Away with such an old-time Christianity. Charles Orr. Satan has robbed
a harlot named her Christianity and succeeded in imposing her
upon many. They are fondling with her. She
indulges them in sensuality while encouraging them to hope for
a blissful immortality. The kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, They are revelling, feasting, and banqueting
with her, crazed by her seductive charms. She has neither purity,
peace, nor power. Her robes are defiled by sin. She scoffs at pure Christianity,
and calls her old-fashioned. This strange young woman is using
every device to allure souls into her wanton chamber. She
is most subtle of heart. She flatters with her words.
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night,
she walks in the streets, and lies wait at every corner, that
she might catch and kiss him who is void of understanding.
With a beguiling, impudent face, she says to him, I have peace-offerings
with me, I have decked my bed with tapestry and fine linen
of Egypt, I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of
love until the morning. Let us enjoy each other's caresses. Such is the mirthful, shallow,
frivolous Christianity of the popular present-day religions.
The generality of professors, we speak in love, desire a Christianity
which will go with them to the halls of pleasure, which will
dine with them at their rich banquets, which will smile on
them as they walk in the ways of sin and worldliness, calming
their fears, with her flattering words of peace, peace. Primitive Christianity, they
consider, was good enough for primitive days, but she would
be a horrid old maid in these days of progress. In this fast-moving
age, the Christianity that crowns the life of Christ and the holy
apostles is altogether too antiquated. She drew men from the world.
She crucified their lusts. She taught them to practice self-denial. She brought them in humility
to her feet. She led them in the paths of
virtue and holiness. She abraded them for sin and
told them of the vengeance and wrath of God against every evil. The Christian world to-day in
general is saying, Away with such an old-time Christianity! She has no charms for us. She
is too common and plain, too grave and sober. We will not
walk with her, give us the mirthful and dashing young harlot, that
we may walk with her amid the pleasures of the world, and with
her gratify our lusts. She never chides us for sin,
nor troubles us about the anger of God, nor the torments of hell. She invites us into her bosom,
and gives us a sweet opiate drink of stolen waters, and bids us
take our fill of love. We desire to tear off the sacrilegious
robes of the harlot of false Christianity and expose her shame
to the gaze of every honest soul. Dear reader, do not go after
her, Do not let your heart incline to her ways, do not go astray
in her paths, for she has cast down many wounded, yes, many
strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to
hell, going down to the chambers of death."