accept the one given by Infinite 
 Wisdom. 
 
 The latter text — James ii : 7 — and its 
 connection, present these points : 1st. That 
 those who opposed the saints, and blas- 
 phemed, were the enemies of Christ and 
 his followers. 2d. That the disciples were 
 called by the name which was blasphemed 
 by their opposers. 3d. That this name 
 blasphemed was Christ. The conclusion, 
 therefore, is, that these brethren were 
 called Christians, since this term is derived 
 from Christ, and to be called by his name 
 is to receive this appellation. 
 
 And further : since Christian is derived 
 from Christ, it follows that to cast reproach 
 upon the former is blaspheming the latter ; 
 
64 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 for he says: "Inasmuch as ye have done 
 it unto one of the least of these my breth- 
 ren, ye have done it unto me." The wicked 
 persecutors of the primitive Church sought 
 every opportunity to revile the name Chris- 
 tian — which must have been the distinctive 
 appellation of the saints, else it could not 
 have been aspersed — and because of this, 
 were charged with blasphemy. I there- 
 fore claim that these texts sustain, with 
 great force, the position that the title 
 " Christian " was received by the ancient 
 disciples of Christ as their only divinely 
 appointed name ; and that they were recog- 
 nized by it. 
 
 A third reason why this Church receives 
 the name Christian only, rests upon the 
 scope of its meaning. There is, as I before 
 remarked, no other term ever applied to 
 the servants of Christ that" includes so 
 much, that has so wide a range as this. 
 To be a Christian is to attain the highest 
 character possible to any one on earth ; is 
 to be all the laws of God require. It em- 
 braces the following specialties : 1st. Our 
 
r 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 65 
 
 anion tvith Christ — that we are his ; for none 
 are entitled to it except such as are in- 
 grafted into him as the branch is into the 
 vine. To give it to any who are not thus 
 united to him is a misnomer, a gross per- 
 version of its meaning, applying it to a 
 purpose wholly at variance with its signifi- 
 cation. 2d. Since it expresses union with 
 Christ it must include discipleship, as this 
 word means learner, and all Christians are 
 such. It is with them the great aim of life 
 to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge 
 of the truth." Christ is, through his Divine 
 law, their spiritual teacher, and they are 
 his pupils. The most profound student 
 among them will not claim to have made 
 . himself familiar with all the grand and 
 beautiful ideas and sentiments of Christian 
 truth. There are realms of thought and 
 experience in the curriculum of Christ's 
 university above and beyond what he has 
 yet attained. The themes of study are in- 
 exhaustible. 3d. The name Christian in- 
 cludes the idea of saintship, which means 
 holiness, sanctity, since all who may truly 
 5 
 
bb POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 wear it are cleansed, sanctified ; for those 
 only are his who have his spirit, and those 
 who have his spirit must be consecrated to 
 him. 4th. It also embraces the idea of 
 brotherhood ; for if we are Christ's, then 
 are we of God's household; and, hence, are 
 members one of another in particular, bear- 
 ing fraternal relations. 5th. It expresses 
 heirship with Christ. " If ye be Christ's, 
 then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs ac- 
 cording to the promise," says the inspired 
 writer. The Christian is an "heir of God 
 and a joint-heir with Christ." 
 
 But it is unnecessary that I should en- 
 large ; let it suffice to remark that this 
 term (Christian) is a complete circle in its 
 meaning, while all others are mere seg- 
 ments. It embraces the idea of faith in 
 God and in Christ ; of love and obedience 
 to them ; of charity to the brotherhood ; 
 of kindness to all men ; of integrity to 
 truth ; of untiring devotion to the right ; 
 of purity and uprightness of character; 
 and, in brief, of every grace of the spirit 
 so pleasing in the sight of God and praise- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 67 
 
 worthy in the sight of men. No other title 
 applied to the followers of Christ expresses 
 so much. Disciple, in its simple meaning, 
 signifies learner, and was commonly given 
 to those who became acquainted with and 
 adopted the sentiments of another ; hence 
 those who learned and entertained the phi- 
 losophy of Socrates, Pythagoras, and Plato, 
 were called their disciples. Saint means 
 sanctified, holy, pure ; hence, was applied 
 to the devout of the Old Testament. Breth- 
 ren, or brother, indicates the relation each 
 member of the same household sustains to 
 the others ; and as the disciples formed but 
 one family, they were called brethren. 
 
 It is also true that the different names 
 distinguishing the various Protestant de- 
 nominations are sectional and fragmentary 
 in their signification. Each is expressive 
 of some one or more doctrinal sentiment ; 
 hence, is purely sectional. The leading- 
 idea expressed by the name "Episcopalian 
 Church" w its peculiar form of ecclesiasti- 
 cal government. And so. with the name 
 "Presbyterian Church." "Methodist Episco- 
 
68 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 pal Church 1 '' relates mainly to its form of 
 government, and the circumstances of its 
 first organization. " Wesleyan Methodist 
 Church 11 signifies that it has adopted the 
 true sentiments of John Wesley. The 
 prominent idea couched in the name "Bap- 
 tist Church" is that all legal members of 
 Christ's kingdom are immersed believers ; 
 that this is the initiatory process into the 
 household of faith. "Unitarian Church" is 
 expressive of a belief in the unity of God 
 in contradistinction to the Trinity, or a 
 belief of Unity in unity instead of Trinity 
 in unity. u linker salist Church" signifies 
 faith in the final holiness and hajrpiness of 
 all God's intelligent creatures. The lead- 
 ing idea expressed by the name "Luther- 
 an Church" is, that its members receive 
 the fundamental sentiments advocated by 
 Martin Luther, the great and successful 
 reformer. And what I have said of those 
 names mentioned is true of the entire cat- 
 alogue of denominational appellations, ex- 
 cepting " Christian." 
 
 You will observe that I do not call in 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 69 
 
 question the leading sentiments expressed 
 by the terms Episcopalian, Presbyterian, 
 Methodist Episcopal, Wesleyan, Baptist, 
 Unitarian, Universalist, and Lutheran. 
 These are not under review at present. 
 The point I am aiming to demonstrate, is 
 their want of catholicity — their sectional 
 and fragmentary signification. Suppose I 
 admit the sentiments expressed by these 
 several appellations to be true, then, Epis- 
 copalian including one leading idea, and 
 Presbyterian another, and neither one of 
 these names embracing both ideas, it neces- 
 sarily follows that they are fragmentary in 
 their meaning, and, hence, sectional ; for 
 that which includes only a part of the whole 
 is of necessity sectional. It can not be oth- 
 erwise, unless it can be proven that the 
 axiom, " The whole is greater than any of its 
 parts" is not true. The same maybe said 
 of the terms "Baptist' 1 and "Unitarian;" 
 for they express different sentiments, and 
 neither appellation includes both senti- 
 ments; hence, each must be fragmentary 
 in its signification. And this is true of all. 
 
70 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Further still : take all these denomina- 
 tional names together, and admit the lead- 
 ing sentiments they set forth to be true — 
 which, by the way, I should be very un- 
 willing to do — they would only measure a 
 few degrees in the great circle of religious 
 truth. This can not be said of the Divine 
 appellation, "Christian" Its complete 
 comprehensiveness, its catholicity, no one 
 will hazard his candor and reputal ion by 
 denying. It bears upon every feature the 
 impress of Divine approval. Look at it 
 from every point of observation you please; 
 try it by every honorable test, and still it 
 stands unrivaled as the name of Christ's 
 disciples, having been given by the inspi- 
 ration of the Holy Spirit. Regarding it 
 in this light, we, as the followers of the 
 Messiah, accept it as our only name. 
 
 I have now given you my second reason 
 for being a member of the Christian Church, 
 and it only remains for me, in closing this 
 letter, to refer to two objections that are 
 not unfrequcntly raised against our receiv- 
 ing this name only. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 71 
 
 1st. It is very emphatically asserted by 
 some to be " presumption, and therefore 
 unauthorized." Respecting our authority 
 for this action, we are entirely willing to 
 rest the case upon the evidence already 
 submitted. If it is not sufficient, then is 
 testimony valueless. As it regards the 
 next item : if it is presumption to call one's 
 self a " Christian," then is it presumption 
 to be a Christian ; but if it is not arrogance 
 — as this is one meaning of presumption — 
 to be a Christian, then is it not arrogance 
 to be called such. And as it is the ac- 
 knowledged duty of all to be Christians, it 
 certainly follows that all have the right or 
 privilege of being called or calling them- 
 selves by that title ; for any one may, with- 
 out in the least presuming, be called or call 
 himself by that appellation expressive of 
 what he is. I readily grant that, for any 
 one who has not the spirit of Christ to ap- 
 propriate that name to himself, it would be 
 unreasonable and arrogant ; but for one 
 who is united by living faith to the Head 
 of the Church, to receive and be known by 
 
72 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 it is reasonable, appropriate, and Scriptural, 
 and not presumption. 
 
 2d. It is claimed that we ''have no right 
 to take a general name, and appropriate it 
 to a special organization.'' To this I reply : 
 (1.) We have not laid an embargo on this 
 name, interdicting all others from using it. 
 They have all the right to it we have ; but 
 if they choose to be known by some other 
 appellation, the fault is not ours. (2.) If 
 a number, or even a majority of the mem- 
 bers of a family, should choose to call them- 
 selves by some other than their patronymic, 
 while the residue should adhere to the an- 
 cestral name, could the former, with the 
 slightest show of justice, arraign and con- 
 demn the latter for this faithful allegiance 
 to their paternal title ? Certainly not. So, 
 if we choose to call ourselves Christians, 
 which is derived from Christ, the "author 
 and finisher of our faith," and others should 
 make a different selection, we plead "not 
 guilty" in that we have remained faith- 
 ful in our loyalty to the household name. 
 (3.) It must be remembered that, although 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 73 
 
 this is a general name, it is no less a specific 
 or particular name ; for each disciple of 
 Christ may be designated by it as well as 
 the whole brotherhood. I therefore think 
 the allegation that we are overgenerous to 
 ourselves, is wanting in all the essential 
 elements of truth. 
 
 Fraternally yours. 
 
Letter III. 
 
 My Dear Sir and Brother: 
 
 I again resume my pen that I may lay 
 before you a third reason for my being a 
 member of the Christian Church, which 
 may be thus stated : Christian Character is 
 the only test of Christian fellowship. This 
 is one of the cardinal principles — one of 
 the landmarks, as well as a distinctive 
 feature — of the denomination ; and one to 
 which we purpose adhering faithfully, and 
 which we propose maintaining, both by 
 precept and example, with unyielding fidel- 
 ity. It has been, and still is, a source of 
 great pleasure and rejoicing to me, amid 
 the shifting scenes of life, to acknowledge 
 this as the basis of Christian fellowship, and 
 to be associated with those who cordially - 
 accept it as the platform of brotherhood. 
 'Nor have the objections which some have 
 raised against it as a sure and reliable 
 (74) 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 75 
 
 foundation of religious fellowship, weaken- 
 ed, in the least, my confidence in its all- 
 sufficiency. Indeed, they have rather 
 tended to strengthen my reliance upon it 
 by inducing investigation, which has re- 
 sulted in more clearly developing its entire 
 fitness for the purpose mentioned ; and in 
 more certainly establishing its Divine ap- 
 proval. With this deliberate and firm 
 conviction of both head and heart, I sub- 
 mit to you, with great pleasure, this basis 
 of Christian association, accompanied with 
 some of its arguments and illustrations, 
 trusting that you will give the whole (the 
 sentiment and its proof) a patient, thor- 
 ough, and candid investigation. 
 
 Permit me, in opening the discussion of 
 this question, to state the following propo- 
 sition, as the first point in the argument, 
 namely : Christian character is the true test 
 of Christian felloivship. This includes a 
 part of the cardinal principle which was 
 submitted in the opening of this letter, and 
 which is one of the distinguishing charac- 
 teristics of the Christian Church. The 
 
76 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 residue, as well as some of the terms of 
 the proposition itself, will be introduced 
 and argued in a subsequent letter. I do 
 this to avoid, as far as possible, all com- 
 plexity, that you may obtain a plain, truth- 
 ful, matter-of-fact view of the whole ques- 
 tion of Christian fellowship. And I need 
 hardly remind you of its importance. For 
 ages past it has been a theme of anxious 
 and earnest inquiry with all thoughtful, 
 loving, Christian men. From the time 
 the Savior gave birth to it in these words s 
 "That they all maybe one as we are one,' 7 
 till now, few subjects have been more fre- 
 quently the burden of holy prayer than 
 this. Every renewed heart has felt it, and 
 every Christian, tongue has uttered it. It 
 has gone up like holy incense to the Infi- 
 nite One from millions of altars; and no 
 true soul has ever offered an opposing sen- 
 * timent. Learned and able men have writ- 
 ten and spoken upon it, and plead for it, 
 and thirsted for the day to come when man 
 shall be received into full fraternal relation 
 for his manhood in Christ ; when there 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 77 
 
 shall be "one fold and one Shepherd." 
 And as we are brethren, having one Father, 
 one hope, and one home, let us go through 
 the investigation of the subject now before 
 us with true Christian frankness. 
 
 I now turn to the proposition, Christian 
 character is the true test of Christian fellow- 
 ship. 
 
 On this, questions like the following may 
 be asked: "Does this test comprehend 
 enough ? Is it sufficiently broad, and yet 
 specific ? Will it guard, on the one hand, 
 against latitudinarianism, and, on the oth- 
 er, against sectarianism?" To these, and 
 to all questions of the same class that may 
 be raised upon this proposition, but one 
 truthful answer can be returned, to which 
 all in whom the love of God reigns su- 
 preme will give their hearty concurrence. 
 The answer is : Most certainly the test is 
 sufficiently comprehensive, broad, and spe- 
 cific, and will safely guard against both 
 latitudinarianism and sectarianism. If it 
 is not, however, then is it entirely useless 
 that any man or men should attempt to 
 
78 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 make one, the lines of which shall be more 
 distinctly developed, or the standard of 
 which shall be more elevated or more ac- 
 curately graduated. To claim the right 
 and ability to construct one better adapted 
 to determine the conditions of Christian 
 brotherhood, is unmitigated arrogance; and 
 none but the superstitious, ignorant, or dog- 
 matic bigot will defend any such claim. It 
 might be maintained where darkness and 
 tyranny sit intrenched behind despotic 
 power, holding the reins of authority, lord- 
 ing it over men's consciences, crushing the 
 freedom of inquiry and thought, and stran- 
 gling the uprising of a broad, generous 
 manhood ; but where light breaks in upon 
 society, pouring its rays through all its 
 channels, and rendering the duties and re- 
 lations of its members clear and unmis- 
 takable, it can not long survive. And in 
 proportion as truth prevails, so must this 
 claim give way, yielding its grasp upon its 
 victims, until they walk forth free men, 
 ready to love and fellowship others for 
 what they are, and not for what they pro- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 79 
 
 fess, and be loved and fellowshiped in re- 
 turn on the same condition. 
 
 I desire, at this point, to call your atten- 
 tion to this truth, that, in many of the 
 transactions of life, we are controlled by 
 the principle which is the vitality of this 
 test, namely : the character that such a 
 one may sustain, or the quality of such and 
 such an article. If circumstances made it 
 necessary for you to commit your business 
 affairs into the hands of another, would 
 you not be guided, in the selection of your 
 agent, by the character you deemed requi- 
 site to him who should occupy that rela- 
 tion to you? Undoubtedly you would. 
 Hence your action in the premises would 
 be determined by this principle, if nothing 
 else contravened. 
 
 Again : Should it become necessary, or 
 should you wish to form a partnership 
 with some one, for the purpose of trade, 
 manufacture, or commerce, would you not 
 be controlled, in your choice of a partner, 
 by the character he sustained ? If the- se- 
 lection should lie between two who might 
 
80 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 desire to be thus associated with you, it 
 could be determined judiciously only on 
 this principle. The ability to give in de- 
 tail the regulations and laws that enter 
 into and govern any one of these depart- 
 ments of industry, would not be sufficient 
 of itself. I do not say that this is not a 
 weighty element in the qualification of a 
 commercial man ; but I do maintain that 
 it alone is not enough. Nor would any 
 careful business man endanger his reputa- 
 tion, or jeopardize his finances, by making 
 one wanting in all else but this a partner 
 in his firm. Is he prompt, discreet, truth- 
 ful, and trustworthy? Does he possess 
 ability, and manly, incorruptible moral in- 
 tegrity ? These, or similar questions, you 
 would require answered affirmatively, for 
 these are essential constituents of the char- 
 acter that would command confidence. And 
 he who sustained all these would be your 
 first choice, other things being equal. 
 
 Were you seeking a location which you 
 desired to make a home for yourself and for 
 your children after you, would not the facts 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 81 
 
 as to health, fertility, and trade be regard- 
 ed as considerations wielding a strong in- 
 fluence in determining your choice ? And 
 would not the reputation of the citizens for 
 truth, industry, morality, and intelligence 
 be weighty considerations in settling the 
 question of location ? Most assuredly they 
 would. And they are such as no thought- 
 ful, sagacious, and prudent man is likely 
 to overlook. His questions would run 
 about thus : Is it healthy, fertile, and con- 
 venient to trade? Are the people tem- 
 perate, industrious, moral, and intelligent? 
 Settle these inquiries, and you settle also 
 the question of location ; for they determ- 
 ine the character of the place, and the 
 character in turn controls the choice, if 
 nothing else intervenes. It is the only 
 true test, and to depart from it would be 
 to decline the certain means of safety, and 
 to render one liable to errors and mistakes 
 difficult to remedy. 
 
 I further remark that what is true re- 
 specting the power of character of persons 
 or places in determining action is also true 
 
82 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 of the quality or property of things. Your 
 value of a tree in your orchard is measured 
 by the quality and quantity of tire fruit it 
 bears ; and you are influenced in its care 
 and culture by this value, which is gradu- 
 ated by the quality of the tree. And so 
 are you directed in your attention to, and 
 care of, your horse in his stall, and in the 
 selection of stock for your farm, and also 
 in the purchase of various useful articles. 
 It is the quality that determines action, 
 when other things are equal. But it is* not 
 necessary that I should pursue this line of 
 illustration further. 
 
 The question I desire now to press is, if 
 character and quality are conditions that 
 enter so largely in determining our actions 
 in the business affairs of life, why may they 
 not be regarded as legitimate and certain 
 tests or conditions governing us in our re- 
 ligious bearing toward others, and especi- 
 ally in our fellowship with them ? If there 
 is any good reason why they should not, I 
 confess myself unable to to see it — wholly 
 unacquainted with it, I claim that char- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 83 
 
 acter — as this includes essential proper- 
 ties — when qualified by the term Christian, 
 is the true basis of Christian fellowship. 
 This, I am persuaded, will appear evident 
 if you will but weigh carefully and candidly 
 the following considerations. 
 
 1st. The test is sufficiently specific. There 
 is no ambiguity in it. When it is claimed 
 that such a one sustains a CJiristian charac- 
 ter, the idea intended to be conveyed can no 
 more be misapprehended than it can when 
 it is affirmed that such another one has a 
 vicious character. The terms virtuous and 
 benevolent, or vicious and avaricious, when 
 applied to any one, do not more certainly 
 designate special qualities or properties of 
 character, than the term Christian. And 
 yet we are all satisfied with the power and 
 specialties of these words in defining char- 
 acter, and are at no loss in determining the 
 class to which he, to whom any one of them 
 may justly be applied, belongs ; nor are we 
 puzzled in deciding the moral and social 
 relation this may place him in to us. Nor 
 will it be maintained that these are more 
 
84 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 distinct and positive in their signification 
 of character than the term Christian. In- 
 deed, they possess far less power in compass 
 than it ; for they, taken separately, included 
 only one element of character, while it em- 
 braces every quality of mind and heart 
 essential to constitute one a member of the 
 household of faith. If a man is a Christian, 
 he is just what the law of Christ requires, 
 and is entitled to your cordial fellowship; 
 and he who withholds it, knowing him to 
 be such, certainly is inexcusable. He can, 
 by the authority of the truth, make no fur- 
 ther demands of him. It is a finality, and 
 all other questions must yield to it. You 
 accept him for what he now is. If the 
 Father has received him, so must you, and 
 so must all who love Christ. To admit 
 that one is a Christian, is granting that he 
 is in fellowship with the Father and the Son ; 
 and to submit other tests to such a one as 
 conditions of fellowship, is the summit of 
 incongruity. No catalogue of questions, or 
 articles of faith, crammed and packed to 
 their very brim with straight out-and-out 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 85 
 
 "orthodoxy," can more clearly and specific- 
 ally point out the genuine landmarks of 
 spiritual excellence, than the simple inter- 
 rogation, Is he a Christian? truthfully an- 
 swered, He is. And I very seriously doubt 
 whether they, plied by all the ingenuity and 
 address of a Clerical Council or a Session 
 of Elders, would not fall far short of it, in 
 measuring the breadth and depth of the 
 soul's love to G-od and to Christ. 
 
 2d. A second consideration, which will 
 strengthen the proposition that Christian 
 character is the true test of Christian fellow- 
 ship is, that it gives a basis sufficiently broad. 
 
 Now, it is just and right that every man 
 should be governed in his appreciation of 
 others by that principle which will induce 
 him to recognize and acknowledge what- 
 ever real worth others may possess. This 
 is an equitable and safe rule, because it ac- 
 cepts men at their full value, neither giving 
 a premium nor demanding discount. We 
 ask, at the hands of our fellow-men, at 
 least this much for ourselves, and expect 
 that they will grant it. To demand more 
 
86 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 is unjust, and to give less is equally so. 
 He who does either of these, though it be 
 the result of ignorance, is reprehensible, 
 unless he can show that this want of inform- 
 ation was no fault of his. And if such is 
 held responsible, except on the condition of 
 inevitable ignorance, how much more meri- 
 torious of censure is he who sees the moral 
 and spiritual sincerity and uprightness of 
 another, but declines recognizing him by a 
 genuine fraternal expression, because he 
 stands outside the limits that describe his 
 Church, or because he does not accept some 
 of his religious dogmas. This would be 
 making a mere party relation or belief 
 in metaphysical, abstract theological ques- 
 tions, enunciated by an Ecclesiastical Coun- 
 cil or Assembly, the basis of brotherhood, 
 and that, too, in violation of a principle 
 which we hold is binding upon others re- 
 specting ourselves, namely : That we are to 
 receive full credit for what we are, and be 
 treated accordingly. If we possess real 
 manhood in Christ Jesus, we look for others 
 to frankly acknowledge this, and give us the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 87 
 
 hand of fellowship. To say that a Chris- 
 tian man disregards the favorable opinion 
 of others, and holds their fellowship as a 
 subject of very light and trifling moment, is 
 certainly wanting in veracity. A pretend- 
 er may ostensibly or really assume such 
 a position of indifference, but a true man 
 never. Justice to himself and to the cause 
 he may have espoused will not permit him. 
 And the question now is, Can a rule or 
 principle be right which will lead him to 
 deny that to others, who occupy the same 
 plane of character with himself, which he 
 claims as due from them to him ? There 
 can be, I am sure, but one answer to this. 
 That which induces such result must be 
 radically wrong; for it contravenes this 
 clause in the Divine constitution: ''There- 
 fore all things whatsoever ye would that 
 men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; 
 for this is the law and the prophets." But 
 the principle that places Christian brother- 
 hood on Christian character is entirely free 
 from these objections, and all similar ones. 
 It is broad enough to receive all the good, 
 
88 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 pure, and upright dwelling upon the foot- 
 stool of God. Not one such is excluded 
 from the bosom of brotherly love by it. 
 The humble follower of the Messiah, living 
 on the outer rim of civilization is included, 
 as well as he who dwells within its "hub." 
 The "orthodox" (?) cylinder, consecrated 
 by the hands of bishops and clergy, may 
 not have smoothed out of him all hetero- 
 dox (?) wrinkles, nor have rolled out his 
 religious ideas so as to fill the authorized 
 standard; it matters not; if he has "Christ 
 formed in him, the hope of glory," if he 
 bears the peaceable fruits of righteousness, 
 this test admits him to full fellowship. It 
 is, in this respect, a complete circle, and not 
 a mere segment. It will raise him who 
 rests upon it so far above party lines of lat- 
 itude and longitude, that they will shrink 
 into insignificant shreds. It will take from 
 the eye of the soul the vail that limited its 
 vision to the few whose religious opinions 
 have been cut, carved, and whittled so as 
 to fit every angle, whether acute or obtuse, 
 and every curve, however tortuous, of a 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 89 
 
 particular creed, and, instead thereof, will 
 disclose a glorious brotherhood encircling 
 all who are the children of God by a holy 
 life. It completely nonsuits sectarianism, 
 and leaves it to pay the cost of its own 
 illegal prosecution. It leaves all free to 
 exercise, in the largest sense, the highest 
 and noblest element of Christianity, name- 
 ly: charity, love. It bids us go forth and 
 find a brother in whomsoever faith in God 
 the Father, and in Christ the Savior, sits 
 enthroned ; in whomsoever holy love has 
 sprung up, and bears the fruits of righteous- 
 ness and peace. Nor is its measure filled 
 by a half-way, outside, street fellowship. 
 Its spirit and voice are, Welcome to the 
 altar of worship, to the Church, the house- 
 hold of faith, and to the Lord's table, as 
 brethren, all whose characters are modeled 
 after the great Teacher's. It rebukes, with 
 unmistakable plainness, that spirit which 
 hails you as a brother out in the commons 
 or in the public park, but when it enters 
 the pew, the pulpit, or draws near the com- 
 munion table, is as entirely innocent of any 
 
90 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 knowledge of you whatever as it is of the 
 veriest stranger or heretic. It holds such 
 fellowship precisely as a true philanthro- 
 pist does the charity of one who is vocifer- 
 ous and voluble in words of sympathy and 
 benevolence till his purse is touched, and 
 then is as dumb as a statue, and cold as 
 the heart of an iceberg. 
 
 Such, then, is the breadth, the catho- 
 licity of this test of fellowship, that not 
 one of Christ's disciples, however poor and 
 obscure, or elevated and renowned, is ex- 
 cluded from its realm. It is the only one 
 against which the charge of sectionalism 
 can not lie. For this basis I plead, and 
 upon it I profess to stand ; and to no other 
 can I ever submit, nor will I. The senti- 
 ments of head and heart utterly forbid it. 
 
 3d. In further support of the proposi- 
 tion, permit me to refer to a third consid- 
 eration, namely: The test is sufficiently 
 restricting; that is, it confines us in the 
 exercise of this grace of the heart within 
 just limits, beyond which we may not go. 
 It permits us to extend our fellowship to 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 91 
 
 such only as sustain a Christian character. 
 More than this it does not require ; nor 
 will less fill its measure. I am, therefore, 
 under no obligation whatever, by this rule, 
 to give the hand of Christian brotherhood 
 to any whose life is not Christlike. Hence, 
 the objection raised by some against this 
 condition of fellowship, that it opens too 
 icide a door, is entirely without foundation 
 in fact. It does not fling open the gates 
 and say to the debauchee : Come, enter this 
 temple, and indulge freely in your midnight 
 orgies. JNor does it say to the profane and 
 profligate : You are welcome to these sa- 
 cred courts with all your blasphemy and 
 shameless wickedness, boiling and seething 
 like a sea of fire within and without you. 
 ISor does it even admit to the circle of 
 Christian brotherhood those whose souls 
 are so beclouded with sectarian prejudice 
 that scarcely a solitary ray- of Divine love 
 can find its way into them, though they 
 may be as rigidly orthodox as John Cal- 
 vin or Jonathan Edwards. The door of 
 admission, I apprehend, is none too lib- 
 

 
 92 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 eral. It is as " strait " as " the gate " 
 and "narrow" as "the way" which the 
 Savior exhorts ns to strive to enter in, 
 and which but few find. Neither posi- 
 tion, nor mere profession, nor orthodox 
 relation, nor breadth of phylacteries will 
 admit within this "strait gate." He who 
 enters it, and claims the benefit of the pro- 
 visions within, is expected to show a clean 
 record — to present a character bearing the 
 Divine imprint. Such as are stamped with 
 the image of Christ are regarded as "legal 
 tender from Grod to us';" and only such. 
 It therefore as effectually guards against 
 latitudinarianism on the one hand as it 
 does against sectarianism on the other. 
 Howsoever widely it may throw the man- 
 tle of generous Christian sympathy and 
 compassion over the deviations, of human- 
 ity, it spreads the robe of Christian broth- 
 erhood over those who produce the peace- 
 able fruits of righteousness ; and those only. 
 This certainly brings our fellowship within 
 sufficiently restricted limits. I am sure it 
 will amply meet the sentiments of both in- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 93 
 
 tellect and heart of all who have formed 
 their religious faith and practice after the 
 teaching of Him who rebuked the spirit of 
 proscription that occasionally showed it- 
 self among his immediate disciples, in these 
 words: "Forbid him not; for he that is 
 not against us is for us." And then, as if 
 to give the most liberal plan, consistent 
 with truth, for future action, adds : " For 
 whosoever shall give you a cup of water to 
 drink in my name, because you belong to 
 Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not 
 lose his reward." I remark again that 
 this test of brotherhood draws the lines of 
 fellowship with adequate closeness, which 
 none could desire more restricted, unless 
 his ideas of religion have been dwarfed by 
 the dogmas of a creed and his affections 
 circumscribed by party drill. Now take 
 these three considerations, which I have 
 aimed to elucidate briefly, together with 
 others that might be mentioned and which 
 your own fruitful mind will suggest, and 
 view them in the light of the word and 
 spirit of the Scriptures, and they will be 
 
94 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 found giving strong and decided support 
 to the doctrine that Christian character is 
 the true basis of Christian fellowship. 
 
 A second point in the argument is, that 
 Christian character is the oxly true lest of 
 Christian fellowship. This I propose de- 
 monstrating, by showing that every other 
 basis that has been submitted, upon which 
 Christians of all denominations might meet 
 and form one brotherhood, has signally 
 failed to secure this end. First. Permit 
 me to refer to the assumed right of priestly 
 authority to dictate terms of faith, as one 
 of the plans resorted to by which to make 
 certain fraternal unity among all who pro- 
 fessed to be the disciples of Christ, and by 
 which, also, to maintain that unity. This 
 scheme has been tried until all its resources 
 have been exhausted. For more than nine 
 centuries it, clothed with the sanctity of 
 religion, and sustained by the most power- 
 ful kings and nobles of the earth, used its 
 vast enginery to force men within the limits 
 of religious faith prescribed by its author- 
 ity, and to compel them to remain there 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 95 
 
 without question. Never did the sentinels 
 upon the walls of a beleaguered city guard 
 with more unceasing vigilance its safety, 
 than this hierarchy, from the Pope down 
 through all the clerical grades to the veri- 
 est monk in his cloistered cell, has watched, 
 that this unity of the Church, as modeled 
 by itself, be kept inviolate. Never did a 
 miser guard his gold, or a hungry tiger his 
 prey, with more pertinacity than did this 
 ecclesiastical power its religious heritage, 
 lest heresy, as it might please to decide, 
 should creep in, and find a tongue to speak 
 and a voice to be heard. The priesthood 
 was clothed with special powers and pre- 
 rogatives. It was theirs to command, and 
 it was the people's to obey, without the 
 right or privilege to question. Priests said 
 to this one, "Go," and he went, and to 
 that one, "Come," and he obeyed. They 
 commanded men to believe this or that, 
 and they did, not daring to deny. Before 
 their authority the most powerful kings 
 and potentates trembled like reeds shaken 
 by the wind. To them belonged the pre- 
 
96 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 rogative of dictating what men should be- 
 lieve, and what they should not. They 
 determined all questions of orthodoxy and 
 heresy. Thought and conscience were 
 made yield to their dictation. They is- 
 sued articles of faith as so many coins 
 bearing their signature; and the people 
 were not permitted to test them, and learn 
 for themselves whether they were genuine 
 or counterfeit. And were there signs of 
 an upheaving which would disturb this 
 graveyard unity, this lifeless quiet, how 
 quickly were they suppressed. For centu- 
 ries the freedom of thought was strangled 
 and the enkindlings of religious liberty 
 smothered. He who dared think beyond 
 the limits meted out by this hierarchy was 
 sure to fall, riven and blasted by the light- 
 ning of its power. Such were John Huss, 
 of Bohemia, Jerome, of Prague, and Bish- 
 ops Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer. The 
 power of excommunicating not only from 
 the Church, but from heaven itself, claimed 
 by this miterecl and sceptered priesthood, 
 held the millions in abeyance. It hung 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 97 
 
 like an impending cloud, threatening and 
 terrific, over them, beneath which they 
 shrank and cowered like slaves ; and kings, 
 rather than brave it, would kiss the dust 
 from the pontifical feet, and bare their 
 backs to the biting and lacerating scourge. 
 But if ecclesiastical power and authority 
 failed to press down and crush out freedom 
 of religious thought and investigation, then 
 was the arm of civil authority called forth. 
 Hence, the people not only beheld the 
 threatenings of excommunication and the 
 terrible evils it entailed, but also dark, 
 dank, and loathsome prisons glared upon 
 them, whose solid walls shut out the noise 
 of the world, and whose bolted and barred 
 doors, when once closed upon their victims, 
 never opened to them again, except at the 
 will of him to whose dictation they must 
 unreservedly bow, else suffer all the hor- 
 rors of a death by piecemeal. These were 
 the engines of power employed to tighten 
 around the head and heart of humanity 
 the bands of priestly faith, and to drive in 
 the screws of Popish rule. And all these 
 
98 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 agencies were resorted to, it is claimed, that 
 the Church might be kept free from heresy, 
 and remain one brotherhood, united upon 
 one basis. That it was the aim of this 
 hierarchy to bring all within its realm of 
 power, and thus form one fraternity, can 
 not be denied, how much soever we may 
 denounce the means employed as despotic, 
 tyrannical, corrupt, and antichristian. And 
 yet all these agencies, potent as they were, 
 failed to secure the end proposed. During 
 this long night of terror and oppression 
 there were forces gathering, slowly but sure- 
 ly, which were destined to convulse this 
 spiritual despotism, and wrench the bands 
 of superstition and servile ignorance from 
 millions. The voices of the Bohemian and 
 his coadjutor, Jerome of Prague, though 
 quenched in the fires kindled by the decree 
 of the Council of Constance, were ordained 
 to be heard and echoed in after ages. The 
 work that fell from their hands crisped by 
 the flames, was destined to be grasped by 
 others under more favorable conditions, 
 and carried forward to a glorious comple- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 99 
 
 tion. The Augustine monk of Wittem- 
 berg — Luther — was led, no doubt, by 
 Providence, step by step, in his opposition 
 to priestly usurpation and corruption, until 
 he found himself arrayed against, and in 
 fearful struggle with, the entire Papal au- 
 thority and power. And nobly did he sus- 
 tain the strife. He was more than a match 
 for the haughty Cardinal Cajetan de Vio, 
 at Augsburg, the courtly and crafty legate, 
 Charles Miltitz, and the princes, electors, 
 and ecclesiastical dignitaries composing the 
 Diet of Worms. This absolute despotism 
 of Roman Catholicism, unmitigated by 
 one solitary popular right or constitutional 
 privilege, with its sleepless espionage, could 
 not always hold its religious grasp upon 
 the throats of the people. The breach was 
 made, and could not be closed up. Rent 
 after rent has gone crashing through its 
 dominion of power, until it now exists as 
 a mere wreck of its former strength. Its 
 fulminations, once dreaded by kings and 
 people more than the ravages of the pesti- 
 lence or the calamities of war, are now re- 
 
100 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 garded as lightly by nine-tenths of the 
 civilized world as the babblings of a de- 
 mented crone. 
 
 It is evident, from the history of the 
 past, that the asserted right of priestly au- 
 thority to prescribe terms of faith as a basis 
 upon which all Christians might meet in 
 sincere, unfeigned fellowship, has signally 
 failed. It has been tested with the utmost 
 rigor, and has fallen immeasurably short 
 of securing the result aimed at. The rea- 
 sons for this are obvious. It did not seek 
 to purify, elevate, and enlarge the soul, by 
 giving it free access to the inspired word, 
 exhorting it to draw near the great heart 
 of Infinite Love, through Christ ; but, in- 
 stead thereof, furnished it with ghostly, 
 superstitious, and monkish legends. It 
 did not seek to break the fetters of sin and 
 ignorance from the soul, bidding it enjoy 
 the freedom of the children of Cod, its 
 Heaven-ordained right ; but only added 
 new bands and screws, by which it might 
 be held in bondage the more securely. It 
 did not labor to awaken the conscience, 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 101 
 
 quicken its sensibilities, and strengthen its 
 powers, placing it as a sentinel at the cloor 
 of the heart; but aimed rather to weaken 
 its forces, restrain its growth, and silence 
 its voice. Instead of guiding man in holy 
 reverence toward God, in the name of Je- 
 sus, and leading him to obey noble and 
 generous duties toward his fellows, it com- 
 pelled him to offer supplication to canon- 
 ized saints, repeat rituals, and do penance. 
 It dwarfed the whole man. Its plan was 
 opj^osecl to the higher law. It set its face 
 against the freedom of thought and inves- 
 tigation, and, hence, against the advance 
 of true religion and the progress of civili- 
 zation. These are some of the reasons why 
 it failed to give the Christian world a com- 
 mon basis of religious fellowship. 
 
 Secondly. I shall now refer to creeds or 
 articles of faith, as they are called, drawn 
 up by uninspired men, and sanctioned by 
 Councils, Assemblies, or Conferences, as 
 bonds of Christian union and conditions of 
 fellowship ; and shall aim to prove that they 
 have entirely failed to give a basis of sufficient 
 
102 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 breadth to receive all who are the children of 
 God by faith in Christ Jesus, And here, suf- 
 fer me to remark, that I wage no war with 
 the piety of many who adhere to creeds. 
 It is with the latter I now have to do, 
 as terms of Christian brotherhood, and not 
 with the former. 
 
 My first reason in proof of the proposition 
 that creeds, as well as priestly authority, 
 have come far short of securing fellowship 
 among all Christians, is, that they compel a 
 restrained study of the Scriptures. That clear 
 and liberal conceptions of the character of 
 Gocl, of his will respecting us, of Jesus 
 Christ our Teacher and Redeemer, and of 
 the pure, elevating truths he revealed of 
 religion, are essential to a generous, en- 
 larged fellowship, will not be denied. And 
 that an unrestricted study of the word of 
 God is indispensable, that we may secure 
 these clear and liberal ideas, is equally un- 
 deniable. It matters not what branch of 
 knowledge one proposes studying, he must 
 commence and pursue it, free from all bias 
 of mind, or ulterior restraints, if he would 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 103 
 
 gain the truth. The largest liberty should 
 be claimed and conceded. This is granted 
 in the investigation of the sciences of as- 
 tronomy, geology, natural philosophy, etc. 
 If a student in one of these fields of thought 
 makes a new discovery, or develops a new 
 point in any law or fact already known, all 
 that is demanded of him is, that he clearly 
 demonstrate this new truth or fact. He 
 does not enter upon and prosecute his re- 
 searches under the restraints of old dogmas 
 of the schools, beyond the limits of which 
 he dare not push his investigation, or the 
 truth of which he must not question only 
 under the penalty of being excommunicated 
 from civilized society. In consequence of 
 this positive freedom — this large liberty of 
 inquiry and research — many new and valu- 
 able and astonishing discoveries, in various 
 departments of knowledge, have been made 
 within the past few years. New truths and 
 facts have been developed, and old ideas 
 resolved, from which have been elimina- 
 ted errors that had greatly obscured their 
 beauty and fitness. Now what is true re- 
 
104 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 specting the state of the mind essential to 
 the successful pursuit of scientific knowl- 
 edge, is equally true touching the condition 
 of mind requisite to gain true religious 
 knowledge. In each case the largest free- 
 dom of inquiry must be permitted. This 
 principle being conceded — and I see not 
 on what just ground it can be controvert- 
 ed — the question arises, Whither shall the 
 inquirer after Christian truth go, but to 
 Christ, "in whom are hid all the treasures 
 of wisdom and knowledge?" He is pre- 
 eminently the light of the world, as well as 
 the "wisdom of God." To him he who 
 would become wise unto salvation must 
 go. It is his privilege and duty to sit at 
 the feet of a Divine Teacher, and not at 
 the feet of any human. And no man has a 
 right to interpose aught between him and 
 his truthful Instructor. But the question 
 may be asked, Do not creeds tell him to go 
 to Christ and learn of him? Certainly; 
 but, at the same time, they shout into his 
 ears their articles of faith, until their din 
 almost drowns the voice of Him who speaks 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 105 
 
 from heaven. The} 7 tell him to learn of 
 Jesus, but at the same time inform him 
 that he must learn what they teach. They 
 acknowledge the Scriptures to be the only 
 infallible rule of faith and life, yet will ex- 
 clude from Christian fellowship him who 
 dares not .think as fallible men say. They 
 tell him to learn of Christ, but at the same 
 time have measured, weighed, and labeled 
 what he must learn, or else be cast out and 
 branded as a heretic. Now, what state of 
 mind do these induce, in which to gain 
 clear and liberal views of the character 
 of the Infinite One, of Jesus the Son of 
 God — the Savior — and of the all-embracing 
 and glorious truths he poured upon the 
 world? You might as well hoodwink 
 a man, and then command him to walk 
 abroad without stumbling, by your giving 
 his elbow an occasional nudge or pull, as 
 to expect him, thus hedged in by dogmas, 
 to gain this knowledge. You might as 
 well put stained glasses upon his eyes, and 
 then ask him to examine and appreciate 
 all the lights and shades of color, as to 
 
 0 
 
106 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 thrust before his mental vision your arti- 
 cles of faith, and then bid him, with entire 
 freedom, learn the beauty and harmony of 
 truth, as, link after link, it stretches out in 
 endless perspective. What, then, is the 
 state of mind in which he should come to 
 Christ, and learn of him ? He should for- 
 sake all other teachers for him. He must 
 come near to him, and lay his mind open, 
 so as to receive the impressions of his 
 truth, as it flowed from him, without the 
 mixture of error. He must learn of the 
 Divine Teacher from the Divine Teacher 
 himself, as he speaks in the pure, Heaven- 
 inspired records of his life, and in the 
 writings of those who were divinely quali- 
 fied and commissioned to bear testimony 
 of him to the world. He who thus comes 
 will not be turned away empty. But he 
 who is bound by the dogmas of a creed, 
 can not approach Christ as the great Teach- 
 er in this state of mind. He is in a man- 
 ner compelled to interpret the teaching of 
 Jesus -and his inspired witnesses by the ar-' 
 tides of faith to which he has subscribed. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 107 
 
 I therefore claim that creeds necessitate a 
 restricted study of the Scriptures ; and that 
 in proportion as the mind is trammeled in 
 their study, so will the conceptions of the 
 character of the Father, of the benevo- 
 lence, compassion, and full completeness of 
 Christ, and of the deep, broad, and generous 
 spirit of his teachings, be restricted ; and 
 in proportion as these conceptions are lim- 
 ited, so will the spirit and sentiment of 
 Christian fellowship be narrowed down. 
 Hence, I draw the conclusion, that creeds 
 do not give a basis of Christian brother- 
 hood of sufficient breadth and length. 
 
 My second reason in further proof of the 
 proposition is, that creeds restrain him who 
 bows to their authority in his groivth in Chris- 
 tian truth. This may appear at first view 
 only a restatement, in different terms, of 
 the former reason. If, however, you will 
 reflect upon it for a moment you will dis- 
 cover that it suggests a new train of thought 
 yet connected to the former, and harmoniz- 
 ing with it. The first may be regarded as 
 the antecedent, and the second as the conse- 
 
108 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 quent; for a restricted study of Christian 
 truth, or any truth, must result in a re- 
 stricted growth in that truth. 
 
 You are not to infer from the terms 
 "growth in the truth," that I entertain the 
 sentiment that truth itself grows; that to- 
 day it is a youth, and a decade of years 
 hence a vigorous, full-grown man. It is 
 infinite, and can not be augmented. I 
 grant that link after link may be and is 
 developed or unfolded to the mind. Nor 
 do I wish to be understood by the phrase 
 "his growth in the truth," to convey the 
 idea that what he holds as truth to-day will 
 of necessity be laid aside next year as false 
 or useless. The errors he now entertains, 
 he may in the future grow out of ; but this 
 can not be said of him respecting the truth. 
 Out of it he can not grow, since what was 
 truth in ages past is such now, and will 
 eternally be. He may recede from it, or 
 reject it, or only partially perceive it; but 
 to claim that he may grow out of or beyond 
 it, is as absurd as to assert that the vision 
 may grow beyond the light ; or that the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 109 
 
 thoughts may finally extend beyond the 
 infinite ; or that the hearing may travel 
 beyond the vibration of .the atmosphere. 
 What I mean by growth in Christian truth 
 is, 1st. A clearer perception of that which 
 may have been only partially apprehended ; 
 and as this goes on, erroneous ideas that 
 may have found their way into the mind 
 will disappear from it, that is, no longer 
 control it. 2d. A discovery of that which 
 may have been hitherto unknown to the 
 mind. This may suffice as a definition of 
 what I mean by the phrase, growth in Chris- 
 tian truth. 
 
 It will not be maintained, I think, that 
 even the wisest theologians have learned 
 all that is possible to be known of that 
 Divine message which the Father has been 
 pleased in the fullness of his love to com- 
 municate to the world. Looking at it, is 
 like looking at a fine landscape painting. 
 The eye may soon glance over the picture ; 
 but to fully understand its expressive beau- 
 ty, and the harmony of all its parts, it must 
 be studied. Nor must he who would know 
 
110 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 its excellence and truthfulness confine him- 
 self to one position alone from which to 
 study it, but shquld view it from all avail- 
 able stand-points. Nor must there be ob- 
 structions in the way, preventing a clear 
 and close survey ; but the largest freedom, 
 in securing the most favorable circum- 
 stances by which to obtain the end desired, 
 should be sought. So it is in the study of 
 Christian truth. It must be viewed from 
 all available points of observation. Nor 
 must the mental vision be impeded or 
 dimmed by the stereotyped decrees or dog- 
 mas of any uninspired man or council of 
 men. I do not say that the opinions of 
 the wise and good should be disregarded 
 or treated with indifference. This would 
 be supercilious affectation. When the 
 thoughts and sentiments of the learned 
 and candid man are presented as sugges- 
 tions, statements of truth, and arguments, 
 then should they have all the weight to 
 which they are entitled. But when they 
 come in the form of a creed or articles of 
 faith, being a finality on the point of doc- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. Ill 
 
 trine they enunciate, beyond the limits of 
 which investigation must not be pushed, 
 nor their sentiments called in question only 
 under penalty of excommunication, then 
 do they become hinderances to growth in 
 Christian truth ; and, hence, should never 
 be subscribed to. Not only do they ob- 
 struct this growth, but, on the same prin- 
 ciple, impede the development of new truth. 
 If a company of men should draw certain 
 lines of latitude and longitude, and iium- 
 ber them, inclosing a comparatively limit- 
 ed section of a hemisphere, and then should 
 say to you : Go forth and explore the earth, 
 and make yourself acquainted with the 
 geography of its surface ; but you must 
 not travel beyond the lines we have marked 
 out and labeled ; neither must you question 
 their accuracy, nor discuss their merits, ex- 
 cept it be to bear testimony to their pre- 
 cision ; would you not hold these conditions 
 as greatly obstructing your growing in a 
 knowledge of the earth's surface, and also 
 your acquiring any new facts respecting it? 
 It could be regarded in no other light. 
 
112 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Such is precisely the relation that creeds 
 hold to one's growing "in the knowledge 
 of the truth." They imperatively set lim- 
 its to thought, saying, Thus far shalt thou 
 go, but no further. This is the hight of 
 arrogance, unless they set up the claim, 
 and can make it good by the clearest evi- 
 dence, that the whole of religious truth is 
 compassed by their articles of faith. I am 
 strongly inclined to the opinion that very 
 few, if any, will assert that He whose ways 
 are past finding out can be defined in com- 
 paratively few words; that the character 
 of Him who came down from "heaven not ' 
 to do his own will, but the will of Him 
 who sent him," can be set forth in a few 
 sentences ; and that the whole theory and 
 practice of the religion taught by the Son 
 of God, and his inspired witnesses, can be 
 meted out in a few articles of faith. And 
 yet this must be assumed and maintained, 
 else the charge that they restrain his grow- 
 ing in the truth who yields to their dicta- 
 tion, lies against them with a force that 
 can not be fairly met and turned aside. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 113 
 
 The argument I would submit upon the 
 preceding is this : That whatever restricts 
 the growth of the soul in the knowledge 
 of the truth proportionately restricts the 
 development of its sympathies and affec- 
 tions ; and that in proportion to their want 
 of development, so will its (the soul's) fel- 
 lowship be limited. But creeds do prevent 
 this growth of the soul by denying to it 
 freedom of thought, and, therefore, utterly 
 fail to furnish a basis of sufficient breadth 
 for the brotherhood of all Christians. 
 
 My third reason, that creeds have failed 
 to give a religious platform of adequate 
 liberality, upon which all the disciples of 
 Christ might meet in fellowship, rests upon 
 their practical workings. What are their 
 results ? What is their history for the last 
 fifteen centuries ? What is their record 
 pro and con. ? Let the facts speak for 
 themselves. To do this, I propose that 
 a brief survey of their history be taken. 
 Leaving out of view that one usually 
 called the Apostles' Creed, and some- 1 
 times ascribed to them, but without suffi- 
 8 
 
114 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 cient authority to establish the claim, and 
 also the one supposed to have been drawn 
 up by Athanasius, which fact is now called 
 in question by the highest authority, let us 
 refer to the one framed by the Council of 
 Mce assembled in Bithynia. This assem- 
 bly of bishops was called by the Emperor 
 Constantine, in 325, for the purpose of quel- 
 ling the controversy then fiercely raging 
 between Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, 
 and his adherents, on the one hand, and 
 Alexander, the bishop of that city, and 
 those who entertained his sentiments, on the 
 other. It is not my province in this letter 
 to speak of the merits or demerits of the 
 doctrine advocated by either party ; but to 
 show that the efforts of this Council to con- 
 struct a creed upon which harmony of sen- 
 timent and feeling might be restored, and 
 the bond of brotherhood secured to all who 
 loved Grod with the whole heart, entirely 
 failed. 
 
 This celebrated Council, composed, ac- 
 cording to Eusebius, of two hundred and 
 fifty bishops, but according to Socrates, 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 115 
 
 of three hundred and eighteen, after a 
 protracted session of two months, com- 
 posed a confession of faith, consisting of 
 twenty canons or articles, by which it pro- 
 posed settling points of dispute, calming 
 religious tumult, and restoring the harmo- 
 ny of Christian fellowship. But in these 
 it signally failed. True, it condemned the 
 doctrine entertained by Arius — and this 
 was the main question before the Council — 
 and banished him, compelling his abettors, 
 among whom were many distinguished for 
 their superior learning and genius as well as 
 for their rank and station, to either subscribe 
 to this confession of faith or else share a like 
 fate with him. But did this restore har- 
 mony, and calm the religious conflict, by 
 giving a basis of sufficient breadth to re- 
 ceive all who were struo'^lino- for a higher 
 life in the Infinite Father and in Christ 
 Jesus ? Certainly not ; for the sentence 
 pronounced against Arius by the Council of 
 Nice was, in 330, set aside by the Emperor 
 Constantino, the banished presbyter re- 
 called, and subsequently his doctrine estab- 
 
116 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 listed by the Councils of Arminium, Seleu- 
 cia, and Syrmium. Each party, as it gained 
 the ascendency, in turn issued its dogmas, 
 and labored to force the other to receive 
 them as the true foundation of religious 
 faith, practice, and fellowship. So embit- 
 tered was the strife, that the historian says : 
 "There arose endless animosities, and se- 
 ditions, treacherous plots, and open acts of 
 injustice and violence between contending 
 parties. Council was assembled against 
 Council ; and their jarring and contradict- 
 ory decrees spread perplexity and confu- 
 sion through the Christian world." 
 
 The Council of Constantinople, being- 
 convened by Theodosius, in 381, and to 
 which the second rank among General 
 Councils is attributed, appears to have 
 regarded the Nicene Creed as imperfect, 
 particularly its sentiment respecting the 
 character of Christ and the Holy Spirit. 
 A part of its time was therefore given to 
 recasting or remodeling this Mcene article 
 of faith, and giving it a more definite shape. 
 Hence it is said that this Council "gave the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 117 
 
 finishing touch to what the Council of Nice 
 had left incomplete, and fixed in a full and 
 determinate manner the doctrine of three 
 persons in one God." It also, says his- 
 tory, "branded with infamy all the errors, 
 and set a mark of execration upon all the 
 heresies that were hitherto known." Of 
 course, the standard by which it determ- 
 ined any religious sentiment to be erroneous 
 and heretical, or otherwise, was the creed it 
 had constructed or rather remodeled. All 
 who declined accepting it as the statement 
 of their faith, were "branded with infamy," 
 as errorists and heretics, however pious and 
 devout they might be. The love of a Chris- 
 tian heart, and the purity of an earnest life, 
 were not sufficient to secure to them religious 
 brotherhood. They must subscribe to the 
 creed made by erring and fallible men, or 
 else suffer excommunication. The result 
 of all this was to exclude, as far as human 
 power could, from the household of faith, 
 many of the humble followers of Christ; 
 and, hence, gave a basis of Christian fel- 
 lowship entirely too restricted to meet the 
 
118 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 generous sentiments of the Gospel of peace 
 and good-will. 
 
 Respecting the decrees and articles of 
 faith enunciated by the different Councils, 
 of which there were nineteen, as claimed by 
 the Roman Catholic Church, but in reality 
 many more, embracing a period of more 
 than twelve hundred years, the same is true 
 of them that is of the Councils of Nice and 
 Constantinople. They were narrow, pro- 
 scriptive, arbitrary, dogmatic, bigoted, and 
 often vindictive and tyrannical ; and, in 
 the end, totally failed to secure oneness of 
 sentiment and harmony of spirit. The 
 dogma established by one as a fundamen- 
 tal article of faith was, not unfrequently, 
 amended, modified, or abolished by anoth- 
 er ; hence, its authority was maintained 
 only while a majority could be induced to 
 sustain it, and hold in. check the minority. 
 It is a significant fact in the history of 
 creeds, that they have undergone frequent 
 and essential changes, affecting their fun- 
 damental principles ; therefore, that which 
 was held as stanch orthodoxy by one, was 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 119 
 
 regarded as arrant heterodoxy by another ; 
 and vice versa. 
 
 In further proof of the futility of any 
 human creed or creeds as a basis of fellow- 
 ship, I desire to refer very briefly to the 
 efforts that were made during the sixteenth 
 century to form a union between the Luther- 
 an and Reformed Churches. The latter 
 denomination was organized by Zuingle 
 and Calvin.' These two religious commu- 
 nities included among their membership 
 many truly noble and generous-hearted 
 Christians ; and in their oj^position to the 
 corruption and tyranny of the Roman 
 Catholic hierarchy, there was common 
 cause between them. For these reasons, 
 and that they might thereby increase their 
 strength, and enlarge the sphere of their 
 influence, it was desirable that they should 
 form one brotherhood. Among those who 
 earnestly labored to secure this truly Chris- 
 tian object, were Luther, Melancthon, Zuin- 
 gle, and Calvin. To effect this union nu- 
 merous trials were made. Long consulta- 
 tions were entered into, and many plans 
 
120 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 proposed. Articles of faith were drawn 
 up with great care by the different parties, 
 each submitting his as the basis of union. 
 But after many fruitless attempts, it was 
 learned that no unaided or uninspired hu- 
 man wisdom, however sincere its motives 
 and desirable its purposes, could pro- 
 duce a system of religious faith of suffi- 
 cient simplicity, and yet of ample breadth, 
 upon which all Christians might meet in 
 fraternal fellowship. This failure of these 
 learned and earnest men is another unim- 
 peachable witness that human creeds, how- 
 ever well intended, can never give to the 
 Christian world an adequate basis of relig- 
 ious brotherhood. 
 
 Permit me next to refer to the practical 
 working of creeds as they now exist in the 
 middle of the nineteenth century. That 
 they have lost much of their iron rule over 
 the intellect and conscience of men is cer- 
 tainly true; but that they still have a 
 strong grasp upon the hearts, and, in a 
 large degree, control the religious action of 
 many, is equally true. The "World's Con- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 121 
 
 vention," as it was denominated, which as- 
 sembled in London, England, a few years 
 since, is an instance of this. This great 
 gathering of Protestant clergymen, both 
 from Europe and America, could not be 
 satisfied with the word of God as a system 
 of faith and Christian character as the test 
 of /fellowship, but must draw up in form a 
 set of theological dogmas, to which all who 
 would enter its courts, and enjoy its pleas- 
 ures and profits, must subscribe ; and, hence, 
 some of the most devout and pious men, 
 who had long desired to witness a draw- 
 ing together of different religious denom- 
 inations, were excluded from its delibera- 
 tions. 
 
 But the question is, "What are the prac- 
 tical workings of creeds in this age of 
 mental and moral progress ? 1st. I re- 
 mark that the creed of any one religious 
 organization does not give a basis upon 
 which any two denominations may unite, 
 forming but one association, much less one 
 upon which all might stand in harmony. 
 In proof of this, I shall take the liberty to 
 
122 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 mention especially the Presbyterian and 
 Methodist Episcopal Churches, with their 
 respective creeds. And I select them be- 
 cause of their numbers and influence in 
 the Christian world, and not because I 
 have any particular partiality toward them, 
 or hold any prejudice against them ; nor 
 yet because I desire to subject their creeds 
 as platforms of brotherhood, exclusively to 
 criticism, or compare their merits. I have 
 to do just now with facts, and not with 
 Churches. 
 
 Suppose it was desirable that these two 
 Churches should unite, constituting but one 
 religious communion ; and, to effect this, 
 that a delegation from the General Assem- 
 bly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
 United States, should be deputed to meet 
 the quadrennial Conference of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal Church, and to make over- 
 tures of union to that body. It is evident 
 that to effect a coalition between these two 
 denominations, there must be some com- 
 mon basis or platform adopted. Without 
 this, all efforts to secure the object proposed 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 123 
 
 must ultimately prove fruitless. But that 
 some common ground be agreed upon, sup- 
 pose the delegation from the Presbyterian 
 Church should submit as a basis of union 
 their creed, the Westminster Confession of 
 Faith ; arid that they should do this is both 
 reasonable and probable. Indeed, my ar- 
 gument rests upon the hypothesis that they 
 would ; for I am aiming to test the suffi- 
 ciency of any human creed as a foundation 
 of brotherhood among the disciples of 
 Christ. I repeat, suppose the Presbyte- 
 rian delegation should present their Con- 
 fession of Faith as the ground-work of 
 union, urging its claims because of its su- 
 perior adaptation to the wants of the 
 Church, and because it more nearly em- 
 bodies the essential elements of Christian 
 truth — how would this proposition be met 
 by our Methodist brethren ? How many 
 would give it a cordial welcome and a 
 hearty support ? If the question should 
 come to a vote on the adoption of' the 
 proposed terms of union, how many of 
 them would be found in the affirmative? 
 
124 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 What number would boldly and firmly 
 say "Ay?" Respecting this we have no 
 positive means of knowing, as it has never 
 been practically tested ; but the strongest 
 probabilities are, that nineteen-twentieths, 
 if not ninety-nine-hundredths of the en- 
 tire quadrennial Conference would record 
 themselves in the negative. That the plan 
 would be rejected, hardly admits of a doubt. 
 What the main reason for declining to ac- 
 cept the proposition might be, is not for me 
 to suppose. That they exist, and that they 
 would be urged, will not, I think, be ques- 
 tioned by any candid person. 
 
 Again : suppose, on the other hand, that 
 a delegation be deputed by the General 
 Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church to meet the General Assembly of 
 the Presbyterian Church, and to make to 
 that body overtures of union ; and suppose 
 in complying with their duty they should 
 submit the Discipline of the Church they 
 represent as the basis of brotherhood, 
 would not its reception be analogous to 
 that which I have claimed would be given 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 125 
 
 to the one coming from the other party ? 
 Would not the terms be respectfully de- 
 clined ? Most certainly they would, else 
 I have missed my reckoning, which rests 
 upon facts, namely : that the Presbyterian 
 Church prefers its own Confession of Faith 
 and form of ecclesiastical government to 
 the other. Reasons, sufficiently potent, 
 could not be urged by either party to in- 
 duce the other to abandon its old religious 
 platform and step upon — to it — a new one. 
 Each esteems its own creed as superior to 
 the other, and therefore could not be per- 
 suaded to substitute any other in its stead. 
 If, then, this illustration truly represents 
 facts as they are, and as they would be pro- 
 viding the supposed proposal for union be- 
 tween the two denominations mentioned 
 should now be made, it follows that the 
 creed of neither party could give a basis 
 of competent breadth upon which both 
 might meet and form one brotherhood. 
 And if this is true of these, it must be of 
 all other religious constitutions, as plat- 
 forms of union, produced by the wisdom 
 
126 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 of man ; and that it is true, can not safely 
 be denied. And if no two denominations 
 can unite upon any one human creed, how 
 incalculably less possible that all Churches, 
 with their various ecclesiastical forms of 
 faith and government, each differing more 
 or less from the other, could meet and form 
 but one religious association upon any hu- 
 man constitution, creed, or confession of 
 faith. „ I am of the opinion that nothing 
 would be risked in claiming that the con- 
 centrated wisdom of the entire clerical 
 world can not construct a platform of 
 Christian brotherhood upon which all the 
 members of God's spiritual family might 
 meet in fraternal union and fellowship, 
 other than the one which I have aimed to 
 set forth in this letter, namely: Christian 
 character. 
 
 Secondly. I remark respecting the practi- 
 cal workings of creeds that they foster prej- 
 udice ; hence, in the tendency of their in- 
 fluence, are sectional, and are therefore too 
 narrow in their spirit and teaching to meet 
 the wants of the enlarged and liberal sen- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 127 
 
 timent inspired by Christian truth, when 
 permitted to have free course. It is not 
 only true that creeds produce sectarian- 
 ism, which will not be denied by those ac- 
 quainted with ecclesiastical history, but it 
 is equally true that they nourish it. This 
 will appear evident if the following consid- 
 erations are carefully noted : 1st. They — 
 creeds — differ from each other on some 
 very grave religious questions ; and also on 
 some matters of Church policy. That this 
 is sustained by facts may be learned by 
 referring to the documents themselves ; 
 and, hence, it is not necessary that I should 
 specify these differences. 2d. These re- 
 spective creeds, with their diverse teachings 
 on faith and Church government, of neces- 
 sity become the constitution of the partic- 
 ular denominations which have adopted 
 them ; and the sentiments and j^ractice 
 they inculcate are transferred to the very 
 heart of those Churches, and become in- 
 wrought with their living forces, and exert 
 a very strong influence in rounding the 
 corners and sharpening the angles of faith 
 
128 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 and practice which constitute the distin- 
 guishing features of these respective relig- 
 ious organizations. And since they differ 
 in several points of decided moment, and 
 since these differences must of necessity be 
 infused into the habits of religious thought, 
 sentiment, and life of the several and dis- 
 tinct Churches, it follows that sectarianism 
 must be the result ; or, in other words, de- 
 nominational individuality and idiosyncra- 
 sies, with all their likes and dislikes. And 
 as each Church regards its creed superior 
 in its statement of faith and in its details 
 of government to others, there" will be pro- 
 duced and nurtured a sentiment and feeling 
 toward itself and toward others correspond- 
 ing to these, which will ultimate in preju- 
 dice, of greater or less strength, for the one 
 and against the others. It follows, there- 
 fore, if my argument is correct, that creeds 
 embody, beget, and perpetuate prejudice, 
 schism, and sectionalism from age to age, 
 and, hence, do not form an adequate basis 
 upon which all Christians may meet in fel- 
 lowship. The maxim of Caesar very aptly 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 129 
 
 illustrates their workings. He says ; — 
 "Money will raise soldiers, and soldiers 
 will raise money." So creeds will produce 
 sects and parties, and these in turn will 
 make creeds ; and this is their history. 
 
 Permit me to add in this connection, that 
 no one expects the whole Christian world 
 to be converted to the Presbyterian Con- 
 fession of Faith, nor to the Discipline of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, nor to 
 the Episcopal Confession of Faith, nor to 
 the Baptist Confession of Faith, nor to any 
 other purely human confession of faith. 
 Not even the most sanguine denomination- 
 alist, though banded to his Church by ties 
 strong as hoops of steel, expects this, for 
 the plain reason that they (creeds) are sec- 
 tional in their platforms of faith, and in 
 their tendencies. 
 
 My fourth reason that creeds have failed 
 in furnishing a basis for the common broth- 
 erhood of all Christians, is founded on the 
 religions tendency of the age, and especially 
 upon the developments of religious sentiment 
 and feeling since the autumn of 1857. 
 9 
 
130 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 As I have already remarked, creeds have 
 been for more than a quarter of a century 
 losing their grasp upon and control over 
 the intellect and affections of those who 
 have received them as their exponent of 
 faith and practice. This is evident : 1st. 
 Because a more liberal construction of their 
 teachings is permitted now than heretofore. 
 A wider range of interpreting their lan- 
 guage is now tolerated. Formerly a very 
 rigid technical belief in their doctrine was 
 demanded, and an exact submission to their 
 peculiar forms and ceremonies exacted. 
 ]N"ow, members are received and retained 
 who do not acknowledge all their articles 
 of religion ; and others still who give to 
 these articles a free construction ; so free, 
 indeed, that less than a half century since 
 it would have been pronounced "heresy." 
 2d. It is clear that they are losing their 
 molding power over men's faith and con- 
 science, and their footing in the affections 
 of many, because public sentiment will not 
 now tolerate the direct teaching of their 
 peculiar tenets in Sabbath schools. The 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 131 
 
 instruction in these "nurseries of piety" — 
 these auxiliaries to the spread of Christian 
 truth — is directed more to the development 
 of the moral and spiritual sentiment of the 
 young, and less to the imprinting upon their 
 inexperienced and susceptible nature the 
 dogmas of any particular human creed. 
 Hitherto it was widely different. Sound- 
 ness on all questions of faith, however ob- 
 scure or incomprehensible, was held as 
 essential to salvation ; and all doubts that 
 might be raised respecting them were re- 
 garded as precursors of perdition. Hence, 
 different denominations arranged and print- 
 ed questions and answers which especially 
 embodied their respective theological ten- 
 ets. These were taught to the young, both 
 in the home circle and in the Sabbath 
 school. But this catechetical process of 
 boltino- and screwing the youthful mind to 
 the teachings of any particular confession 
 of faith, has fallen almost entirely into dis- 
 use. There are but few localities where 
 the prevailing sentiment is not against it. 
 True, there may be here and there a con- 
 h 
 
132 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 gregation or an individual whose " ortho- 
 dox" features are large and well defined, 
 having been cast in the theological mold 
 of the middle of the seventeenth century, 
 who would prefer that the old order of 
 things should be restored. The enlight- 
 ened, enlarged, and generous spirit of re- 
 ligion which has gone forth, and which has 
 disarmed the demon of partisan zeal, will 
 not permit this. To test this fact, let any 
 Church introduce into the Sabbath-school 
 under its care the "Longer and Shorter 
 Catechisms," and require them to be 
 taught and learned as of yore ; how long, 
 think you, it would require to depreciate 
 that school a hundred per cent.? Xo lon- 
 ger, I apprehend, than for the fact to become 
 generally known. Teach our children in 
 the name of Jesus to love God with the 
 whole heart, and to walk in the ways of 
 virtue ; but do not cram their young minds 
 with the dogmas of any human creed, is 
 the edict of the spirit of this age; and it 
 will not suffer it to be infracted with im- 
 punity. This process of demoralizing the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 133 
 
 force of creeds and of loosening their hold 
 upon the intellect and heart of the people, 
 has been going on for more than a half 
 century; and has resulted in their being- 
 rejected by hundreds of thousands, and 
 in their being so liberally interpreted by 
 thousands more, who still receive them, as 
 to eliminate nearly all their technical the- 
 ology. These facts indicate the religious 
 tendency of the age, which in turn clearly 
 proves that no creed furnishes a platform 
 of brotherhood of sufficient liberality ; for 
 if it were so, then would it form a common 
 plane upon which the fraternal spirit, now 
 wide-spread and still increasing in breadth 
 and depth and length in the land, would 
 draw together the multitude of Christ's 
 disciples. But this will not nor can not 
 be claimed for any creed. Facts, some of 
 which I have alluded to, prove the reverse 
 of any such claim to be true. 
 
 The development of religious sentiment 
 and practice since the autumn of 1857, is 
 a most unimpeachable witness in proof of 
 the point now in argument. One of the 
 
134 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 marked features in the Christian history 
 of this country for the past three years, is 
 the great and glorious work of reforma- 
 tion, which poured through the length and 
 breadth of this goodly land like the light 
 of day from the unbarred chambers of 
 the morning. It made its way into cities, 
 towns, villages, and rural districts, arrest- 
 ing the farmer at his plow, the mechanic at 
 his bench, the merchant at his ledger, the 
 banker at his counter, and the lawyer in 
 his office, calling them to strive for a higher 
 life. It thrilled through the heart as the 
 voice of the Infinite One, entreating the 
 wanderer back from the wilderness of sin 
 and death. It did not go crashing through 
 communities like a wild, exciting storm; 
 but moved on, like the course of nature, 
 grand and triumphant, making itself heard 
 and felt, subverting the foundations of sect- 
 arian prejudice, sweeping away barriers 
 that had stood like grim prison walls be- 
 tween the children of the Most High, and 
 calling them to work together in the pre- 
 cious harvest-field of life. The union of 
 
. , 1 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 135 
 
 feeling and effort which it produced was 
 one of the characteristics of this revival, 
 and was that which pre-eminently com- 
 mended it to all who had drank freely of the 
 spirit of love. Wherever its influence was 
 extended, "Union Prayer-Meetings" were 
 organized, which met weekly, and in many 
 places daily. To these all Christians were 
 invited, and in them nearly all denomi- 
 nations were represented. In the main, 
 sectarianism was put under ban in these 
 religious gatherings ; and if it did worm its 
 way in, it came as a foreign element masked 
 in the robe of charity, thus concealing its 
 features so chilling and repellent to the 
 spirit that prevailed there. As indicating 
 the controlling sentiment, I will give a few 
 brief extracts from reports of some of these 
 Union Prayer-Meetings. In Bedford street 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, New York 
 city, on the 8th of March, 1858, Mr. S. D. 
 Van Beuren, who conducted the services, 
 and who is an Episcopalian, said, in the 
 presence of a large audience : "I know no 
 sect or party in these efforts." Another 
 
136 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 gentleman said : "It was a happy thought 
 that once-contending sects were now ob- 
 served sitting at the Master's feet on terms 
 of general humility, and with feelings of 
 millennial harmony." Another said : "I 
 desire to be plainly understood as ignoring 
 sectarianism in this great work now going 
 on, and with David I rejoice in being the 
 companion of all them that fear God." 
 Another gentleman told the story of White- 
 field, who, while preaching at Philadelphia, 
 said : "There would be no Methodists, nor 
 Presbyterians, nor Baptists, none of the 
 sects preserved in heaven — there, all would 
 be Christians." Such sentiments as these 
 were not confined to any one locality or as- 
 sembly, but were common wherever these 
 meetings were organized. I have heard, 
 in Union Prayer-Meetings, in Sabbath- 
 School Conventions, in Young Men's Chris- 
 tian Associations, held in different parts of 
 the West, remarks like these : " We come 
 here, not as Episcopalians, Methodists, 
 Presbyterians, Baptists, or Congregational- 
 ists, bringing with us our peculiar denomi- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 137 
 I 
 
 national creeds ; but we ftvme simply as 
 Christians, claiming the Bible as our rule 
 of faith, and character as the ground of 
 fellowship." Mr. S. J. Prime, in his work 
 on the Power of Prayer, says : " The Union 
 Prayer-Meeting is now a type. It repre- 
 sents what has never been so well repre- 
 sented before in modern clays : that among 
 all Christians there are elements of coales- 
 cence and harmony ; that there is a union 
 deeper down, and which underlies all ex- 
 ternal unions. * * • Thus proving 
 that it is really what it professes to be, ' a 
 union meeting.' Thousands go without 
 ever raising the question, whom they are 
 to meet or to what Church organization 
 do they belong. Neither do they care." 
 Many more extracts might be given, but 
 these must be sufficient to show the devel- 
 opment of sentiment and action in this re- 
 markable work. All sectarian names were 
 laid aside, and all creeds and confessions 
 of faith, as bonds of union and communion, 
 were left behind, and men united in the 
 solemn worship of God, and in carrying 
 
138 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 forward the work of salvation, upon the 
 word of inspiration as the platform of 
 faith, and upon character as the bond of 
 fellowship. 
 
 On these facts, which will not be denied, 
 such questions as these may be raised: 
 Why was not some one of the self-named 
 " orthodox" creeds submitted as the basis 
 of union and co-operation? Why thrust 
 them all into the background? Why this 
 profound silence respecting their claims? 
 The answer is obvious. Xo one of them 
 furnishes a foundation broad enough for all 
 Christians to meet upon, and worship, and 
 work together. Is it not both reasonable 
 and probable, had there been such, that its 
 excellences, its sufficiency, would have been 
 urged by its supporters, and acknowledged 
 by all earnest and sincere men? Most 
 certainly. That no such claim was sub- 
 mitted is tacit admission that no such un- 
 inspired creed existed. Even the most 
 ardent admirers of these human produc- 
 tions, as conditions of fellowship, saw them 
 set aside and did not utter a word of pro- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 139 
 
 test, or if they did, it was feeble and ineffi- 
 cient. Nothing has occurred in modern 
 times that furnishes evidence so conclusive 
 that creeds are essentially sectarian in their 
 very spirit and tendency as the religious 
 movement of the past three years. The 
 testimony -comes not alone from those who' 
 have entirely renounced them, but from 
 those who have not; at least in theory. 
 The evidence of such, given by word and 
 deed, is the more weighty. Now take the 
 facts I have indicated, all of which, with 
 many of their details, every close observer 
 of the late religious work in our country 
 is in possession, and they prove with un- 
 questionable certainty that creeds and 
 confessions of faith are fragmentary in 
 their teaching and sectional in their influ- 
 ence; and, hence, do not furnish a plat- 
 form upon which all God's children can 
 harmoniously meet. And they demon- 
 strate, with no less clearness and force, 
 that the Bible alone as the rule of faith, 
 and Christian character as the test of 
 fellowship, furnish the only basis of ample 
 
140 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 length and breadth upon which all the 
 disciples of Christ may meet in true frater- 
 nal union. 
 
 Fraternally yours. 
 
tetter IV. 
 
 My Dear Sir and Brother: 
 
 In my last address to you the question 
 discussed was, Christian character is the only 
 true test of Christian fellowship. This I 
 aimed to demonstrate by showing: 1st. 
 That it is sufficiently specific. 2d. That 
 its breadth is entirely adequate. 3d. That 
 it is sufficiently restricting. 4th. That all 
 other tests that have been submitted as 
 foundations of brotherhood have failed to 
 secure this end. The proposition itself, 
 which these points with their facts and ar- 
 guments were introduced to sustain, few 
 will venture to deny. That a man is to be 
 esteemed for what he really is, is a princi- 
 ple so plain and just, that it amounts al- 
 most if not altogether to a truism. With 
 all sincere, unprejudiced men Christian 
 character is a sufficient passport to their 
 fellowship. It is to them the signet of 
 
 (141) 
 
142 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Divine approval. To deny this would be 
 to subject one's self to the charge of bigotry 
 and an unreasonable zeal in favor of party 
 or sect. 
 
 At this point in the discussion, the ques- 
 tion may be raised, What is Christian 
 character ? or, in other words, What does 
 this phrase imply ? That this is a fair and 
 lawful inquiry I most cheerfully grant; 
 and that it should be answered is both rea- 
 sonable and just. It is reasonable, because 
 he who adopts a principle as a rule of ac- 
 tion should be able to elucidate it, and 
 willing to answer all relevant questions 
 which may arise from it. It is just, be- 
 cause fair dealing with himself and with 
 others demands it, since his course of action 
 is to be determined by this rule. 
 
 Before proceeding to meet the question 
 raised, I desire to premise the following: 
 1st. That Christian character may certain- 
 ly be known ; and more, it must be known, 
 else the rule can not be rendered practical. 
 I could not apply a principle in determin- 
 ing whether or not another filled its re- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 143 
 
 quirements if I had no clear idea of it, or 
 of what it demanded. If I make a certain 
 character the condition of a certain relation, 
 then, before that relation can be acknowl- 
 edged, I must decide whether that char- 
 acter which meets the condition has been 
 secured ; and, before I can determine this 
 last point, I must have pretty clear ideas 
 of the elements that form the state of mind 
 specified. Hence the necessity of not only 
 possibly understanding what constitutes 
 Christian character, but positively to know 
 it, both respecting myself and others. 
 Touching myself, I know it by a con- 
 sciousness of the harmony of my feelings, 
 thoughts, purposes, and actions with the 
 will of the Divine Being; and from an 
 inward realization of peace springing up 
 within the soul. As to others, I know it 
 from their confession and deportment, which 
 are the outward expressions of the state 
 of the heart. If these are right and pure-, 
 they show a mind at peace with the govern- 
 ment of God. So others determine respect- 
 ing myself; and by the same rule the 
 
144 
 
 10 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 world perceives who are the disciples of 
 Christ. It was said by him who spoke 
 from heaven: "A good tree can not bring 
 forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree 
 bring forth good fruit. Wherefore, by their 
 fruits ye shall know them." Again, he 
 said: "By this shall all (men) know that 
 ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to 
 another." Not more certainly may the 
 character of a tree be known by the quan- 
 tity and quality of the fruit it bears, than 
 the character of the man may be determ- 
 ined by the deeds he produces. As we 
 may know the one by the fruit, so may we 
 the other. It is the outward manifestation 
 by which the quality of the tree or the 
 character of the man is made conscious to 
 others. One has truly said : " The works 
 of the life are the tongue of the heart.*' 
 But, 2d. The Bible is the infallible stand- 
 ard by which to measure one's manhood in 
 Christianity. This position does not con- 
 flict, as might be supposed at first sight, 
 with the sentiment that each one knows 
 his relation to God from a consciousness 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 145 
 
 that his feelings, thoughts, purposes, and 
 actions are in harmony with the Divine 
 will ; for by the word of inspiration he de- 
 termines this. Pie knows there is no con- 
 troversy between the Bible and his state 
 of mind and current of thought, by com- 
 paring them with it. Its teachings inspire 
 the one and commend the other. Its spe- 
 cifications of the purity of the inward 
 spiritual life are so plain that mistakes 
 can not easily occur. It furnishes the test 
 by which I am to try myself and by which 
 I may estimate my brother. As it is the 
 rule of faith, so is it the measure of char- 
 acter. 
 
 - Having submitted these antecedent prop- 
 ositions, let us take up and examine the 
 question, What is Christian character ? 
 And, as this is the basis of fraternal fel- 
 lowship, it is well that Ave gain as clear a 
 comprehension of its elements and devel- 
 opments as is possible ; and that this may 
 be secured, I propose looking at it first from 
 a negative stand-point — that is, specifying 
 a few things that it is not. I am not, per- 
 
146 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 mit me to say, much in favor of negative 
 argument, yet no inconsiderable light may 
 be shed upon a question by presenting, in 
 contrast, both the affirmative and the neg- 
 ative. 
 
 1st. I remark that Christian character is 
 not simply the belief in any creed what- 
 ever. It may be ever so " orthodox ;" and 
 its date may run back over the lapse of 
 centuries ; and it may be sanctioned by the 
 voice of Councils, Conferences, and Assem- 
 blies, and sustained by their influence ; yet 
 belief alone in its doctrines will not entitle 
 any one to the claim of a union with the 
 Messiah, and, therefore, to the state of the 
 heart which is the condition of brother- 
 hood. One may be, after the most accu- 
 rate measurement by the wisest creed, pro- 
 nounced " sound in the faith," but if he 
 wants those graces of the spirit which the 
 Scriptures mention with so much clearness, 
 and which render the life a light to the world, 
 he does not possess the requisite test of fel- 
 lowship ; nor will men award it to him. 
 Rev. H. W. Beecher, in a recent sermon, 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 147 
 
 while discussing a subject which involved 
 this very point, said: "When men say that 
 doctrine is indispensable to piety, I say it 
 is false, or else you condemn five-sixths of 
 all Christians ; for I aver that there is not 
 even one in ten who could conform to any 
 system of doctrine. If the masses of 
 Christians do say they believe ; if, when 
 certain doctrines are presented to them as 
 indispensable to their piety, they do ex- 
 claim, ' Credo ! Credo !' yet there is not 
 more than one in ten that can appreciate 
 logical reasoning; there is not one in a 
 hundred that can take principles and couple 
 them together so as to construct a symmet- 
 rical, logical doctrine. The day is coming 
 when a man — though he be as orthodox as 
 John Knox, of Scotland — if he does not 
 live a good life, will not be regarded by the 
 world as a sound Christian; and when a 
 man — though he be wild on every point of 
 doctrine — if he does live a good life, and 
 loves his God and his fellow-men, and has 
 faith in Christ, and is in communion with 
 him, will be acknowledged by the world to 
 
148 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 be a sound Christian." This is presenting 
 the question in a pretty strong light ; but 
 not more so than is justifiable. Of course, 
 Mr. Beecher means by "doctrine," such as 
 is set forth in the various human creeds, 
 and not the plain truths and facts sub- 
 mitted in the word of God as propositions 
 of faith. That he has not overstated the 
 point is evident from this, that there are 
 many whom the world acknowledge to be 
 Christians, ay, more, whom the "orthodox" 
 themselves — except perhaps those of the 
 strictest sect — admit as such, who do not 
 believe many of the points of doctrine em- 
 bodied in creeds, and who emphatically 
 deny their authority. ' If this is so, it fol- 
 lows that faith in them, or in their teach- 
 ings, is not essential to Christian character, 
 nor will it lay the foundation and build it 
 up. This will appear more clearly if it is 
 remembered : (1.) That they (creeds) dif- 
 fer in their statement of what some are 
 pleased to call, "articles of religion," or 
 "faith." (2.) That many of those who in- 
 terpret them not unfrequently differ widely 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 149 
 
 and essentially in their construction of these 
 articles. This is true when the Trinity, 
 Depravity, and Special Election are the 
 themes of investigation. The correctness 
 of these statements is known to all who are 
 ordinarily familiar with the doctrines of 
 creeds, and the various expositions of the 
 interpreters of these doctrines. 
 
 2d. I observe that Christian character is 
 not merely membership in Church, although 
 that Church may claim a regular descent 
 from the apostolic age, in support of which 
 an unbroken succession of priests or bish- 
 ops may be brought forward. It may even 
 be admitted that this claim and its vindi- 
 cation are founded upon the truth; still 
 membership in it will not of itself consti- 
 tute any one a Christian. A man may be 
 in union with this Church surrounded by 
 the prestige of antiquity, and sustained by 
 the clearest testimony in its pretensions to 
 evangelical origin and integrity, and yet be 
 wanting in nearly all the living forces that 
 form the foundation of real spiritual life ; 
 and that build up and maintain a vital, 
 
150 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 overflowing, and truthful religious charac- 
 ter. In support of this, I need only refer 
 to the Apostolic Church, the evangelical 
 basis of which none will deny. It num- 
 bered among its members those who were 
 quite destitute of every claim to Christian 
 character. This is evident from such lan- 
 guage as the following: "For ye are yet 
 carnal ; for whereas there is among you 
 envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye 
 not carnal and walk as men." If member- 
 ship in the Church, during the personal 
 administration of its insjDired founders, and 
 before creeds had usurped the authority of 
 Divine law, did not of itself confer those 
 qualities of heart that make up real spirit- 
 ual life, it would be presumption to claim 
 more for a union with any Church now, 
 since the dogmas of sects and parties have 
 greatly obscured the simplicity of Christian 
 truth. 
 
 I would not be understood, from the point 
 here assumed, as undervaluing Church or- 
 ganization and membership. These are 
 agencies to be employed in the complete 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 151 
 
 development and maturity of a broad, gen- 
 erous religious character, and without which 
 the labor of this first, last, and noblest work 
 of life would be greatly increased, and the 
 chances of ultimate success correspondingly 
 diminished. All this I cordially believe. 
 The position is not, therefore, introduced be- 
 cause I hold religious association as being 
 of slight moment, but because many rely 
 mainly upon it for their claims to Christian 
 character, having but little else to commend 
 them. Such look upon those who do not 
 sustain the same relation as themselves 
 somewhat as the Pharisee did upon the 
 publican. They walk through the world, 
 fastidiously holding up their religious robes, 
 lest they should become defiled by coming 
 in contact with those of slightly different 
 texture, color, and pattern. 
 
 3d. I further remark, that Christian 
 character is not regularity in attending any 
 'place of worship. lie who rests upon this 
 builds upon an insecure foundation. Each 
 Lord's day may find him in his accus- 
 tomed place at the house of prayer, and 
 
152 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 his lips may unite with others in the sol- 
 emn services of that house ; but if this is all, 
 his claim to genuine lhVin Christ must be 
 very inconsiderable indeed. Too many, it 
 is to be feared, trust chiefly in the regu- 
 larity of their attending public worship, in 
 which they join with a degree of gravity 
 amounting almost to austerity, thinking 
 that this will make up all deficiencies and 
 balance the moral and spiritual account for 
 the past week. Such hold religion as a 
 kind of an absorbent, which is to be applied 
 each Sabbath in removing the sins of the 
 conscience, which may have accumulated 
 during the preceding six days ; a kind of 
 process by which all moral debts may be 
 liquidated and a receipt in full obtained. 
 I repeat, that if this is all, any pretensions 
 to that state of mind which revealed truth 
 holds as essential to Christian character, 
 and which the world acknowledges as such, 
 are certainly not well founded. You are 
 not to. infer, permit me to observe, from 
 this position, that regular attendance at 
 some place of worship is of little value; 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 153 
 
 that it is to be regarded with indifference. 
 The practice of the early Church, or Chris- 
 tians, while under the immediate guidance 
 of the apostles, expressed in these words: 
 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves 
 together as the manner of some is ; but ex- 
 horting one another," is sufficient to prove 
 that frequent meetings for religious in- 
 struction and encouragement were held by 
 them, from which their necessity in carry- 
 ing forward the work of Divine truth in 
 the heart may be inferred, as well as the 
 importance of regularly attending them. 
 All who have any valuable experience in 
 Christian life know the profit derived from 
 often resorting to the house of prayer. It 
 is one of the means to be employed in de- 
 veloping and building up a heavenly char- 
 acter, which God and all good men will 
 approve : but that it is that character is 
 without foundation in fact. 
 
 4th. Again : Christian character is not 
 conformity to the outward forms of religion. 
 That these have their uses and significa- 
 tions, is very true. To the Jew every arti- 
 
154 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 cle of furniture belonging to the tabernacle 
 or temple had its use ; and every rite or 
 ceremony, whether it was keeping a fast 
 or a feast, or offering a sacrifice, was full of 
 significancy. Some of these rites were for 
 the development of God's moral govern- 
 ment ; others were instituted to perpetuate 
 the remembrance of his interposition in 
 their behalf ; and some may have included 
 both these objects. They were mediums 
 through which the infinite One shadowed 
 forth his character and plans. The Jew 
 who kept them with sincere motives, that 
 is, in a right state of mind, heard the voice 
 of God in them, and was thus drawn toward 
 him. To the Christian, the rites of relig- 
 ion under the New Testament are express- 
 ive. True, when compared to those of the 
 Old Covenant, the number has been largely 
 reduced, and their observance greatly sim- 
 plified. They are, however, by no means, 
 less significant. One of them (the Lord's 
 Supper) is designed to express to the senses, 
 and through them to the soul, the perfec- 
 tion of God's character. In this we see 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 155 
 
 his infinite love; we hear the utterance 
 of his abhorrence of sin, and learn his 
 earnest desire and willingness to save us. 
 More still : in this we witness the precious 
 love of Christ in laying down his life for 
 us. Further : in keeping this Christian 
 rite with a just condition of mind, we ex- 
 press our faith in the perfection of God's 
 nature and moral government; in the sac- 
 rifice Jesus made for sin and its complete- 
 ness ; and in the promise that Christ will 
 come again and gather his disciples home. 
 And as this Christian duty is significant, so 
 it may be claimed for all that have been 
 commanded by the Head of the Church. 
 They are not only expressive of the char- 
 acter of our heavenly Father, and of the 
 incomparable love of Christ, and our faith 
 in and appreciation of all that he has done 
 for us in the plan of salvation, but are also 
 channels through which, when rightly em- 
 ployed, spiritual blessings flow to the heart ; 
 for in them the Christian man hears the 
 voice of God calling him to the bosom of 
 eternal love. By these, the Divine arm is 
 
156 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 leading him to a higher and richer plane 
 of religious experience. Notwithstanding 
 all this, these ordinances and forms may be 
 observed, and yet some, if not many, of the 
 elements of Christian character be want- 
 ing. This I shall aim to make more ap- 
 parent hereafter. 
 
 5th. In the further development of the 
 question, I observe that it is not obedience 
 to the moral duties of life that meets the 
 condition of Christian fellowship. Xot 
 that these are unessential to it, or are not 
 included in it ; but they, of themselves, do 
 not constitute it — do not complete it. One 
 may be honest, truthful, just, benevolent, 
 industrious, prudent ; in short, he may pos- 
 sess high moral sentiment, and practice all 
 the moral maxims, and by these gain the 
 reputation of being a model moral man, 
 and yet not possess a Christian character. 
 He may want piety ; and wanting this, he 
 is destitute of the principle that lies at the 
 very foundation of the highest type of spir- 
 itual manhood. We respect and esteem 
 him who uniformly practices all the moral 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 157 
 
 virtues, and hold him a valuable member 
 of society. But it would be unjust to him 
 and to truth to claim more for him than 
 this. We may cheerfully grant that he is a 
 model moral man, but we dare not say that 
 he is a model Christian man. Morality does 
 not include Christianity; but Christianity 
 does, of necessity, embrace morality in all 
 the length and breadth of its signification. 
 It is with character as with the results of 
 chemical combination. As the omission 
 of a single element in the latter may essen- 
 tially affect the nature of the substance — ■ 
 as the absence of oxygen in the atmosphere 
 — so the want of a single principle in the 
 former may essentially change its nature, 
 and hence materially affect its ultimate 
 results. 
 
 I have been thus particular in presenting 
 the negative view of the question that its 
 position might be the more clearly seen. 
 And I may add here, that it (Christian 
 character) has its specific elements and de- 
 velopments, which are susceptible of clear 
 definition and illustration ; hence, is not 
 
158 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 anything and everything men may choose 
 to make it. True, different persons may 
 not use the same terms in defining and 
 illustrating its principles and manifesta- 
 tions ; but they will be found, upon close 
 examination, to be substantially the same, 
 if the Divine law has been permitted to 
 guide ; for in this law we may not only find 
 its elements laid down, but its developments 
 mapped out. 
 
 I shall now proceed to meet the question 
 affirmatively, What is Christian charac- 
 ter ? This inquiry involves two points : 
 I. What are its elements? II. What are 
 its developments? The former of these, 
 as it constitutes the basis of the latter, de- 
 mands attention first ; and I shall present 
 it in this form : 
 
 I. What are the Elements of Chris- 
 tian Character ? 
 
 1st. I remark first, that faith in an infi- 
 nite, all-wise, and beneficent Being is one of 
 its essential constituents. This lies at the 
 very foundation ; and without it no one can 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 159 
 
 m 
 
 take the irst step toward the formation of 
 this specific character. It is therefore 
 written: "But without faith it is impossi- 
 ble to please him; for he that cometh to 
 God must believe that he is, and that he 
 is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
 him." — Heb. xi: 6. This text proves with 
 all the clearness of positive testimony, 
 (1.) That faith in our Creator is necessary 
 to draw us toward him ; " for he that 
 cometh to God must believe that he is." 
 (2.) It also proves that this faith must 
 embrace the purity and rectitude of his 
 nature and moral government; hence, he 
 must believe that "He is a rewarder of 
 them that diligently seek him." The first 
 of these points effectually excludes athe- 
 ism; and the second as thoroughly sets 
 aside pantheism. The one admits that 
 God is ; and the other that he possesses 
 ability and willingness to reward those who * 
 confide in him. If one should deny the 
 existence of the omnipotent Being, thus 
 assuming atheism, or if he should step 
 upon pantheistic ground, by calling in ques- 
 
160 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 tion his personal existence separate from 
 and independent of the material universe, 
 thus denying his power to reward upright- 
 ness of life, he could not justly lay claim 
 to the fellowship of Christians. JNor would 
 they be chargeable with sectarianism in 
 consequence of their declining to give him 
 the hand of religious brotherhood ; for he 
 has denied an essential principle that en- 
 ters into the formation of that character 
 which is made the basis of Christian fel- 
 lowship. On this there can be no differ- 
 ence of opinion among the disciples of 
 Christ. All such hold the sentiment that 
 faith in the Divine existence is indispens- 
 able to a Christian life. This point the 
 Spirit has determined in the most unequiv- 
 ocal language: 1 'He that cometh to God 
 must believe that he is." Plainer terms 
 can not be employed in affirming any prop- 
 osition; and it can be controverted only 
 by denying the authority of the witness. 
 Moreover, it would be uttering a truism to 
 say that a man will not come to a Being 
 whose existence he denies, or that he will 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 161 
 
 not seek that which he holds is incapable 
 of conferring any reward. This is self- 
 evident. Therefore, faith in God and in 
 the rectitude and beneficence of his nature 
 and government, is an essential element in 
 the formation of Christian character. 
 
 It is not a question that enters into this 
 argument how this faith is secured; that is, 
 whether it is the result of hearing testimo- 
 ny and accepting it as truth, or whether it 
 is the immediate gift of God, wrought in us 
 by the Holy Spirit. On this there may be 
 a difference of opinion entertained, and yet 
 not affect materially the real spiritual union 
 of the soul with the " Father of light." 
 But, on the naked proposition that faith in 
 God, which goes down deep into the moral 
 and intellectual consciousness and controls 
 the purposes and actions of life, is essential 
 to a true religious character, there is entire 
 harmony of sentiment among all Christians. 
 It can not, therefore, be sectional, and he 
 who requires it as a condition of Christian 
 fellowship, can not be charged with secta- 
 | rianism. 
 
 I n 
 
162 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 2d. A second element essential to Chris- 
 tian character is faith in Christmas the Son 
 of God, the Savior of the world. He said : 
 "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." 
 Again, he teaches, "For if ye believe not 
 • that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." 
 It is also recorded: "Manv other signs 
 truly did Jesus in the presence of his dis- 
 ciples which are not written in this book ; 
 but these are written that ye might believe 
 that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; 
 and that believing ye might have life 
 through his name." It is evident from 
 these witnesses, as well as from others that 
 might be brought forward, and which you 
 will readily call to mind : (1.) That as faith 
 in God is required, so is faith in Christ: 
 "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." 
 (2.) That without faith in the Messiah, sins 
 can not be pardoned : " If ye believe not 
 that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." 
 (3.) That the works which he did were to 
 convince the world of the divinity of his 
 mission, that by faith in him as the auoint- 
 ed Son of God, it might have life. There 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 163 
 
 are many instances recorded in the New 
 Testament, as well as specific statements, 
 that clearly sustain the point that faith in 
 Christ is an indispensable constituent of 
 Christian character. The facts developed 
 in the Ethiopian eunuch's conversion to 
 Christianity, are directly in proof. He in- 
 quired : " See, here is water ; what doth 
 hinder me to be baptized?" To this 
 Philip replied: "If thou believest with all 
 thine heart, thou may est." The answer of 
 this candid and earnest man is remarkable 
 for its brevity and simplicity, and also for 
 its breadth and depth of significance. He 
 said: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the 
 Son of God." This was direct to the point, 
 and sufficient. It will also be remarked 
 that the question of Philip, and the reply 
 of the eunuch, are both entirely free from 
 the theological technicalities with which 
 creeds have encumbered the same senti- 
 ment. Xo twit list an ding this loading down 
 a plain Scriptural truth by dogmatic 
 phrases, there is an entire agreement among 
 Christians of all denominations on this car- 
 
164 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 dinal element of true manhood in Christ, 
 when it is divested of the robe designed 
 and manufactured by human wisdom and 
 authority, and is clothed in the vesture of 
 Heaven's own workmanship. Should the 
 question, Do you believe that Jesus Christ 
 is the only begotten Son of God ? be pro- 
 pounded to every member of the household 
 of faith, the answer would be, Yes. And 
 this question and answer include all the 
 facts recorded by his four biographers 
 connected with his taking on himself the 
 seed of Abraham, his teaching, his mira- 
 cles, his life, his death, his resurrection, his 
 ascension, and his administration of the 
 kingdom of favor ; hence, he who believes 
 him to be the "only begotten Son of God," 
 embraces all these in that faith. It fol- 
 lows, therefore, that he who may admit 
 such a person as Christ to have lived among 
 men, but at the same time claims that he 
 was simply a man, rather superior to most 
 of his cotemporaries, yet fallible, and not 
 only liable to err, but did commit many 
 errors, could not be received among those 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 165 
 
 who believe in him as clearly set forth in 
 the Scriptures. He said of himself : "I 
 am the way, the truth, and the life ; no man 
 cometh unto the Father but by me. ' ' Again 
 he says: "Then shall ye know that I am 
 he, and that I do nothing of myself ; but 
 as my Father hath taught me, I speak these 
 things. For I came down from heaven, not 
 to do mine own will, but the will of Him 
 that sent me." Xow, if Christ is the way, 
 the truth, and the life ; if he is the medium 
 of approach to the Father ; if he speaks the 
 words of God — all of which he, with great 
 plainness, claims for himself — then, certain- 
 ly, he who refuses accepting him as such 
 denies his Divine mission, and therefore re- 
 jects the conditions of spiritual life. And 
 he who fails in this can not justly demand 
 as his right the fellowship of Christians as 
 one of them ; nor can he, with any show 
 of truth, charge them with sectarianism, 
 because they decline extending to him the 
 hand of religious brotherhood. If the 
 Bible is true — and my argument rests 
 upon the admission of its verity — he can 
 
166 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 no more lay claim to Christian character 
 than he who denies the elements of moral 
 philosophy can to moral character, or he 
 who ignores the principles of justice can to 
 uprightness of life. 
 
 On this there can be no difference of sen- 
 timent among those who acknowledge the 
 infallible authority of the Scriptures, how- 
 ever various may be their creeds ; and 
 there is equal harmony of opinion enter- 
 tained by all such on the proposition, that 
 faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is 
 an essential element of Christian charac- 
 ter. This being the sentiment of all be- 
 lievers, it can not be sectional ; and, there- 
 fore, he who holds it as an indispensable 
 constituent in the formation of that char- 
 acter which is the condition of fellowship 
 is entirely free from the allegation of sect- 
 arianism, and must remain so as long as 
 he adheres faithfully to this principle which 
 is received in common by all Christians. 
 
 3d. A third element essential to Chris- 
 tian character is, the heart must receive and 
 nourish supreme love toward the infinite Father. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 167 
 
 It is written, " Thou shalt love the Lord 
 thy God with all thy heart, and .with all 
 thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with 
 all thy strength." Love toward God may 
 be regarded as the consequence of belief 
 in him, if that faith takes in the perfection 
 of his character, and also takes hold upon 
 our intellect and affections. It is possible 
 for one to believe in the existence of an 
 all-wise Being and yet entertain no love 
 for him. Indeed, in Christian lands there 
 are but few who will deny that God is. 
 The force of religious truth has so entirely 
 permeated the sentiment of all civilized 
 society, that belief in the existence of an 
 omnipotent Being seems to be a matter 
 of course. Many accept it without close, 
 earnest thought or very mature reflection. 
 They have not given the subject any special 
 attention ; nor could they assign very suc- 
 cinct reasons for this conviction, should 
 they be interrogated. This is not claiming 
 that they could not render any reason at 
 all why they believed in the existence of 
 an infinite Being, for undoubtedly all men 
 
168 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 who admit this idea can assign some cause 
 as a consideration for their entertaining it. 
 It is nevertheless certain that a very large 
 proportion of those who readily consent to 
 this primary truth can give no distinct his- 
 tory of the channels through which they 
 came in possession of it. It must not, 
 however, be inferred from this that the 
 evidences presenting this idea to the un- 
 derstanding lie in realms so remote that 
 but few have power to summon them forth ; 
 nor is it to be concluded that they are so 
 intricate and abstruse that only the stronger 
 . intellects can free them of their compli- 
 cation and comprehend their testimony. 
 True, many of the witnesses suggesting 
 and sustaining this fundamental sentiment 
 lie far from the ordinary current of thought, 
 and long mental journeys must be per- 
 formed to obtain them. Others lie deep 
 below the surface, and require months and 
 years of patient labor to dig them up, ar- 
 range them, and take down their testimony. 
 But others still are all around us. They 
 are within reach of the millions. They 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 169 
 
 meet us at every step. They are within 
 us and without us. Their voices may be 
 heard in the book of God, in nature, and 
 in the undying wants of the soul. In view 
 of all this the question may be asked, Why, 
 then, can not all give a reason for their 
 admission of the existence of the Divine 
 Being? The answer appears plain. It is 
 because they do vot pause long and think 
 soberly and patiently on the evidences ever 
 before them. They acquiesce in this great 
 truth without any distinct conviction of 
 either head or heart. This is the main rea- 
 son why so many may be registered among 
 those who believe that God is, and yet can 
 not be recorded among those who love him 
 with the whole heart. It is beyond serious 
 question, in my judgment, that if the peo- 
 ple, in all lands of civil and religious lib- 
 erty, would hearken thoughtfully and earn- 
 estly to the evidences the omnipotent One 
 has furnished and placed within their reach 
 of his existence, the purity of his charac- 
 ter, and the depth and impartiality of his 
 love, their faith in him would be so strong 
 
170 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 and controlling that, in return, they would 
 give him their supreme affections. On this 
 principle may we understand the philoso- 
 phy of this text : " We love him because - 
 he first loved us." It is faith in him that 
 leads to the apprehension of his nature, 
 which ultimates in ardent love toward him ; 
 and it is the candid, thoughtful, and cordial 
 reception of the testimony he has given of 
 himself that results in this kind of faith ; 
 hence, it may be said, that love toward God 
 is the consequence of belief in him — the 
 kind of faith that has just been described. 
 There is between it and simply a consent 
 of the mind that God is, a very wide differ- 
 ence. The one leads to grateful, earnest 
 love and cheerful obedience ; the other has 
 but little control, if any, over the heart or 
 life. And yet it would not do to deny to 
 those who give a nominal assent to this 
 cardinal truth a belief in an all-wise First 
 Cause. Such an allegation they would 
 peremptorily deny. Hence the necessity 
 of this third element in the formation of 
 Christian character — a supreme love for 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 171 
 
 the beneficent Creator. This is the high- 
 est attainment of the soul. It is the out- 
 ward reaching of all its living powers after 
 the Infinite. It permits nothing to inter- 
 vene between itself and Him upon whom 
 it is fixed. These words of Jesus are the 
 standard of its love : " He that loveth fa- 
 ther or mother more than me is not worthy 
 of me ; and he that loveth son or daughter 
 more than me is not worthy of me." With- 
 out this whole-hearted affection, all faith, 
 though it "could remove mountains," is of 
 little value, and all religious profession and 
 forms are but as "sounding brass or tink- 
 ling cymbals." " It suffereth long, is kind, 
 rejoiceth in the truth, and never faileth." 
 It lies in the foundation of all true great- 
 ness of soul, and is, therefore, an element 
 in real spiritual life. This will be ques- 
 tioned by no Christian man ; and, hence, 
 he who requires it as an essential part of 
 the character of him whom he would fel- 
 lowship, can not righteously be charged 
 with sectarianism. 
 
 4th. A fourth element indispensable in 
 
172 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 forming a Christian character is, Christ must 
 be accepted as the Savior. It is not sufficient, 
 if we are to hold the Scriptures as true, to 
 admit that Jesus is the Son of God, but he 
 must be received as the gift of the Father 
 to redeem the world. Each must accept 
 him as his personal Savior. Christ said, 
 " He that receiveth me receiveth him that 
 sent me." This is true, because "God sent 
 not his Son into the world to condemn the 
 world; but that the world through him 
 might be saved ;" and, hence, he who re- 
 jects him as such, or even neglects to hear 
 diligently his teachings and to follow his 
 example, refuses the only way of salvation 
 of which we have any knowledge under 
 the reign of Christian truth. On this the 
 testimony of revelation is special and di- 
 rect. It speaks thus : " Neither is there 
 salvation in any other ; for there is none 
 other name under heaven given among 
 men, whereby we must be saved." And 
 Jesus himself says, "And whosoever doth 
 not bear his cross and come after me can 
 not be my disciple." Again, it is written 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 173 
 
 of the Son: "And being made perfect, he 
 became the author of eternal salvation unto 
 all them that obey him." No principle 
 can be more clearly sustained than that, to 
 secure to ourselves such a character as God 
 and all good men will approve, we must 
 receive Christ as the great religious Teacher 
 and only Savior. If we deny him, we bear 
 false witness against the truth ; and of us it 
 may justly be said, " Who is a liar but he 
 that denieth that Jesus is the Christ ?" In- 
 deed, it is not necessary that men should 
 deny in words that he is the Anointed of 
 God, to cut off communion with the Fount- 
 ain of light; for he himself says, "Who- 
 soever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me 
 and of my words in this adulterous and sin- 
 ful generation, of him also shall the Son of 
 man be ashamed when he cometh in the 
 glory of his Father with the holy angels." 
 
 But this question may be raised, In what 
 manner, or in what state of mind, is Christ 
 to be received ? I reply, that he is to be 
 accepted with humble penitence toward 
 God, against whom sins have been com- 
 
174 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 nutted, and by a frank, unfeigned confes- 
 sion of Christ, through whose name alone 
 pardon is given. In confirmation of this, I 
 need only refer you to such texts as the 
 following : " The word is nigh thee, even 
 in thy mouth, and in thy heart : that is, the 
 word of faith, which we preach; that if 
 thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord 
 Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that 
 God has raised him from the dead, thou 
 shalt be saved. For with the heart man 
 believeth unto righteousness ; and with the 
 mouth confession is made unto salvation." 
 Again, Jesus says: "Whosoever, therefore, 
 shall confess me before men, him will I 
 confess also before my Father which is in 
 heaven." These quotations, with marked 
 accuracy, point out the state of mind and 
 manner in which Christ is to be received ; 
 and to all such "is he made wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctification, and re- 
 demption." There can be no mistaking 
 the true condition of spirit in which men 
 should submit to the reign of the Messiah, 
 if the word of God is permitted to speak, 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 175 
 
 and if its directions are followed. Should 
 any one, however, decline accepting Christ 
 as his Savior by humble penitence and con- 
 fession, he can not lay claim to Christian 
 character, for he fails in one of its essential 
 parts. In this all religious denominations 
 will concur. How much soever they may 
 differ on many other questions, on this they 
 are a unit. Should I, or you, or any one, 
 lay down as a condition of union with God, 
 repentance, toward him, and faith in, and 
 confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, it would 
 be only what all religious associations sanc- 
 tion. This position can not, therefore, be 
 sectional, unless the Bible is a sectarian 
 document. It follows that on it, as a single 
 element in the formation of a Christian 
 character, no Church or individual member 
 can fairly be held as sectarian. 
 
 I have been thus -particular in present- 
 ing what I regard as the essential constit- 
 uents of what may be called the basis of 
 that character which all admit is the only 
 true condition of fellowship. It has been 
 my aim to introduce such elements as the 
 
176 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 words of inspiration clearly set forth, and 
 such as are regarded by all disciples of 
 Christ as indispensable. How far I have 
 succeeded in this, let truth determine. Of 
 one thing I am well assured : that not one 
 of them will be denied. And here I am 
 willing to rest this part of the subject, de- 
 siring to add, should any one profess faith 
 in and love toward God, and faith in and 
 an acceptance of Christ as his Savior by 
 humble confession, that I would give to 
 him as a Christian the hand of fellowship. 
 This meets the following question : Since 
 Christian character is the condition of re- 
 ligious brotherhood, how can any one be 
 received into fraternal relation who has not 
 previously secured this distinctive quality ? 
 In passing, suffer me to remark, that to this 
 legitimate and — to some — rather difficult 
 inquiry, I propose replying more at length 
 in the close of this letter. 
 
 II. The second point involved in the sub- 
 ject is, What are the fruits or the develop- 
 ments of Christian character? These are 
 to be determined not by mere conjecture, but 
 
- POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 177 
 
 by definite rule. You can not more easily 
 nor certainly ascertain a man's moral char- 
 acter than you can his religious. Respecting 
 the former there are certain specific as well 
 as general obligations which, if uniformly 
 complied with, constitute what we call moral 
 character. And so it is respecting the lat- 
 ter. As the one has its standard of meas- 
 urement accurately graduated, so has the 
 other. The moral law of life is the test in 
 the one case, and the law of the kingdom 
 of Christ is in the other. The latter in- 
 cludes the former of necessity ; but the 
 former may not include the latter ; hence, 
 a man may obey the one and thereby build 
 up a well-deserved moral reputation, and. 
 yet not submit to the other, and therefore 
 not sustain the qualities the law specifies. 
 For instance, he may "do unto others as 
 he would they should do unto him," or he 
 may "deal justly and love mercy," but fail 
 to walk humbly with God. In this case, 
 he meets the obligations he is under to his 
 fellow-men; but neglects the^rs^ and higher 
 duties he owes to his Creator and Benefac- 
 12 
 
178 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. * 
 
 tor. I sav first and higher duties, for he 
 who loves God with his whole heart will 
 • love his neighbor as himself ; and in both 
 these relations the sentiments that pervade 
 the soul will obtain expression ; that is, 
 there will be an outward manifestation of 
 his love for the Supreme Being, and his 
 love for man. The evidence thus given, 
 taken with his confession of faith in the 
 Divine goodness, is the index to the state 
 of the heart ; and if this condition of the 
 heart harmonizes with the properties set 1 
 forth in the Scriptures, he is entitled to be 
 recognized as possessing the requisite char- 
 acter. But I desire to speak more defi- 
 nitely of the developments of real man- 
 hood in Christ. 
 
 1st, Firsts there ivill he a cheerful conform- 
 ity of life to the duties arising from a recep- 
 tion of the principles I have submitted as 
 composing the elements of Christian character. 
 For example : Belief in and love toward 
 Grod form the basis of reverence and devo- 
 tion ; for faith in him, which rests upon the 
 testimony he has given of himself, includes 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 179 
 
 an apprehension, of more or less distinct- 
 ness, of the purity, rectitude, and benevo- 
 lence of his character ; and in proportion 
 as faith in him is clear and liberal, so will 
 be the conceptions of the infinite excellence 
 of his nature ; and as these are distinct in 
 the mental and moral consciousness, so will 
 reverence and devotion be marked, earnest, 
 and chaste. If the soul cherishes no living 
 faith in the Divine Being ; if it has no 
 love toward him, then will reverence and 
 solemn worship be wanting. We do not 
 expect them to flow from such a state of 
 mind no more than we look for a corrupt 
 tree to bring forth good fruit. And as in- 
 excusable ignorance, or willful perversity 
 in sin, shuts out from the heart the. true 
 character of God, so will all feelings of 
 reverence and devotion subside; and the 
 life, instead of being conformed to the laws 
 of righteousness, will be widely at variance 
 with them. But of him who professes 
 faith in arid love for our Father in heaven, 
 we expect humble veneration and earnest 
 worship, as much as we look for an uncor- 
 
180 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 rupt fountain to send forth pure water. He 
 has no right to withhold these manifesta- 
 tions of confidence and affection from us, 
 nor from the world, if he could. True, we 
 do not claim an ostentatious display of 
 sanctity — an oyer wrought effort in devo- 
 tion ; but certainly we have every good 
 reason to look for an unfeigned expression 
 of these elements of Christian character. - 
 One anciently said : "Show me thy faith 
 without thy works, and I will show thee my 
 faith by my works." This assuredly is a 
 fair proposition, and can not be ingenuously 
 declined. Should one use the name of the 
 Creator profanely, or even irreverently, it 
 is conclusive evidence that he entertains 
 no living faith in nor reverence for him. 
 There is no harmony between God's law, 
 which says, "Thou shalt not take the name 
 of the Lord thy God in vain," and this ac- 
 tion; and there could be no hesitancy in 
 deciding the case. Again : should any 
 habitually neglect to pay homage to God, 
 or should he fulfill this duty only when the 
 circumstance was so extraordinary that it 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 181 
 
 would be much more easily kept than omii> 
 ted, it would be proof that he possessed 
 but little, if any, real love toward him. 
 His life in this would not be in conformity 
 to the law which says : " Thou shalt wor- 
 ship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt 
 thou serve." 
 
 As further illustrating the point, that 
 he who is in possession of the elements of 
 Christian character will comply with the 
 duties arising from them, I refer you to the 
 following, namely: Faith in Jesus Christ 
 as the Son of God, and the reception of 
 him as the Savior by penitence and confes- 
 sion. When one acknowledges faith in 
 the Messiah, and professes to- have accepted 
 him as his Redeemer, and also to have ob- 
 tained pardon of sins from the Father 
 through him, we expect of such a life cor- 
 responding to this new and holy relation 
 into which he is now brought. He claims 
 to love Christ as the sent of God — the great 
 Teacher and Savior. If this profession of 
 his is true, we shall see unmistakable evi- 
 dence of it. The spirit within will bear 
 
182 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 its fruits without. The latter is the ex- 
 j)ression of the former. Christ says, "If 
 a man love me he will keep my words." 
 He then adds: "And he that loveth me 
 not keepeth not my sayings." Conformity 
 of life to the inspired law is the clearest 
 evidence of the state of the heart toward 
 God and his Son Jesus Christ. He who 
 keeps it not is declared, by the testimony 
 of the Messiah, to have no union by love 
 with him ; but to him who walks in it there 
 is every assurance of the Divine approval. 
 To this the following texts furnish ample 
 proof : " Hereby do we know that we know 
 him, if we keep his commandments. He 
 that saith, I know him, and keepeth not 
 his commandments, is a liar, and the truth 
 is not in him. But whoso keepeth his 
 word, in him verily is the love of God per- 
 fected; hereby know we that we are in him. 
 He that saith he abideth in him, ought 
 himself also to walk even as he walked." 
 In this testimony these points are affirmed 
 with great distinctness: (1.) That walking 
 in harmony with the law of Christ, induced 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 183 
 
 by right motives, is indubitable evidence 
 to himself and to others that he is in him 
 and united to him. (2.) That to profess to 
 know him by enjoying his love, while his 
 teachings are disregarded, is unmixed proof 
 that he is destitute of spiritual life ; that 
 is, his profession is a deception, a falsehood^ 
 (3.) That he who claims to abide in Christ 
 should manifest the spirit and mind that 
 he did. In perfect agreement with this 
 sentiment is this text : " Now, if any man 
 have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of 
 his." The opposite of this must be true, 
 namely: If any man have the spirit of 
 Christ, he is his. And it is equally certain 
 that he who possesses the spirit of Jesus 
 will bear its fruits, or, in other words, will 
 walk as he walked. The life will be a copy 
 of the lore, meekness, gentleness, truthful- 
 ness, and benevolence of the Messiah's. 
 
 2d. This leads me to notice, in the sec- 
 ond place, some of the principal traits- of 
 character he is expected to manifest who 
 claims to be a disciple of Christ. 
 
 (1.) He mast be truthful. Not only is he 
 
184 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 required to acknowledge the truth as it is 
 in Jesus, but it should dwell in his heart. 
 His love for it should be so strong that no 
 consideration could induce him to swerve 
 from it. He should frankly confess it be- 
 fore men, how much soever this might sub- 
 ject him to their sneers, persecutions, and 
 slights. His integrity should be constant 
 and unwavering, making his life a com- 
 mentary upon truth's majesty and excel- 
 lency. He should live it to the very brim, 
 both by word and by deed, compromising 
 it neither for selfish ends nor for party pur- 
 poses. With all these he must heartily 
 comply, if he would shape his life after 
 Christ's. Should he fail to confess the 
 truth and to maintain it, in the various 
 relations he holds in religion, society, and 
 commerce, he falls short of following him 
 who is the Truth, and on whose lips deceit 
 and falsehood were never found ; and fail- 
 ing in this, he is deficient in one of the 
 essential developments of Christian char- 
 acter. 
 
 (2.) Meekness is another fruit of the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 185 
 
 Spirit, which he who is a disciple of the 
 Messiah must bear. This was a marked 
 trait of character in Christ. He said : 
 "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly 
 in heart." It shone forth in his reply to 
 the Pharisees, when they found fault with 
 his eating with publicans and sinners ; and 
 also in his compassion toward the multi- 
 tude, "because they fainted and were scat- 
 tered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.' , 
 How beautifully it is expressed in his for- 
 bearance under injuries and provocations, 
 and his last words on the cross : "Father, 
 forgive them; they know not what they 
 do." As Christ bore this fruit, so will 
 those who possess his spirit. Indeed, there 
 is no duty in Christian life more frequently 
 and pointedly enjoined than it. From the 
 numerous quotations that might be intro- 
 duced, I shall select the following : "Walk 
 worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are 
 called, with all lowliness and meekness, 
 with long-suffering, forbearing one another 
 in love." " Put on, therefore, as the elect 
 of God, * * * humbleness of mind, meek- 
 
186 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 ness, long-suffering." "Put them in mind 
 * * * to be no brawlers, but gentle, show- 
 ing meekness to all men." "Who is a wise 
 man, * * * let him show out of a good 
 conversation his works with meekness of 
 wisdom." How clearly is this trait of 
 character commended. It forms one of the 
 essential characteristics of life in Christ 
 Jesus. Without it many other virtues may 
 be marred, and their strength greatly weak- 
 ened. It is one of the sweetest and most 
 beautiful graces of Christianity, and one 
 which wins the dearest affections of the 
 soul. I regard it, and, therefore, put it 
 down as one of the developments of Chris- 
 tian character, holding that he who is des- 
 titute of it is deficient in one of the essen- 
 tial features of true spiritual life. 
 
 (3.) Kindness is another of the outward 
 growths of genuine discipleship. This is 
 that trait of character which delights in 
 laboring for the happiness of others, and 
 which aims to meet cheerfully their reason- 
 able wishes by alleviating, as far as possible, 
 their distresses, assuaging their griefs, en- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 187 
 
 couraging them to meet life's duties and 
 trials with brave hearts, and which vigilant- 
 ly guards against giving them pain. As a 
 fruit of a regenerated soul, it may be num- 
 bered among the most precious, and also 
 may be regarded as one of the manifesta- 
 tions of a right spirit within. As an essen- 
 tiality to Christian character, the Scriptures 
 are full and clear in setting it forth. It is 
 most impressively taught in the parable of 
 the good Samaritan. As he bends over his 
 wounded and prostrate fellow-man, irre- 
 spective of nationality and regardless of 
 personal danger, relieving his distress, how 
 like the light of heaven this quality of the 
 soul shines around him. Through the en- 
 tire narrative he stands the very embodi- 
 ment of compassion. But not only is this 
 virtue enforced by parable, but also by 
 special command. Hence it is written, 
 "Be ye kindly atfectioned one to another 
 with brotherly love." " Be ye kind one to 
 another, tender-hearted." Add to "godli- 
 ness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly 
 kindness, charity." Thus plainly speaks 
 
188 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 the word of inspiration on this development 
 of spiritual life in Christ. I hold it as one 
 of the unmistakable proofs of union with 
 our glorious Teacher and Redeemer. In j 
 its absence, I should regard the character 
 as seriously wanting, being destitute of one 
 of its indispensable fruits ; and should, 
 therefore, be unwilling to recognize such 
 as a Christian brother. 
 
 (4.) Faithfulness is another witness bear- 
 ing strong testimony to the purity and up- 
 rightness of the heart. What I mean by 
 this term is a strict adherence to the duties 
 of life in all its righteous relations, domestic, 
 social, moral, professional, commercial, and 
 religious. Faithfulness in the more imme- 
 diate forms of religion, such as belong to 
 public worship, is not enough. Its range 
 is much greater than this. It is, as a mani- 
 festation of Christian character, a complete 
 circle, including fidelity to trust committed, 
 to pledges made, and to obligations assumed 
 or borne, both human and Divine. He 
 who follows the Savior closely, as all who 
 profess his name should, will be loyal to all 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 189 
 
 duties. True, he may sometimes fail to 
 meeivthe claims resting upon him. This 
 is not to be brought into the account when 
 every reasonable effort has been made. 
 Still, in view of the j)ossible failure of ful- 
 filling some of the obligations of life, I am 
 not disposed to lower the standard of faith- 
 fulness. I record it as one of the essential 
 fruits of real manhood in Christ Jesus ; and 
 he who expects to sustain this character, 
 must be firm and constant in adhering to 
 his allegiance to God and his duties to his 
 fellow-men. 
 
 (5.) As another grace of the Spirit which 
 holds an eminent place in the formation as 
 well as the maintenance of a Christlike 
 character, I may mention charity. I use 
 this term in its deepest and highest signifi- 
 cation, including the most reverent love 
 toward God and Jesus his Son, and a broad, 
 generous affection toward men. But espe- 
 cially do I allude to it in its exercise toward 
 the latter, as I have already numbered it 
 in its direction toward the former as one of 
 the elements of Christian character. It 
 
190 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 has been called by some, "The crowning 
 grace of Christianity." I not only regard 
 it such, but also hold that it is the living 
 force in the heart, sanctifying every act of 
 obedience. It commences with the earliest 
 growth of religious life, and flows with it 
 up through all the stages of its develop- 
 ment. Its existence in the soul is proven 
 by its outward fruits ; and in no part of the 
 Divine law are these more clearly and con- 
 cisely laid down and enforced than in the 
 thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. It is 
 said that "it suffereth long, and is kind; it 
 envieth not;" it is not rash ; it is not proud ; 
 it is unassuming ; it is not avaricious ; it is 
 not irritable, nor given to evil surmisings ; 
 it takes no pleasure in iniquity, but rejoic- 
 eth in the truth ; it is patient, confiding, 
 hopeful, and constant. Here are fourteen 
 distinct directions — though bearing mutual 
 relation — in which this heavenly power ex- 
 presses itself. It runs through and beau- 
 tifies the entire unfolding and maturity of 
 Christian life. When it is wanting in the 
 heart, no duty can be performed acceptably 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 191 
 
 before God ; but its presence sanctifies obe- 
 dience. I need, however, say no more on 
 this as a development of Christian charac- 
 ter. It is a question of such plainness that 
 every true disciple of Jesus will admit'all 
 that I have claimed for it. 
 
 I propose, now, resting the answer to the 
 question, What is Christian character ? and, 
 in doing this, I shall arrange consecutively 
 the points which have been submitted. 
 The elements of spiritual life are these: 
 1st. Faith in an infinite, all-wise, and be- 
 neficent Creator. 2d. Faith in Jesus Christ 
 as the Son of God, the Savior of the world. 
 3d. The heart must receive and nourish 
 supreme love toward the infinite Father. 
 4th. Christ must be accepted by penitence 
 and confession as the only Savior. Its 
 developments are : 1st. A cheerful comply 
 ance with the duties arising from the pre- 
 ceding principles. 2d. An outward mani- 
 festation of holy, living fruits, as these : 
 (1.) Truthfulness. (2.) Meekness. (3.) 
 Kindness. (4) Faithfulness, (o.) Charity. 
 
 Other traits of character might have 
 
192 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 been introduced, but all are so interwoven 
 with those mentioned that they do not need 
 a separate consideration. I have, with 
 sufficient definiteness, I think, met the 
 question raised in the opening of this let- 
 ter. You may regard the features rather 
 sharply drawn, claiming that but few sus- 
 tain all these characteristics. I am quite 
 sure, if the Bible is to be the authority, 
 that the character is not overdrawn. And 
 moreover, I am equally sure that there are 
 not only a few, but very many who fill 
 all its outlines. As it regards the foibles 
 and failings of the weak and the young 
 in Christian experience, every good man 
 knows how to make extenuations without 
 compromising moral principle and purity. 
 As such struggle amid sin, temptations, 
 trials, and discouragements, up toward a 
 higher plain of spiritual excellence, all 
 genuine disciples will aid them by their 
 own strong arms and generous hearts, 
 while ever they can see the elements of 
 true religious character unfolding and gath- 
 ering strength. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 193 
 
 I shall close this letter by referring very 
 briefly to another question — to which allu- 
 sion has been made — which some propound 
 in view of the position that Christian char- 
 acter is the only true test of fellowship. 
 It is this : Since the character here speci- 
 fied is -the only basis of fellowship, and 
 since this is not secured in an hour nor a 
 day, but is the outward growth of an in- 
 ward life, requiring an indefinite length of 
 time for its formation, on what principle 
 can any one be received for the first time 
 into the fellowship of the Church? To 
 this I reply: I should act in the premise 
 precisely as I would in the purchase of a 
 young and valuable fruit tree, the species 
 of which I had no means of my own to 
 determine, as it had yet borne no fruit. 
 In this case, I should accept it on the word 
 of the nursery-man, and govern myself 
 accordingly. I am willing to extend the 
 hand of Christian brotherhood to any one 
 who professes faith in Christ, and accepts 
 him as his Savior. I receive him on trust, 
 but with confidence, having no means of 
 13 
 
194 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 determining whether the elements that are 
 essential to life in the Messiah lie deep in 
 his heart, only by his public profession of 
 them. I accept him as a Christian brother 
 on his word. But my fellowship for him 
 in the future depends upon the development 
 of the fruit of the Spirit, which he, as well 
 as every disciple of the Lord, is expected 
 to bear; therefore, in whomsoever I wit- 
 ness this growing and ripening, to all such 
 I most cheerfully and gladly extend the 
 hand of fraternal love. Here I stand upon 
 the important and interesting question of 
 Christia n fello wsh ip . 
 
 Fraternally yours. 
 
Letter V. 
 
 My Dear Sir and Brother: 
 
 In the four preceding letters, wnich I 
 have had the pleasure of addressing to 
 you, these questions have been discussed, 
 namely: 1st. The Bible alone is a sufficient 
 rule for religious faith and practice. 2d. 
 Christian is the only divinely authorized 
 name by which the followers of Christ 
 should be known or called. 3d. Christian 
 character is the only true test of Christian 
 fellowship. I propose, in this, submitting, 
 as a fourth reason for my being a member 
 of the Christian Church, the simplicity , 
 reasonableness, and truthfulness of the senti- 
 ments of this brotherhood respecting God 
 the Father and Christ Jesus the Son. The 
 limits I have set to myself in this corre- 
 spondence, will not permit a lengthened 
 discussion of these sentiments ; and yet I 
 
 (195) 
 
196 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 shall aim to be sufficiently thorough to 
 show that they rest upon the surest foun- 
 dation — Reason and Revelation ; and, when 
 compared with those enunciated by various 
 creeds, that they are simple, agreeing with 
 man's common sense conception of the in- 
 finite Being and his Son Jesus Christ as 
 revealed in the inspired word. 
 
 I. I remark first, that the absolute unity 
 of God, as a proposition of religious faith, 
 is cheerfully accepted and maintained by 
 this Church. It is not understood by the 
 phrase Unity of God that there is simply 
 oneness of counsel or of essence; or that 
 there is no confusion in the purposes, 
 plans, and executions manifested in the 
 course of nature ; but that he is one being, 
 one person ; that all things, animate and 
 inanimate, are subject to one undivided 
 mind, one omnipotent, all-wise Designer. 
 This doctrine, it is maintained, is taught 
 by the phenomena of the natural universe, 
 and by the express declaration of revealed 
 truth ; hence, these two sources are applied 
 to as witnesses in its proof. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 197 
 
 The argument for the absolute unity of 
 God based upon the manifestations of the 
 natural universe may be thus stated: The 
 demands of sound philosophy are met when a 
 sufficient cause is presented to account for the 
 effects produced. This plain axiom is the 
 one adopted in all reasoning from effects 
 to causes ; and whenever, by a process of 
 clear induction from effect, an adequate 
 cause to account for it is reached, there 
 the mind rests; and to push the inquiry 
 beyond, is both unnecessary and unphilo- 
 sophical. If we keep this axiom in view, 
 and trace the connections, analogies, adapt- 
 ations, and dependences which pervade 
 the numerous parts of nature and unite 
 them into one sublime whole, we shall per- 
 ceive that it is opposed to sound reason to 
 claim more gods than one, or more than 
 one infinite and eternal Person. 
 
 For illustration : The Being who is capa- 
 ble of making one solitary blade of grass, 
 is capable of producing innumerable blades. 
 He who could create one shrub, could also 
 create a complete tree ; and he who could 
 
198 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 produce one such, could produce all varie- 
 ties. One omnipotent Being could accom- 
 plish all these ; hence, the supposition that 
 there is more than one all-wise Designer 
 and Creator is both unnecessary and un- 
 reasonable. If we look closely into the 
 nature and structure of the numerous spe- 
 cies of plants that grow upon the surface 
 of our globe, we shall learn that they are 
 formed after one general model. They all 
 have, in common, bark to shield them ; 
 they all have roots, stalks, and leaves to 
 carry out the economy of life in themselves ; 
 they all demand similar external conditions, 
 as soil, air, light, and moisture, for their 
 nourishment; and not an instance is known, 
 among all the variety of plants, in which 
 there is not a complete apparatus for the 
 propagation of its own species. Another 
 remarkable fact is, that about ninety-four 
 per cent, of all vegetable matter is com- 
 posed of four simple organic elements ; 
 viz. : carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitro- 
 gen. That all these designs should have 
 been originated by many independent or 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 199 
 
 dependent deities is in the highest degree 
 incredible and absurd. 
 
 The same mode of reasoning wkich we 
 have applied to the vegetable creation, is 
 equally applicable to the animal. He who 
 could create one man with all his phenom- 
 ena of physical and mental life, could bring 
 into being any number; he who could cause 
 the delicate clown upon the beetle-fly's wing, 
 could make the strong pinions of the eagle 
 by which he mounts above the clouds ; and 
 he who could form the smallest insect, en- 
 dowing it with life an"d motion, could pro- 
 duce the most gigantic animal with all its 
 functions of existence. And it will be ob- 
 served that the various tribes of animated 
 creation, whether of men, birds, quadru- 
 peds, insects, or fishes, exhibit, in carrying 
 out the economy of life, many common feat- 
 ures. All demand air and food ; and the 
 contrivances by which these are made avail- 
 able in perpetuating existence have strong 
 points of resemblance. The air must be 
 breathed, and the food must be eaten and 
 digested ; and to secure these, every ani- 
 
200 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 mated creature is furnished with the neces- 
 sary organs. Now,f these facts, taken to- 
 gether,* clearly demonstrate that the entire 
 animal creation was originated by one in- 
 telligent Mind. 
 
 Again: The unity of the First Cause of 
 all things may be argued from the adapta- 
 tion of the several parts of creation to each 
 other. 
 
 For illustration : The atmosphere which 
 surrounds our aiobe is found to be one uni- 
 form substance, being wisely suited to the 
 support of both animal and vegetable life. 
 But that the air may send its vitalizing 
 forces through the system, it must be 
 breathed — taken in ; and that this end may 
 be secured to everything having life, all 
 are provided with the apparatus precisely 
 suited to obtain the supplies essential to its 
 nature. To the animal are given lungs with 
 the muscular action necessary to respira- 
 tion. And how perfectly is the air adapted 
 to this delicate organism; and there is an 
 equal fitness in it for receiving and using 
 the atmosphere as one of the indispensable 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 201 
 
 agents for building up and perpetuating 
 existence. It is no less remarkable that 
 in the vegetable creation as well as the 
 animal, there are beautiful and wise ar- 
 rangements for receiving and using, the air 
 for its growth and life. White the roots 
 of the plant are imbibing water, which is 
 raised into the tissues of the stem, dissolv- 
 ing small quantities of gum which had been 
 previously deposited there, and finally pass- 
 ing to the leaves, the leaves themselves 
 meanwhile had been breathing — so to speak 
 — carbonic acid, decomposing it, retaining 
 the carbon and sending forth pure oxygen. 
 It is a curious fact as well as a wise and 
 beneficial arrangement, that while animals 
 in respiring give out carbonic acid, thus 
 vitiating the atmosphere, and rendering it 
 injurious to life, vegetables send out during 
 the day oxygen, which in a great measure 
 supplies that consumed by man and beast, 
 and so maintains the just proportions of 
 the elements essential to a healthful and 
 invigorating atmosphere. 
 
 As further illustrating this argument, 
 
202 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 permit me to refer to the adaptation of light 
 to the eye and of the eye to the light. 
 How complete is the structure of the one 
 to receive the other, by which myriads of 
 objects*are made visible. The eye, in its 
 natural condition, suffers no pain when the 
 light falls upon it, but realizes a pleasure. 
 Their adaptation to each other is so perfect 
 that their conjunction produces the most 
 exquisite delight and beneficial results. I 
 might also speak of the essentiality and 
 fitness of light, combined with other agents, 
 to sustain life both in animals and plants ; 
 the adaptation of the ear to the undula- 
 tions of the atmosphere to produce sound ; 
 the relations which the numerous tribes of 
 both animate and inanimate existence sus- 
 tain to this earth, its soils, its rivers, its 
 seas, and oceans ; all might be introduced 
 in proof of their dependence upon and fit- 
 ness to each other. But my limits will 
 allow ontythe preceding indication of points 
 and facts. 
 
 The conclusion I would draw from these 
 and similar facts, is this : When a whole 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 203 
 
 is composed of numerous parts, each of 
 which is a distinct organism, as the eye 
 and the light, and when these several 
 parts are so accurately adjusted to each 
 other that the greatest benefit is secured 
 and the harmony of the whole produced, 
 both of which would be defeated in the 
 absence of this adjustment, it follows that 
 He who contrived one of these parts must 
 have planned the others ; for it is reasonable 
 to suppose that one and the same mind is 
 employed in contriving separate things, so 
 adjusted in numerous minute particulars 
 that their conjunction accomplishes a given 
 purpose, and it is unreasonable to suppose 
 otherwise. Hence, He who created the 
 light, formed the eye for the reception of 
 that light ; He who created the atmosphere, 
 composing it of the proportion of elements 
 exactly suited to life, formed the lungs of 
 man and of beast and the leaves of the 
 tree and the plant to take in and use it for 
 their o-rowth and maturity : He who con- 
 structed the ear, adjusted the undulations 
 of the air, so that they, by falling upon it, 
 
204 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 should produce a given result ; and He who 
 formed the tribes of animals, with their 
 wants, the plants, with their roots piercing 
 the soil, and the atmosphere which girdles 
 our globe, created the seas and oceans from 
 which vapors are raised and carried by the 
 buoyant and elastic air over the earth, and 
 are shed down in showers upon the thirsty 
 hills and plains, moistening the soil, and 
 giving drink to man, and beast, and plant. 
 It is evident that the same Mind that con- 
 trived one of the parts of creation planned 
 all. From the dependence and adaptation 
 of these numerous parts, in so many minute 
 particulars, the unity of the First Cause of 
 all is demonstrable. 
 
 But our earth, complete, perfect, and 
 wonderful as it is in itself, is only a part 
 of another grand and sublime system; 
 and from the unity of the plan which 
 obtains throughout this vast universe of 
 worlds the unitv of the Cause is clearlv in- 
 dicated. The sun forms the center of our 
 own system of spheres, and sends forth to 
 each its measure of light and heat ; and by 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 205 
 
 his attraction holds them in iheir mighty 
 orbits as they fly onward in their swift 
 journey. These worlds are found to move 
 from age to age with the same regularity 
 and in the same direction, each describing 
 the same geometrical figure, namely, the 
 " ellipse." The degree of the velocity of 
 each is determined by the same rule. All 
 are subject to the regular alternation of day 
 and night and to the " vicissitudes of the 
 seasons." These facts furnish indubitable 
 evidence that the same omnipotent Being 
 who created the earth also formed the 
 other planets; and that he who" formed 
 them created the sun, their common center, 
 around which they move with sublime 
 grandeur and undisturbed harmony. Thus, 
 by examining, with all the aids furnished 
 by man's inventive skill, all parts of crea- 
 tion, from the smallest up to the greatest, 
 and marking their relations, dependences, 
 resemblances, and adaptations, we are forced 
 to the conclusion that they are all the 
 workmanship of one infinite Intelligence. 
 But suppose it should be urged that the 
 
206 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 material universe, with its various types of 
 life, "may have been planned by the counsel 
 and co-operation" of a plurality of Divine 
 persons. To this I would oppose the fol- 
 lowing : 1st. Either all these persons were 
 limited in their capacities ; or else, 2d. One 
 of them possessed omnipotent power and 
 wisdom. Now, if the former be assumed, 
 this question must be met and answered : 
 Could any number of limited beings con- 
 jointly plan and create a universe of such 
 measureless magnitude and of such infinite 
 variety, adaptation, and harmony ? Sound 
 philosophy must answer in the negative. 
 Their limited capacities would ultimate in 
 confined views and in suggesting opposite 
 schemes, the accomplishment of which 
 would result in the wildest disorder. But 
 if the latter be accepted, that one of these 
 Divine persons was infinite in all his attri- 
 butes, then was he capable of planning and 
 executing this vast, complex, and yet har- 
 monious universe ; and, therefore, to be- 
 lieve in or claim any other originating 
 cause is opposed to the axiom on which I 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 207 
 
 set out in this argument, namely: that the 
 demands of reason and faith are fully met 
 when a sufficient cause to account for the 
 effect is attained. Here I rest the argu- 
 ment in support of the absolute unity of 
 God founded upon the phenomenon of the 
 sensible creation. 
 
 Let us now examine this question of 
 faith by the inspired word. The testimony 
 of Divine revelation as clearly and forcibly 
 sustains the unity of the infinite Mind as is. 
 possible for language to establish any prop- 
 osition. And without its plain and authori- 
 tative teaching it is probable that this 
 grand truth would have remained unknown 
 to, and unappreciated by man, notwith- 
 standing its proofs lie everywhere in the 
 infinite variety and harmony of the natural 
 universe. On almost every page of the 
 inspired volume is this doctrine written. 
 It shines forth in that record with incom- 
 parable luster. To make known, confirm, 
 and diffuse among the nations of the earth 
 this truth, and from this lead them to 
 worship one Divine Being, was the chief 
 
208 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 purpose to be accomplished by raising up 
 and inspiring the "Hebrew prophets," and 
 by the working that grand series of miracles 
 connected with the deliverance of the chil- 
 dren of Israel from their intolerable bond- 
 age. And I may here submit that one of 
 the purposes of the mission of Christ was to 
 propagate this great truth, which underlies 
 the whole Christian life, among the nations 
 of the earth. 
 
 Permit me now to bring forward some 
 of the testimony of inspiration in support 
 of the absolute unity of God — that he is 
 one being, one person. Jehovah, in declar- 
 ing himself to his ancient people, said : 
 " Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one 
 Lord." — Deut. vi: 4. This cardinal doc- 
 trine was confirmed by the Messiah in his 
 reply to the scribe, who asked: "What is 
 the first commandment ?" — Mark xii : 29. 
 "There is none holy as the Lord: for there 
 is none beside thee : neither is there any 
 rock like our God."— 1 Sam. ii : -2. " For 
 thou art great, and doest wondrous things ; 
 thou art God alone." — Psalm lxxxvi; 10. 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 " Xow a mediator is not a mediator of one; 
 but God is one." — Gal. iii: 20. "There is 
 one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 
 called in one hope of your calling ; one 
 Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and 
 Father of all, who is above all, and through 
 all, and in you all.'' — Eph. iv : 4-6. " Thou 
 belie vest that there is one God; thou doest 
 well: the devils also believe and tremble." 
 — James ii : 19. " There is one God and 
 one mediator between God and man, the 
 man Christ Jesus.'' — 1 Tim. ii: 5. " We 
 know that an idol is nothing in the world, 
 and that there is none other God but one. 
 For though there be that are called gods, 
 whether in heaven or in earth, (as there 
 are gods many and lords many,) but to us 
 there is but one God, the Father, of whom 
 are all things, and we in him; and one 
 Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, 
 and we by him." — 1 Cor. viii: 4-6. With 
 a directness, clearness, and strength of lan- 
 guage unsurpassed, these texts, with scores 
 of others, many of which will occur to the 
 Bible student, affirm that the unoriginated 
 14 
 
210 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 Cciuse of the material universe — " the Je- 
 hovah of the Jews" — the God and Father 
 of all — is one person, one being, and only 
 one. 
 
 To this great doctrine, Christ, the found- 
 er of the Christian faith, as well as the 
 Redeemer of the world, and his inspired 
 apostles, bear the most unequivocal testi- 
 mony. Their uniform teaching on this 
 question harmonizes with and confirms the 
 record of Moses and the prophets. JNor 
 can their language convey any other idea 
 when speaking, of Jehovah's personality, 
 without wrenching it from its obvious im- 
 port. When we read that "there is one 
 God, and there is none other but he," the 
 natural conclusion is, that he who is thus 
 spoken of, is one person, unless the mind is 
 controlled by prejudice. " The word God 
 does not signify a collection of persons or 
 a council of intelligent agents," but simply 
 denotes one mind, one intelligent agent ; 
 hence, every text which declares that there 
 is but one God, or that God is one, clearly 
 teaches that there is but one person in the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 211 
 
 godhead. Therefore, whatever assumes a 
 plurality of persons in the Divine Being, 
 affirms a sentiment adverse to the united 
 testimony of these witnesses. 
 
 Another class of texts which indicate the 
 strictest unity of God, is that in which verbs 
 and pronouns, in the singular number, are 
 used respecting him. In all languages, 
 these are almost entirely understood to 
 apply to one person. In our own there is 
 no mistaking their application in this re- 
 spect. Keeping this rule in view, allow 
 me to make the following quotations. In 
 speaking of himself, Jehovah says : "I 
 am the Almighty God. Walk before me, 
 and be thou perfect; and I will make my 
 covenant between me and thee," etc. — 
 Gen. xvii : 1, 2. In speaking to Moses, he 
 says: "I am that I am," etc. — Ex. iii: 14. 
 Again : ''And I appeared unto Abraham, 
 unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of 
 God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah 
 was I not known to them." — Ex. vi: 3. 
 " I form the light, and create darkness ; I 
 make peace, and create evil. I, the Lord, 
 
212 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 do all these things." — Isa. xlv: 7. "Now 
 will I arise, saith the Lord ; now will I be 
 exalted ; now will I lift up myself." — Isa. 
 xxxiii : 10. The idea impressed upon the 
 mind, and constantly kept before it, by such 
 language is, that J ehovah is absolutely one 
 being — one person. JN T ot only does the infi- 
 nite One, when speaking of himself, use 
 invariably the singular pronoun — except in 
 four instances, (Gen. i : 26; iii: 22; xi: 7; 
 Isa. vi : 8,) which are easily made to 
 harmonize with the texts which speak of 
 him as one person ; but when addressed is 
 always mentioned in that form of speech. 
 To this there is not a solitary exception in 
 the Book of Revelation. I here give a few 
 examples, which will afford a brief view of 
 the manner in which the devout of olden 
 times addressed the Jehovah of the Bible. 
 " But will God indeed dwell on the earth? 
 behold, the heaven of heavens can not con- 
 tain thee," etc. — 1 Kings viii : 27. Com- 
 pare 2 Chronicles ii: 6. "Blessed be thou, 
 Jehovah, God of Israel our father, forever 
 and ever. Thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness, 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 213 
 
 and the power, * * * * thine is the 
 kingdom, 0 Lord, and thou 'art exalted as 
 head above all. Both riches and honor 
 come of thee, and thou reignest over all ; 
 and in thine hand is power and might ; and 
 in thine hand it is to make great, and to 
 give strength unto all." — 1 Chron. xxix: 
 10-12. "I will be glad, and rejoice in 
 thee ; I will sing praise to thy name, 0 
 thou Most High."— Psalm ix: 2. "With 
 the merciful, thou wilt show thyself merci- 
 ful ; with an upright man, thou wilt show 
 ' thyself upright," — Psalm xviii : 25 ; also 
 verses 26, 27, 28, 29. "Whither shall I 
 go from thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee 
 from thy presence ? If I ascend up into 
 heaven, thou art there ; if I make my bed 
 in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take 
 the wings of the morning, and dwell in the 
 uttermost parts of the sea ; even there shall 
 thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall 
 hold me."— Psalm cxxxix : 7-14. " These 
 words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes 
 to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is 
 come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also 
 
214 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 may glorify thee : as thou hast given him 
 power over ail flesh, that he should give 
 eternal life to as many as thou hast given 
 him. And this is life eternal, that they 
 might know thee the only true God, and 
 Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." — John 
 xvii : 1-3. Indeed, in the beautiful, lov- 
 ing, and earnest prayer of Christ, forming 
 the chapter of which the last quotation is 
 a part, he uses the singular pronoun, apply- 
 ing it to the Father no less than fifty-tivo 
 times. I might add largely to the texts 
 already introduced, which connect the name 
 of God with pronouns in the singular. The 
 number might be increased indefinitely, as 
 nearly every page of the inspired word is 
 replete with texts that teach with unsur- 
 passed clearness the simple and yet sub- 
 lime doctrine that God is one. 
 
 It may be proper that I mention a few 
 texts as examples of a numerous class, 
 which declare, in the most unqualified man- 
 ner, that Jehovah, who is one person, is 
 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. This is the testimony they fur- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 215 
 
 nish : " Blessed be the God and Father of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to 
 his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again 
 unto a lively hope," etc. — 1 Peter i: 3. 
 " Blessed be God, even the Father of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, 
 and the God of all comfort." — 2 Cor. i : 3. 
 " Blessed be the God and Father of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us 
 with all spiritual blessings in heavenly 
 places in Christ."— Eph. i: 3. " That the 
 God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father 
 of glory, may give unto you the spirit of 
 wisdom," etc. — Eph. i: 17. To these texts 
 might be added more than one hundred 
 which teach with great plainness that the 
 uncreated Cause of all things is the Father 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ, and also of all 
 mankind. I can not well get the consent 
 of my mind to decline quoting the follow- 
 ing passages, which show the relation of 
 the Father and the Son: "But I would 
 have you know, that the head of every 
 man is Christ ; and the head of the woman 
 is the man; and the head of Christ is 
 
216 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 God."— 1 Cor. xi: 3. "Whether Paul, or 
 Apollos, * * * all are yours; and 
 ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." — 
 1 Cor. iii : 23, 24. 
 
 The texts I have brought forward (and 
 the number might be swelled to many 
 hundred, on this question now before us) 
 are so plain that comment is unnecessary. 
 From their testimony, the following points 
 are clearly deducible : 1st. That there is 
 one uncreated Cause of all things. 2d. 
 That this Cause of all things is an intelli- 
 gent mind or agent. 3d. That this intel- 
 ligent mind is He whom we call Jehovah, 
 eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omni- 
 present. 4th. That this Jehovah is one 
 being — one person, oth. That he is the 
 God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 6th. That he is distinct in personality or 
 being from the Son, since he is declared to 
 be the "head of Christ," as Christ is the 
 head of the man. My opinion is, that no 
 one can look with an unbiased mind at the 
 overwhelming evidence the Bible furnishes 
 on this subject, and come to any other con- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 217 
 
 elusion than that the unoriginated Creator 
 of the universe, the Jehovah of the Jews, 
 the God and Father of Christ the Son, is 
 a unit — absolutely one being — one person. If 
 this doctrine be true, and, as far as I know, 
 it is denied by no Christian man, then the 
 affirmation of a plurality of persons in 
 Jehovah must be incorrect, untrue. Be- 
 lieving the former, I reject the latter: re- 
 ceiving and maintaining the strict unity of 
 the Divine Mind. 
 
 II. I remark, secondly, that the proposi- 
 tion, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of 
 God, is accepted and believed by the Chris- 
 tian Church as Divine truth, fully sustained 
 by the word of inspiration. The charge 
 not unfrequently alleged against us that 
 we regard Christ as a mere man, somewhat 
 superior to the prophets or to Moses, is 
 without foundation in fact. We hold him 
 not only to be superior to men, but to 
 angels also, both in nature and character. 
 We believe in him, and preach him as a 
 complete Savior and Redeemer. In this 
 sentiment lies the very pith of the follow- 
 
218 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 ing words of Jesus : x " He that believeth on 
 the Son hath everlasting life." JNow every 
 soul that believes that Jesus Christ is the 
 Son of God, and receives him as such with 
 humbleness of heart, to him he is an all- 
 sufficient Savior. If he accepts reverently 
 and with all the strength of his spiritual 
 nature, the teachings of the Scriptures on 
 this question of religious faith, his belief is 
 well founded, though he may reject every 
 human creed that has been constructed 
 since the days of Constantine till now. 
 
 I propose briefly asking attention to the 
 light in which the New Testament presents 
 Christ to the human family. If we look 
 at him from this stand-point, uninfluenced 
 by preconceived opinions, we shall very 
 likely obtain correct ideas respecting him. 
 
 1st. The Scriptures present him to the world 
 as God's Son, his own Son, his dear Son, his 
 only begotten Son, his beloved Son. Jesus 
 says, in repelling a false accusation alleged 
 by his enemies against him: "Say ye of 
 him whom the Father hath sanctified and 
 sent into the world, Thou blasphemestj be- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 219 
 
 cause I said, I am the Son of God." — John x: 
 36. John the Baptist, in announcing Christ 
 to his countrymen, says : "And I saw and 
 bear record that this is the Son of God." — 
 John i : 34. "For God sent not his Son into 
 the world to condemn the world; but that 
 the world through him might be saved." — 
 John iii: 17. Martha, in reply to the con- 
 soling words of the Savior respecting the 
 death of her brother, said: "Yea, Lord; I 
 believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of 
 God, which should come into the world." — 
 John xi: 27. Luke, in his history of apos- 
 tolic labor, in speaking of Paul's first work 
 in the ministry, writes: "And straightway 
 he preached Christ in the synagogues, that 
 he is the Son of God." — Acts ix: 20. In 
 answer to this question, "Whom say ye 
 that I am?" which the Lord propounded 
 to his apostles, Peter replied : " Thou art 
 the Christ, the Son of the living God." 
 The Savior promptly, and in the strongest 
 language, approved the sentiment of his 
 servant: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar- 
 jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed 
 
220 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 this unto thee, but my Father which is in 
 heaven." — Matt xvi: 16, 17. "No man 
 hath seen God at any time : the only be- 
 gotten Son, which is in the bosom of the 
 Father, he hath declared him'' — John i : 18. 
 " For God so loved the world, that he gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever be- 
 lieveth in him, should not perish, but have 
 eternal life. He that believeth on the 
 Son, is not condemned: but he that believ- 
 eth not, is condemned already, because he 
 hath not believed in the name of the only 
 begotten Son of God.*' — John Hi: 16-18. 
 " In this was manifested the love of God 
 toward us, because that God sent his only 
 begotten Son into the world, that we might 
 live through him." — 1 John iv : 9. On two 
 memorable occasions, the infinite Father 
 acknowledged, by word, Christ to be his 
 beloved Son. The first of these was at his 
 baptism, and is thus recorded by Matthew : 
 "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went 
 up straightway out of the water : and lo, 
 the heavens were opened unto him, and he 
 saw the Spirit of God descending like a 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 221 
 
 dove, and lighting upon him : and lo, a 
 voice from heaven, saying, This is my be- 
 loved Son, in whom I am well pleased." — ■ 
 Matt, iii: 16, 17. Compare Mark i : 10, 11, 
 and Luke iii: 21, 22. The second of these 
 occasions was in a mountain, and in the 
 presence of three of his apostles, and is 
 thus stated by his biographers: "While 
 he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud over- 
 shadowed them : and behold, a voice out 
 of the cloud, which said, This is my be- 
 loved Son, in whom I am well pleased: 
 hear ye him." — Matt, xvii ; 5. Compare 
 Markix: 7; Lukeix: 35, and 1 Peter i: 17. 
 This catalogue of texts, proving that Christ 
 is the Son of God, his own Son, his beloved 
 and only begotten Son, might be largely 
 increased, as every student of the Scrip- 
 tures is fully aware ; but those already in- 
 troduced are entirely sufficient. Indeed, it 
 could not be more clearly set forth, and 
 demonstrated by the concurrence of a thou- 
 sand texts than by those quoted. It would 
 be impossible to produce more powerful 
 testimony than they afford. Language 
 
222 
 
 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 could not convey it with greater distinct- 
 ness. It is proved by the conjoined evi- 
 dence of John the Baj^tist; of the evangel- 
 ists, Matthew, Mark, Luke-, and John ; of 
 the apostles, Peter and Paul ; of Christ 
 himself, and of the Father. What an 
 array of witnesses ! The testimony they 
 give is plain, forcible, unambiguous, direct, 
 and conclusive. 
 
 It may be well to refer for a moment to 
 this question which some may raise, name- 
 ly : What* does the phrase, Only begotten Son 
 of G-od, signify ? The terms " Son of God, 
 beloved Son, His dear Son, His only be- 
 gotten Son," are personal appellatives, and 
 are used to express the personal relation 
 of Christ to Jehovah the Father. Herein 
 they differ from the term Messiah, which 
 is an official title. The former point out 
 the natural relation of the Son to the 
 Father ; the latter marks the official rela- 
 tion of the Son to men. Hence, I do not 
 regard the miraculous conception of Christ, 
 nor his resurrection from the dead, as the 
 ground of his Sonship. It rests upon a 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 223 
 
 higher foundation than either of these. 
 The Divine relation he sustains to God the 
 Father, as the only begotten, full of grace 
 and truth, is the basis of his Sonship. His 
 miraculous conception and birth were the 
 medium through which the Son should be 
 made manifest to the world and become 
 its Redeemer; his resurrection was the 
 completion of the work of redemption and 
 the vindication of him as the sent of God, 
 the Savior of the world. Hence, the apos- 
 tle says : " Who was made of the seed of 
 David according to the flesh, and declared 
 to be the Son of God with power, according 
 to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection 
 from the dead." Angels are called sons 
 of God; and Aclam is called the son of 
 God ; and so are Christians called the sons 
 of God ; but Christ is called His beloved 
 Son, His dear Son, His only begotten Son ; 
 and it is declared that "He hath by in- 
 heritance obtained a more excellent name 
 than the angels ;" all of which clearly in- ■ 
 dicate that he is in nature and in character 
 superior to men or angels. 
 
224 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 2d. Christ is presented as having been 
 commissioned by his Father to redeem the 
 world ; and also, as accomplishing this 
 work by the authority and power of Jeho- 
 vah. On this point the Scriptures are full 
 and specific in their testimony. A few 
 texts as examples must suffice : " We have 
 seen and do testify that the Father sent 
 the Son to be the Savior of the world." — 
 1 John iv: 14. " For I proceeded forth 
 and came from God ; neither came I of 
 myself, but he sent me." — John viii : 42. 
 Jesus says, while praying to his Father for 
 his apostles : "As thou hast sent me into 
 the world, even so have I also sent them* 
 into the world." — John xvii : 18. "Jesus 
 saith unto them, My meat is to do the will 
 of him that sent me, and to finish his 
 work."— John iv: 34. "That all men 
 should honor the Son even as they honor 
 the Father. He that honoreth not the Son 
 honoreth not the Father which sent him. 
 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that 
 heareth my word, and believeth on him 
 that sent me," etc. " But I have greater 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 225 
 
 witness than that of John ; for the works 
 which the Father hath given me to finish, 
 the same works that I do, bear witness of 
 me, that the Father hath sent me. And 
 the Father himself, which hath sent me, 
 hath borne witness of me." — John v : 23, 
 24, 36, 37. "Jesus answered and said 
 unto them : This is the work of God, that 
 ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 
 For I came down from heaven, not to do 
 mine own will, but the will of him that 
 sent me. And this is the Father's will 
 that sent me," etc. "As the living Father 
 hath sent me, and I live by the Father ; 
 so he that eateth me shall live by me." — 
 John vi: 29, 38, 39, 57. In these quota- 
 tions it is affirmed without any qualifica- 
 tion, that Jesus Christ is the commissioned 
 or sent of God. 
 
 The Son, in vindicating himself against 
 false allegations respecting the authority 
 under which he acted and the power by 
 which he carried forward the work of his 
 mission, says, in reply to the query of the 
 Jews how he knew letters, as he had never 
 _1S_ 
 
226 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 learned : " My doctrine is not mine, but his 
 that sent me. If an}' man will do his will, 
 he shall know of the doctrine, whether it 
 be of God, or whether I speak of myself." — 
 Johnvii: 15-17. Again, he declares: "I 
 can of mine own self do nothing ; as I hear 
 I judge; and my judgment is just; because 
 I seek not mine own will, but the will of 
 the Father which sent me." — John v : 30. 
 " For I have not spoken of myself ; but the 
 Father which sent me, he gave me com- 
 mandment what I should say, and what I 
 should speak. And I know that his com- 
 mandment is life everlasting : whatsoever 
 I speak therefore, even as the Father said 
 unto me, so I speak." — John xii: 49, 50. 
 "All things are delivered unto me of my 
 Father ; and no man knoweth the Son but 
 the Father," etc.— Matt, xi : 27. "The 
 Father loveth the Son and hath given all 
 things into his hand." — John hi: 35. 
 "Jesus knowing that the Father had given 
 all things into his hands, and that he was 
 come from God and went to God." — John 
 xiii : 3. " And Jesus came and spake unto 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 227 
 
 them, saving: All power is given unto me 
 in heaven and in earth." — Matt, xxviii: 18. 
 As the Son received his authority and 
 power from the Father to perfect the plan 
 of salvation, and also to administer the 
 affairs of the kingdom of grace, so will 
 he when the last enemy is destroyed de- 
 liver up what he now holds, as declared 
 in the last quotation, by the . gift of the 
 Father. 
 
 To this the inspired penman bears the fol- 
 lowing testimony : " Then cometh the end, 
 when he shall have delivered up the king- 
 dom to God, even the Father; when he 
 shall have put clown all rule, and all au- 
 thority, and power. For he must reign, 
 till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 
 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is 
 death. For he hath put all things under 
 his feet. But when he saith all things 
 are put under him, it is manifest that he is 
 excepted which, did put all things under 
 . him. And when all things shall be sub- 
 dued unto him, then shall the Son also 
 himself be subject unto him that put all 
 
 g 
 
228 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 things under him, that God may be all in 
 all."— 1 Cor. xv : 24-28. 
 
 Many claim that the texts, such as I 
 have quoted, which speak of Christ's re- 
 ceiving power and authority of God the 
 Father to work miracles, publish the Di- 
 vine will and finish the scheme of redemp- 
 tion, allude to his human nature, and to 
 this they refer all such Scripture. To this 
 I oppose the following reasons : 1st. It 
 would reduce the Son of God to mere hu- 
 manity; for to him, the Son, was this 
 power given. 2d. All power in heaven 
 and in earth, appertaining to man's eternal 
 salvation, would be committed into the 
 hands of human nature simply. 3d. Our 
 Redeemer and Savior would be merely a 
 human being. 4th. The Mediator of the 
 new covenant would be humanity only. 
 These, to my mind, are serious objections 
 to referring these and similar texts to 
 "Christ as man." Nor will it obviate 
 these difficulties by claiming that in con- 
 nection with this human nature of Christ 
 there was a Divine nature, which was the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 229 
 
 infinite Jehovah ; for the terms Son of God, 
 Only begotten Son, Beloved Son, etc., as 
 well as the declarations : "I can of mine 
 own self do nothing ;" "All power in heaven 
 and in earth is given into my hands," are 
 applicable either to Christ's "human na- 
 ture " only, or to both his human and 
 Divine nature. If the former be assumed, 
 then the four objections already submitted 
 must be met ; but if the latter be claimed, 
 then, since the terms Son of God, Only 
 begotten Son, etc., and the declarations: 
 " All power in heaven and in earth is given 
 into my hands ;" "I can of mine own self do 
 nothing," etc., are applied to both tlie 
 human and Divine nature of Christ ; and 
 since this Divine nature, agreeably to the 
 preceding hypothesis, is the eternal Jeho- 
 vah, it follows that the omnipotent Being 
 is a Son — an only begotten Son. And 
 further, that He who possessed absolutely 
 all power, nevertheless had it given to 
 him ; and that He who could do all things, 
 yet of himself could do nothing. It will 
 not do, therefore, to refer the Scriptures I 
 
230 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 have quoted to the humanity nor yet to the 
 self-existent Being, but to the Divine Son 
 of God, who existed with the Father before 
 the world was. 
 
 From the preceding texts, the number 
 of which might be increased many fold, in 
 proof of the question, under examination, 
 the following points are sustained with 
 great distinctness : 1st. That Jesus Christ 
 is the Son of God, his only begotten and 
 beloved Son. 2d. That he was commis- 
 sioned to develop and carry to its comple- 
 tion the plan of redemption. 3d. That he 
 derived from the Father the power by 
 which he unfolded and ratified the new cov- 
 enant, and by which, also, as Mediator, he 
 should carry out its provisions. 4th. That 
 when these provisions shall be fully met, 
 He, the Son, shall surrender to the Father 
 the power, or the kingdom, which he now 
 holds, and which he received from the 
 Father, "that God may be all in all." The 
 rational and Scriptural conclusion which 
 may be drawn from the evidence and argu- 
 ment submitted, as well as from the current 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 231 
 
 teaching of the inspired word, is that 
 Jesus Christ the Son is distinct in person- 
 ality, or in being, from the Father ; that 
 he is not the infinite Jehovah, whose Son 
 he is repeatedly declared to be ; that he is 
 not that eternal Being who sent him, who 
 gave him all power to finish the work of 
 salvation, and whose words he spake ; but 
 that he is the only begotten Son of the one 
 omnipotent God, the Creator of the heavens 
 and the earth. To establish this doctrine, 
 that Jesus is the Son of the Most High 
 and by him was divinely commissioned to 
 be the world's Redeemer, and also to de- 
 monstrate the Fatherhood of God, all that 
 splendid series of miracles which the New 
 Testament records was wrought by the 
 Messiah. This is manifest, whether you 
 contemplate him feeding the multitude, 
 hushing the stormy winds and stilling the 
 waves of the sea, healing the leprosy, 
 restoring sight to the blind beggar, raising 
 the widow's son and giving him alive to 
 her arms, or standing with the weeping- 
 sisters, Mary and Martha, beside the tomb 
 
232 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 of a deceased brother, and calling him back 
 to life and friends again. I say, whether 
 vou view him in connection with anv of 
 these amazing miracles, or others no less 
 wonderful, the central idea designed to be 
 pro Yen by them was the Sonship of Christ. 
 It is therefore written: "And many other 
 signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his 
 disciples, which are not written in this 
 book. But these are written, that ye might 
 believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Sox 
 of the living- God; and that believing ye 
 might have life through his name." — John 
 xx : 30, 31. 
 
 Take the teaching of the Scriptures, with 
 a legitimate construction, and the miracles 
 they record, and these ideas of Jehovah 
 the Father and of Jesus the Son, are set 
 forth with unsurpassed clearness : 1st. That 
 the infinite, omnipotent God — the First 
 Cause of all things — is one being, one person, 
 and only one. 2d. That Jesus Christ is the 
 only begotten Son of God, the Redeemer of 
 the world ; and as such is able to save to 
 the uttermost all that will come unto the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 233 
 
 Father by hiin. These sentiments respect- 
 ing- Jehovah and his Son Jesus Christ, we 
 believe and preach, regarding them as the 
 foundation of the world's regeneration. 
 They are in harmony with the evidence of 
 inspiration, and with our common-sense 
 conception of the nature and fitness of 
 things. 
 
 In contrast with these plain, reasonable, 
 and Scriptural propositions of faith, touch- 
 ing God the Father and his Son our Savior, 
 I shall here submit the sentiments on these 
 topics of religious belief, as taught and en- 
 forced by various creeds. I do this that 
 you may compare them, side by side, with 
 the truth. 
 
 The Athanasian Creed, as it is commonly 
 called, though written many years after his 
 death, submits the following article of faith 
 respecting the infinite Being, namely : "And 
 the Catholic faith is this : that we worship 
 oxe God ix Teixity, and Teixity lx 
 Uxity; neither confounding the persons, 
 nor dividing the substance. For there is 
 one person of the Fathee, another of the 
 
234 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 So?s T , and another of the Holy Ghost. 
 But the godhead of the Father, of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the 
 glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such 
 as the Father is, such is the Son, and such 
 is the Holy Ghost: the Father uncreate, 
 the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost un- 
 create ; the Father incomprehensible, the 
 Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost 
 incomprehensible ; the Father eternal, the 
 Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal ; 
 and yet there are not three Eternals, but 
 one Eternal. As also there are not three 
 incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated ; 
 but one uncreated and one Incomprehensi- 
 ble. So likewise the Father is almighty, 
 the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost 
 almighty ; and yet there are not three 
 Almighties, but one Almighty. So the 
 Father is God, the Son is God, and the 
 Holy Ghost is God ; and yet there are not 
 three Gods, but one God. So likewise the 
 Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the 
 Holy Ghost is Lord ; and yet there are not 
 three Lords, but one Lord. For like as 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 235 
 
 we are compelled by the Christian verity 
 to acknowledge every person by himself to 
 be God and Lord ; so are we forbidden by 
 the Catholic religion to say, There be three 
 Gods or three Lords. The Father is made 
 of none, neither created, nor begotten. The 
 Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor 
 created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost 
 is of the Father and of the Son ; neither 
 made, nor created, nor begotten, but pro- 
 ceeding. So there is one Father, not three 
 Fathers ; one Son, not three Sons ; one 
 Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And 
 in this Trinity, none is afore or after an- 
 other ; none is greater or less than another ; 
 but the whole three persons are coeternal 
 together, and coequal. So that in all 
 things, as is aforesaid, the Laxity ix Teix- 
 ity and the Teixity ix" L^x'ity is to be 
 worshiped. He, therefore, that will be 
 saved, must thus think of the Teixity." 
 
 This creed, though written toward the 
 close of the fifth century, was not much 
 known till toward the end of the sixth, 
 when it began to receive the comments of 
 
236 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 its admirers. Some centuries later, "it was 
 successively introduced into France, Spain, 
 Germany, Italy, and England, where it still 
 forms a part of the public worship." 
 
 " The Constitution of the Presbyterian 
 Church," after stating in the most explicit 
 terms, that there is but one "living and 
 true God," and also mentioning his attri- 
 butes and perfections, says : "In the unity 
 of the godhead, there be three persons, of 
 one substance, power, and eternity : God 
 the Father, God the Son, and God the 
 Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, nei- 
 ther begotten nor proceeding ; the Son is 
 eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy 
 Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father 
 and the Son."' 
 
 The creed of the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church in the United States, after assert- 
 ing the perfect unity of Jehovah, in speak- 
 ing of the Trinity, says ; "In unity of this 
 godhead there be three persons, of one sub- 
 stance, power, and eternity: the Father, 
 the Son, and the Holy Ghost," 
 
 The "articles of religion" of the Method- 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 237 
 
 ist Episcopal Church on this question, as 
 well as on many others, are copies, with 
 some amendments, of the articles of faith 
 of the Episcopal Church. And I may add, 
 at this point, that these creeds enunciate 
 substantially the same doctrine respecting 
 the Son. They all declare him to be the 
 Son of God, and yet claim that he is "the 
 very and eternal God." They affirm that 
 Christ was composed of "two whole and 
 perfect natures ; that is to say, the godhead 
 and manhood;" that he was "very God and 
 very man," and yet that there are not two 
 persons in Christ, but one. 
 
 A little mature reflection on the preced- 
 ing questions of faith, as taught by these 
 as well as other creeds, will show that 
 many of their terms are palpably incon- 
 sistent with each other, and also at vari- 
 ance with the teaching of inspiration when 
 legitimately interpreted. For illustration, 
 take the following from the Athanasian 
 Creed: "Such as the Father is, such is 
 the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost." In 
 the expansion of this proposition, it de- 
 
238 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 clares : '-The Father imcreate, the Son im- 
 create, and the Holy Ghost imcreate ; the 
 Father incomprehensible, the Son incom- 
 prehensible, and the Holy Ghost incompre- 
 hensible ; the Father eternal, the Son eter- 
 nal, and the Holy Ghost eternal." Now, 
 this language, fairly construed, of necessity 
 conveys the idea of three uncreated, incom- 
 preliensiMe, and eternal beings. And yet, in 
 the very next clause, we are told that 
 " they are not three Eternals, but one Eter- 
 nal." If the Father is a person, and the 
 Son a person, and the Holy Ghost a per- 
 son ; and if, as is asserted, each of these is 
 eternal, then to declare that there is but 
 one Eternal, is as transparent a contradic- 
 tion in terms -as is possible to make. It 
 continues : "So likewise the Father is 
 almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy 
 Ghost almighty ; and vet there are not 
 three Almighties, but one Almighty." 
 Now, attach the term person, as we have 
 a right to do, to the name Almighty, and 
 we have: The Father is an almighty per- 
 son, the Son an almighty person, and the 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 239 
 
 Holy Ghost an almighty person; from 
 which the conception of three almighty 
 persons or beings would be resistlessly 
 forced upon the mind. 
 
 But we would be nevertheless told that 
 there are not three almighty persons, but 
 one almighty person, although these two 
 statements are directly antagonistic. It 
 also tells us that "the Father is God, the 
 Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God ;" 
 and that each of these is "Lord;" and 
 that we are commanded "to acknowledge 
 every person by himself to be God and 
 Lord;" and yet it forbids us "to say, 
 There be three Gods or three Lords." It 
 thus prohibits us from believing — were it 
 even possible — what it affirms, and what 
 is the obvious import of its language. But 
 I need analyze it no further, as its abstract 
 complexity and self-contradictions are per- 
 fectly palpable. And yet we are gravely 
 told, "He, therefore, that will be saved, 
 must thus think of the Trinity." 
 
 This doctrine, as set forth in the other 
 creeds, to which allusion has been made, 
 
240 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 has undergone very essential modification 
 compared with it as contained in the Atha- 
 nasian. Still, with all this change, which 
 is marked, as any one may see, it is ab- 
 stract, dark ; and some of its terms are 
 irreconcilable. Take, for instance, the 
 proposition that there "is but one living 
 and true God," and reconcile it with this : 
 " In unity of the godhead there be three 
 persons, of one substance, power, and eter- 
 nity: God the Father, God the Son, and 
 God the Holy Ghost," Now, the terms 
 here used are perfectly plain. All know 
 what "person" means, and also what "three" 
 and "substance" signify. And when the 
 phrase "three persons of one substance" is 
 used, the conception of the mind, if it re- 
 flects at all, is three beings possessing one 
 nature. And when the name " God " is 
 given to each of these persons the idea 
 which the language compels us to receive, 
 is a plurality of Gods. And yet it dis- 
 claims this, and tells us there "is but one 
 living and true God." The entire mental 
 power feels that there must be a mistake 
 
POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 241 
 
 somewhere ; that a part of this article of 
 faith can not be true. Again: take the 
 idea that the Son is as absolutely God as 
 the Father, and harmonize it with the sen- 
 timent that the Son is begotten of the 
 Father. The word beget signifies to pro- 
 create, to generate, to cause to exist. The 
 idea that the Son, who was begotten, is co- 
 eternal with the Father who begot him, 
 can not be believed, because it involves an 
 unmistakable absurdity. The mind, from 
 the force of habit formed by taking it for 
 granted, may submit to it without very se- 
 riously questioning it, but it can not believe 
 it ; for it dare not weigh it with that nice 
 comprehension of the meaning of terms, 
 and that close analysis of evidence and 
 argument which, when applied to the truth, 
 will result in faith ; if it did, this doctrine, 
 as contained in the various creeds, would 
 be rejected. And yet all this is labeled, 
 "Orthodox." And to him who would be 
 received into its fellowship, this or an anal- 
 ogous question is put: Do you believe in 
 God the Father, God the Son, and God 
 16 
 
242 POSITIVE THEOLOGY. 
 
 the Holy Ghost? Where, permit me to 
 ask, is the authority for any such interro- 
 gation? It can not be found in the Bible ; 
 therefore, he who propounds it assumes the 
 right, for the Scriptures nowhere confer it. 
 
 But enough has been said to show that 
 the creeds on this doctrine are dark, ab- 
 stract, mysterious, and irreconcilable in 
 their terms. Now, alongside this chaos, 
 this conflict of terms and ideas, lay clown 
 the following inspired propositions of faith : 
 61 Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one 
 Lord." "But unto us there is but one God the 
 \ Father, of luhom are all things, and we in him; 
 and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all 
 things, and we by him." "This is my beloved 
 Son, in ivhoml am well pleased " On these, 
 with all the powers of head and heart, 
 I rest my faith. They form the sheet-an- 
 chor of my best hope for time and eternity. 
 
 Here I rest my pen, praying earnestly 
 that our hearts, filled with humility and 
 reverence, may be guided into all truth, 
 and at last into heaven itself. 
 
 Fraternally yours. 
 
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 The Western public are under obligations to Messrs. Appleorate & Co., of 
 Cincinnati, for the handsome and substantial manner in which they have re- 
 cently got up editions of several standard works. Dick's Works unabridged, 
 Itollin's Ancient History, and now Plutarch's Lives, attest the enterprise and 
 good judgment of this firm in their publishing department. To speak of the 
 character and merits of Plutarch, which the old and the yourftr of several 
 generations are familiar with, would be presumptuous ; but we can with pro- 
 priety refer in terms of high commendation to the manner in which this edi- 
 tion has been got up in every department. The size is royal octavo, just 
 right for the library. The paper is good, the typography excellent, and the 
 calf binding just as it should be, neat and substantial. If this house contin- 
 ues as it has begun, it will soon have an extended and enviable reputation for 
 the character and style of its editions of standard works, and it will deserve 
 it. — Cincinnati Daily Times. 
 
APPLEGATE & CO.'s PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Bollin's Ancient History. 
 
 The Ancient History of the Carthagenians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, 
 and Persians, Grecians and Macedonians, including a History of the Arts 
 and Sciences of the Ancients, with a Life of the Author. 2 vols, royal Svo., 
 sheep, spring back, marbled edge. 
 
 One of the most complete and impartial works ever published. It takes 
 us back to early days, and makes us live and think with the men of by-gone 
 centuries. It spreads out to us in a pleasant and interesting style, not only 
 the events which characterize the early ages, but the inner world of thought 
 and feeling, as it swayed the leadiug minds of the times. No library is com- 
 plete without Rollin's Ancient History. 
 
 11 A new edition of Rollin's Ancient History has just been issued by Ap- 
 plegate & Co. The value and importance of this work are universally ac- 
 knowledged. Every private library is deficient without it; and it is now 
 furnished at so cheap a rate, that every family should have it. It shoul 1 be 
 placed in the hands of all our youth, as infinitely more instructive and use- 
 ful than the thousand and one trashy publications with which the country is 
 deluged, and which are so apt to vitiate the taste and ruin the minds of young 
 readers. One more word in behalf of this new edition of Rollin : It may not 
 be generally known, that in previous English editions a large and interesting 
 portion of the work has been suppressed. The deficiencies are here supplied 
 and restored from the Frencli editions, giving the copy of Messrs. Applegate 
 &. Co. a superiority over previous English editions." — HfesfM'lt Recorder. 
 
 ** This work in this form has been for some years before the public, and is 
 the best and most complete edition published. The work is comprised in two 
 volumes of about six hundred pages each, containing the prefaces of Rollin 
 and the 4 History of the Arts and Sciences of the Ancients.' which have been 
 omitted in most American editions."— Springfield Republic. 
 
 The work is too well known, and has too long been a favorite to require 
 any commendationfrom us. Though in some matters more recent investi- 
 gations have led to conclusions different from those of the author, yet his 
 general accuracy is unquestionable." — Western Christian Advocate. 
 
 " This work is so well known as stmd ird — as necessary to the completion 
 of every gentleman's library — that any extended notice of it would be folly 
 on our part. We have named it for the purpose of calling the attention of 
 our readers to the beautiful edition issued by the enterprising house of Mess. 
 Applegate &. Co." — Methodist Protestant. Baltimore. 
 
 The public are under obligations to Applegate &c Co. for their splendid 
 edition of this standard History. — Times. 
 
 Works like this, that form a connecting link between the splendid civiliza- 
 tion of the ancients, and the more enduring progress of the moderns, are a 
 boon to the lover of literature and the student of History. — Railroad Record. 
 
 Time is fleeting — Kmpires perish and monuments moulder. But a book 
 like this survives the wieckof time and the ravages of decay. — Globe. 
 
 The history of departed kingdoms, with the causes of their sad decline and 
 fall, serve as light-houses along the sea of life, to warn succeeding generations 
 of their fate, and to teach them to avoid the rocks and quicksands of error and 
 guilt on which they were wrecked. In no history is this purpose so well ac- 
 complished as in that of Rollin, a handsome edition of which has just been 
 issued by Applegate & Co. — Xews. 
 
APPLEGATE & CO.'s PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Spectator, 
 
 By Addison, Steele, etc., 1 vol. royal 8vo., 750 pages, with portrait of 
 
 Addison. Sheep, spring back, marble edge. 
 
 The numerous calls for a complete and cheap edition of this valuable 
 work, have induced us to ncicly stereotype it, in this form, corresponding in 
 style and price with our other books. Its thorough revisions have been com- 
 mitted to competent hands, and will be found complete. 
 
 There is no work in the English language that has been more generally 
 read, approved, and appreciated than The Spectator. It is a work that 
 can be perused by persons of all classes and conditions of society with equal 
 pleasure and profit. 
 
 " One hundred and forty years a?o, when there were no daily newspapers 
 nor periodicals, nor cheap fictions for the people, the Spectator had a daily 
 circulation in England. It was witty, pithy, tasteful, and at times vigorous, 
 and lashed the vices and follies of the age, and inculcated many useful les- 
 sons which would have been disregarded from more serious sources. It was 
 widely popular.*' — Central Christian Herald. 
 
 " Applegatk &. Co., 43 Main street, have just published, in a handsome 
 octavo volume of 750 pages, one of the very best classics in our language. 
 It would be superfluous at this day to write a line in commendation of this 
 work." — Cin,. Com. 
 
 M There are few works, if any, in the English language that have been 
 more highly appreciated and generally read than the Spectator. It is in gen- 
 eral circulation, and continues a popular work for general reading. The 
 chaste style of its composition, and purity of its diction, has placed it high 
 in rank among the English classics. 1 " — St. Louis Republican. 
 
 "It is a source of general satisfaction to hear of the republication of a 
 work of such standard merit as the Spectator. In these days, when the press 
 teems with the issue of ephemeral publications, to subserve the purpose of 
 an hour, to enlist momentary attention, and leave no improvement on the 
 mind, or impression on the heart — it is a cause of congratulation to see, now 
 and then, coming from the press such works as this ; to last as it should, so 
 long as a pure taste is cultivated or esteemed." — Cincinnati Gazette. 
 
 " Criticism upon the literary merits of the Spectator would be rather late 
 and superfluous at the present time. Steele, Addison and Swift are above 
 criticism. This edition is gotten up in style and form that will make it pecu- 
 liarly acceptable to the admirers of Endf'.ish literature. It is bound in one 
 volume, with copious notes of the contributors prefixed. The type is clear 
 and elegant, the paper cood, and the binding excellently suitable for the li- 
 brary."— Cincinnati Daily Times. 
 
 " Amid the rush and whirl of this locomotive and high pressure a?e — amid 
 the almost breathless rage for the light and flimsy effusions with which the 
 laboring press is inundating the world, Addison, the immortal Addison, — 
 one of the most beautiful, chaste, elegant, and instructive, as well as pleasing 
 writers of the English language, may be pushed aside or overlooked for a 
 time, but the healthful mind, satiated with the frothy productions of the 
 times, will again return to such authors as Addison, and enjoy with renewed 
 zest the pleasing converse of such pure and noble spirits." — MethodiU 
 Monthly. 
 
APPLEGATE & CO.'s PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Tattler and Guardian, 
 
 By Addison. Steele, etc., with an account of the authors, by Thos. Bab- 
 bington Maestri ay. Illustrated with steel plate engravings. Complete in 
 one volume, with notes and general indexes. 
 
 Tattler and Gcardian.— Addison and Steele never wrote anything that 
 was not good ; but superlatively so is the Tattler and Guardian. In con- 
 junction with the Spectator, (and neither of them is complete without the 
 other) it affords a full view of English, as well as Continental Society, one 
 hundred and fi;'ty years ago, and in a quaint and classic style vividly portrays 
 the follies and vices of the age. With pleasant humor, keen wit, and bitter 
 sarcasm, it overflows, and is entirely free from the nonsense and common- 
 place twaddle and toadyism of much of the popular writings of the present 
 day. It would be superfluous for us to say that the style in which it is writ- 
 ten is chaste, classic and unique. No Library of Belles-Lettres is complete 
 without it, and no scholar can appreciate the beauties of the English lan- 
 guage until he has thoroughly studied the diction of Addison and Steele. 
 
 The splendid series of articles contained in these journals, having such 
 authors as Addison. Steele and their associates, living through a century and 
 a half, and still retaining all their freshness, can not but make them in their 
 present shape sought after in every enlightened community.— Cincinnati 
 Daily Times. 
 
 The Tattler and Guardian, whose capital Essays by Addison, Steele, 
 Tickell and others, Ion? since placed the volume in theforemost rank among 
 the English classics- — Cincinnati Pj'css. 
 
 They were and are yet models of composition, almost indispensable to a 
 thorough knowledge of Belles-Lettres. — Cincinnati Enquirer. 
 
 The writings of Addisnn, Steele and their associates have rarely been is* 
 sued in a form so well adapted for the general circulation which they deserve. 
 — Cincinnati Gazette. 
 
 As a collection of rich essays, in beautiful English, The Tattler needs no 
 commendation from our pen. — Ohio State Journal. 
 
 The publishers have done the public a good service by placing this foun- 
 tain of pure thought and pure English in a convenient form. — Western 
 Christian Advocate. 
 
 No library is complete unless the Tattler and Guardian is on its shelves, 
 and every man of literary tastes regards its possession as a necessity. — Ma- 
 sonic Be view. 
 
 Tattler and Guardian.— Who has not heard of Addison and Steele, and 
 where is the scholar or lover of English Literature who has not read the 
 Spectator ? It is a part of English literature that we could not afford to lose. 
 The writinss of such men as Addison and Steele are good in any age. The 
 book now before us is by the same authors. — Ledger. 
 
 Among all the flippant publications of the present day, in which there is 
 an awful waste of paper and ink, it is refreshing to see a reprint of a work of 
 standard merit such as t ! ie Tattler and Guardian. The criticisms of over a 
 century have only more clearly pointed out its merits and established its 
 reputation. — Democrat. 
 
APPLEGATE & CO.'s PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 ilosheinrs Ecclesiastical History; 
 
 Ancient and Modern, from the Birth of Christ to the beginning of the Eigh- 
 teenth Century, in which the rise, progress and variations of Church Power 
 are considered in their connection with the Stat ; of learning and philoso- 
 phy, and the political history of Europe during that period. Continued to 
 the year 1S26. by Charles Coote, LL. D., 8U6 pages, quarto, sheep, spring 
 back, marbled edge. 
 
 This edition forms the most splendid volume of Church History ever issued 
 from the American Press ; is printed with large type, on elegant paper, and 
 altogether forms the most accessible and imposing history of the Church that 
 is before the public. — Gospel Herald. 
 
 This great standard history of the Church from the birth of Christ, has just 
 been issued in a new dress by the extensive publishing house of Applegate 
 &. Co. Nothing need be said by us in relation to the merits or reliability of 
 Mosheim's History ; it has long borne the approving seal of the Protestant 
 world.— Masonic Remeuc. 
 
 To the Christian world, next to the golden Bible itself, in value, is an accu- 
 rate, faith r ul, and life-like delineation of the rise and progress, the develop- 
 ment and decline of the Christian Church in all its varieties of sects and de- 
 nominations, their tenets, doctrines, mariners, customs and government. 
 Such a work is Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. Like " Rollin's History 
 of the Ancients,'" it is the standard, and is too well known to need a word of 
 comment. — Advocate. 
 
 But little need be said of the history as a standard work. It has stood first 
 on the list of Church histories, from the day it became known to scholars, 
 down to the present time ; and there is but little probability that any new one 
 will soon set it aside. — Beauty of Holiness. 
 
 No Church History, particularly as it respects the external part of it, was 
 ever written, which was more full and reliable than this ; and indeed, in all 
 respects, we opine, it will be a long time before it will be superseded. — Lite- 
 rary Casket. 
 
 Who has net felt a d?sire to know something more of the early history, rise 
 and progress of the Christian Church than can usually be found in the po- 
 litical histories of the world ? Mosheim's Church History, just published by 
 our Western Publishing House of Applegate & Co., contains just the infor- 
 mation which every believer in Christianity so much needs. It fills the space 
 hitherto void in Christian Literature, and furnishes a most valuable book for 
 the student of Christianity. Every clergyman and teacher, every Sunday 
 Sc-hool and household, should have a copy of Mosheim's Church History.— 
 Herald,. 
 
 The work is printed on beautiful whitepaper, clear large type, and is hound 
 in one handsome volume. No man ever snt down to read Mosheim in so 
 pleasing a dress. What a treit is such an edition to one who has been study- 
 ing the elegant work in the ^mall. close print of other editions. Any one woh 
 has not an ecclesiastical history should secure a copy of this edition. It is 
 not necessary for ns to say anything in relation to the merits of Mosheim's 
 Church History. For judgment, taste, candor, moderation, simplicity, learn- 
 ing, accuracy, order, and comprehensiveness, it is unequaltd. The author 
 spared no pains to examine the original authors and " genuine sources of 
 sacred history," and to scrutinize all the facts presented by the li^ht of the 
 11 pure lamps of antiquity.'" — Telescope, Dayton, 0. 
 
APPLEGATE & CO.'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Lorenzo Dow's Complete Works, 
 
 The Dealings of God, Man and the Devil, as exemplified in the Life, Expe- 
 rience and Travels of Lorenzo Dow, in a period of over half a century, 
 together with his Polemic and Miscellaneous Writings complete. To which 
 is added, THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE, by Peggy Dow, with an In- 
 troductory Essny, by John Dowling, D. D., of New York, MAKING THE 
 BEST AND MOST COMPLETE EDITION PUBLISHED. 1vol. 8vo., 
 library binding, spring back, marbled edge. 
 
 NoTIOES OF THE PRESS. 
 
 Several editions of the Life and Works of Lorenzo Dow have been issued 
 by different publishers, but the most complete arid accurate is the one pub- 
 lished by Applegate & Co., Cincinnati. After perusing it and reflecting on 
 the good he accomplished n it mentioned in this voiume, we came to the 
 conclusion that, if for the last hundred years, every minister had been a 
 Lorenzo Dow, the whole world would have been civilized, if not christian- 
 ized, some time since. 
 
 " No wonder that he was finally crucified at Georgetown, D. C , if it is 
 true, as reported in some quarters, he was poisoned by some enemies who 
 followed him to his retreat." 
 
 " Lorenzo D »w was not ' one,' but ' three ' of them, a St. Paul in bless- 
 ing souls— a Washington in seeking the best interests of his country, and a 
 Howard in getting people * out of the prison ' of conservatism and oppres- 
 sion." 
 
 " We decide {ex cathedra) that one of the most interesting works ever 
 placed on our bible is 'The Complete Works of Lorenzo Dow,' embracing 
 his travels in Europe and America, his polemic and poetical writings and 
 i Journey of Life,' by his wife Peggy, who heroically accompanied him in 
 many of his peregrinations." 
 
 " Full as an egg is of meat, so was Lorenzo Dow of sparkling wit and 
 genuine good humor. He overflowed with anecdote like a bubbling fountain 
 in a sandy basin, and was never at a loss for a good and lively story where- 
 with to illustrate his subject and engage the attention of his hearers. His 
 audience ever listened with breathless attention, and drank in his sayings 
 with wondrous admiration and reverence. By some he was regarded as one 
 of those special messengers the Almighty sent in times of great dearth of 
 godliness and piety, to wake up the slumbering church. He evidently had 
 his mission, and thousands now living throughout the land can testify as to 
 how he filled it. 
 
 " Hfs life was one continuous scene of adventure and anecdote, ever vary- 
 ing, and full of the life-giving power of enthusiasm. Spotless in purity, 
 faultless in heart, and wholly devoted to the cause he had espoused — the 
 cause of Christ." 
 
 " This is the best octavo edition of Dow's complete works now published. 
 The writings of this remarkable and eccentric man have been before the pub- 
 lic for years. They have been read by thousands. If not altogether unex- 
 ceptionable, they embrace many wholesome truths. Vice in all its forms is 
 rebuked with characteristic severity : his bitter sarcasm and cutting wit are 
 employed in many iustances to good effect. His wife seems to have been a 
 kindred spirit, and both, with all their peculiar eccentricities, no doubt were 
 truly devoted Christians, doing what they sincerely believed to be for the 
 spiritual good of their fellow-beings, and the glory of God. Those who have 
 not read this book will find sufficient to instruct and interest them." 
 
APPLEGATE & CO. S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Guizot's Gibbon's History of the Decline and 
 Fall of the Roman Empire; 
 
 A new edition, revised and corrected throughout, preceded by a preface, and 
 accompanied by notes, critical and historical, relating principally to the 
 propagation of Christianity. By M. F. Giizot, Minister of Public Instruc- 
 tion for the kingdom of France. The Preface, Notes and Corrections trans- 
 lated from the French expressly for this edition — with a notice of the life 
 and character of Gibbon, and Watson's reply to Gibbon. In 2 yols. impe- 
 rial Svo., sheep, spring back, marble edge. 
 
 We are pleased to see a republication of Gnizot's Gibbon, with the notes, 
 which have never before been republished in English. Gibbon, so far as we 
 know, stands alone in filling up the historic il sj>;tce between the Roman Cae- 
 sars and the revival of literature. — Cincinnati Chronicle. 
 
 While there are numbers of Historians of the early days of the great Em- 
 pire, Gibbon stands almost alone as the historian of its fall. The present 
 edition, with the notes of Guizot, is a treasure of literature that will be highly 
 prized. 
 
 The vices of the Roman Empire, that like the vipers in the bosom of Cle- 
 opatra, caused her destruction, are traced from their first inception, and should 
 act as beacon-lights on the shores of time, to guide o«her nations that are 
 following in her footsteps. 
 
 Altisonant Letters. 
 
 Letters from Squire Pedant in the East, to Lorenzo Altisonant, an emigrant 
 to the West, for the Benefit of the Inquisitive Young. 1 vol. 12mo., cloth. 
 
 The publishers of the following letters do not present them as models of 
 style, but as a pleasant means of obtaining the meaning of the greater part of 
 the unusual words of the English language, on the principle of "association 
 of ideas." In the column of a dictionary there is no connection between the 
 definition of words, consequently, the committed definitions are soon lost to 
 the pupil. By placing in such a juxtaposition as to form some kind of sense} 
 the learner will the more readily retain the meaning of the word used 
 
 TO THE YotNGSTERS. By THE ACTHOR. 
 
 Young Frienos : — Some one has said "that words not understood are like 
 uncracked nuts — the lusciousness of the kernel is not enjoyed." Believing 
 this to be so, and thinking that there are now many uncracked nuts in the 
 English lansuage. the author went up into old John Walker's garret, and 
 gathered l> lots" of old and hard nuts, and brought them flown for you, and 
 then he went into old Noah's ark — he means old Noah Webster's dictionary 
 — and gathered many more, and by the assistance of Mr. Altisonant, placed 
 them in the "letter basket," with the hammer, the dictionary, laid side by 
 side. Will you take up the hammer and crack the nuts, and enjoy the ker- 
 nel ? Try it. Your friend, S. K. HOSIIOUR. 
 
 A rare book this, and rare amusement it will afford to the reader. — Daily 
 Times. 
 
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries 
 
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