or public sentiment that forces two
immortal, high-born souls to live together as husband and wife,
unless held there by love, is false to God and humanity; who
shall say that the discussion of this question does not lead us
legitimately into the consideration of the important subject of
divorce?

But why attack the Church? We do not attack the Church; we defend
ourselves merely against its attacks. It is true that the Church
and reformers have always been in an antagonistic position from
the time of Luther down to our own day, and will continue to be
until the devotional and practical types of Christianity shall be
united in one harmonious whole. To those who see the philosophy
of this position, there seems to be no cause for fearful
forebodings or helpless regret. By the light of reason and truth,
in good time, all these seeming differences will pass away. I
have no special fault to find with that part of humanity that
gathers into our churches; to me, human nature seems to manifest
itself in very much the same way in the Church and out of it. Go
through any community you please--into the nursery, kitchen, the
parlor, the places of merchandise, the market-place, and
exchange, and who can tell the church member from the outsider? I
see no reason why we should expect more of them than other men.
Why, say you, they lay claim to greater holiness; to more rigid
creeds; to a belief in a sterner God; to a closer observance of
forms. The Bible, with them, is the rule of life, the foundation
of faith, and why should we not look to them for patterns of
purity, goodness, and truth above all other men? I deny the
assumption. Reformers on all sides claim for themselves a higher,
position than the Church. Our God is a God of justice, mercy, and
truth. Their God sanctions violence, oppression, and
wine-bibbing, and winks at gross moral delinquencies. Our Bible
commands us to love our enemies; to resist not evil; to break
every yoke and let the oppressed go free; and makes a noble life
of more importance than a stern faith. Their Bible permits war,
slavery, capital punishment, and makes salvation depend on faith
and ordinances. In their creed it is a sin to dance, to pick up
sticks on the Sabbath day, to go to the theater, or large parties
during Len