CHAPTER XLV. THE "ETERNAL HOPE" DELUSION. The Old Theology" versus the "New Theology," which will you "Believe"? What depends upon it. The Reader, especially the "Christian,"-will, at once, recognise the object,-and vital importance,-of this long Struggle as to the real Character of fallen "Human Nature," and Sin." 66 Three Great Questions are, of course,-involved, viz. : (1) No "Fall,”—and no Sin," then No "Redeemer,". no" Saviour," no "New Birth," needful. (2) No Eternal Loss of the Soul,-then, No " "Divine Sacrifice," no "Atonement" required. Cross," no If there was nothing to "Save" us from, no Divine "Saviour" was needed. (3) To ask the Reader, -once for all,-to decide these Vital questions for himself, in the Light of our Lord's habitual Solemn Teaching upon this Awful Subject. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life." "Jesus answered them, and said, My Doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me." "And because I tell you the Truth, ye believe Me not." And too many of our "Religious false Teachers in 1908, do not "believe" our Lord's Words,-and Warnings,-any more than the unbelieving Jews in the year 33. THE PIRATE SHIP. FEEBLE MODERN PREACHING. WHAT IT THE PIRATE. Then, -as I older grew,-joining a Corsair's Crew, Longfellow. Deck of a Pirate Ship, stealthily stealing up to a distant Vessel. Two villains are dressed as Women. One poses as a moral Captain, with his Speaking Trumpet Another pretending to read a book. Another plays the fiddle. One waves a respectable hat. But the other Ruffians are crouching in the hatchways. under his arm. THE PIRATE SHIP. THE DECOY. "COME, YE BLESSED OF MY FATHER." THE PIRATE SHIP. 467 In the Picture we see a PIRATE Vessel,-with a Crew of Pirates,-Desperate Men,-Criminals of all Nationalities,— under false colours,”—a DECOY," before the moment comes for hoisting the "BLACK FLAG." They are stealthily drifting towards their Prey,-the unsuspecting Merchant Vessel,-in the distance. One Villain poses as the Respectable CAPTAIN, with his speaking Trumpet under his arm, another pretends to be reading a Book,—the Fiddle is going,— and one or two in female disguise, are Dancing,-one is waving a respectable tall hat. But the villains, well armed, are ready to swarm up from below, for the usual terrible Work! For, too often, knowing that once caught,-Pirates were given short shrift, the usual Custom,-and their usual Practice,was based upon the motto,-" Dead men tell no Tales!" The Writer's Father well remembered the Rows of Gibbets on the Banks of the Thames, of Pirates,-in which their bones lasted for many years. It was considered a salutary Warning to Foreign Sailors coming up the River. Indeed one Traveller, on seeing them, "Thanked Heaven he had reached at last a Christian Country," viz., where the Wicked and Ferocious,—— were, at last, Punished, and suppressed. READER,-Can we allow our Common Sense to be abused into the grotesque idea that these Villains are all now in the "Kingdom of Heaven"? and have been addressed by the Awfully, Holy Supreme Judge, Jesus Christ, thus: "Čome, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World." Is not the idea Monstrous? Absurd? Or that "Heaven" is to be composed of Murderers,-Pirates,-Debauchees,-Blood-thirsty Tyrants, Oppressors of, and Cruel Swindlers of the Poor,-in a word, of all the Abandoned,-Savage,-Vicious,-Dangerous, Cruel, Criminals, this "Fallen" World has seen? This is the "Eternal Hope Delusion," or the "New Theology." THE OLD THEOLOGY. "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." "For without are dogs and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." "And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."-Rev. xx. 15. 468 THE ETERNAL HOPE DELUSION. The New Theology's delusion of such being "Still God's children,"-all to be" refined,"-is but the "Purgatory" of the Dark Age Superstitions. It is remarkable to notice how invariably the most prominent adherents to the "Eternal Hope" totally Unscriptural Delusion as to a refining process,or " Purgatory," after Death, by which all Mankind,-"Saints' and "Sinners" alike, are all,-eventually to meet in Heaven, -seem to Drift into "Unbelief," as to the other Vital Truths of our Christian Religion. Especially the tendency. to belittle Christ, and His Atonement. Equally ominous, also, are the desperate efforts such make to avoid, and shirk, the express, habitual,-teaching, and Solemn Warnings,-of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ upon this AWFUL SUBJECT. The Christless, indeed, seem goaded to desperate dislike to all True. Faithful, Earnest, Evangelical, Ministers, who still teach the full Gospel to Fallen Mankind. Thus, we had Beecher, of New York, selling his seats by Auction (!); credited with £10,000 a year,—fresh from a most unsavoury, and unsatisfactory, Trial,-whose " creed," "belief," or " disbelief," no mortal seemed ever to be able to discover, alluding,-very improperly, in an audience of Ministers in London,-to the Great Preacher of our Generation, probably of any other, Mr. C. H. Spurgeon,-as "Raucous, Red-mouthed men who "preached Hell Fire and Damnation," etc., whereas, as a matter of fact, that Splendid Evangelist, C. H. Spurgeon, during his lifetime, revived Religion in London, and, by his Myriads of Sermons,-spread all over the World, has led more precious Souls to their Saviour and their God, in one year, than Beecher, Parker, Geo. Dawson, the "Unitarian," and the New Theological" School, ever did, or ever would do, in a Century, if at all. Then, we had the late Parker, of London, confirming the delusion, and supporting Beecher,-by a Series of Sermons, opposing Christ's Teaching upon the Subject,--and sending that Resource of vulgarity an open" letter of unprovoked rudeness, addressed to Mr. Spurgeon, who,-in a beautiful, but guarded letter,-(he knew his man),-most wisely declined to have anything to do with him. One who knew Parker well, and admired him as a Preacher,-wrote to the Papers : "His was a strange genius! He made a close study of Theories of the Atonement,' but never arrived at one of his own. He took refuge in vague,-if beautiful,-formula. In the matter of personal immortality, he greatly wavered. At one time he wrote a Work doubting it. He was not,-and never was,-a pattern of orthodoxy !'" The last effort in the Papers, the Writer noticed, was a very unctuous letter of his to his "Holy Father" the Pope (!) An |