splendid training. Stand
before you two young men representing these two classes, and tell them
of life beyond this life, and of Heaven; and then tell them of
salvation by character. To the one it would mean a bright, hopeful
anticipation; to the other, it would mean but taunting him with his
hopeless condition and prodding him with despair.

The theory of salvation by character is heartless, because, wrapt in
the robe of its own self-righteousness, it coolly condemns to hopeless
despair a vast body of the human race. Go stand by the helpless,
hopeless drunkard, and the drunken, sinful woman, and tell them of
salvation by character, and hear the sob of despair or see the jeering
look on their faces at the thought of salvation by character for such
as they! Before a pastors' conference, the polished, brilliant, highly
educated pastor of a wealthy, refined, intellectual congregation read
a seemingly learned paper on "Salvation by Character." When he had
finished reading the paper, some of his fellow-pastors endorsed the
paper and gave it high praise. Finally, the pastor of a people who had
been unfortunate in life, many of whom had gone far down in sin, and
were fettered by habit, arose and said, "Brother Moderator, the
brother has given us his wonderful paper on salvation by character. I
would like to ask him, what would he preach if he were the pastor of a
people who have no character?" The author of the paper arose and made
the heartless reply, "Brother Moderator, my brother and I have been
raised in such different intellectual atmospheres, that I don't
suppose I could make it plain to my brother." The other replied, "That
is doubtless true, Brother Moderator; but the trouble is, that he can
never make it plain to any one else."

It is selfish, because those who teach this theory are generally men
of intelligence, refinement, and are considered, and they consider
themselves, men of moral character. They thus provide for themselves
by their theory, but leave a vast body of the race with a very slight
hope or with no hope whatever.

The second charge against those who hold this theory is that by their
own theory none will be saved. If salvation is by character, by what
kind of character, a perfect character, or an imperfect character? If
by a perfect character, no one has it; no one even claims it. If by an
imperfect character, how imperfect may it be and the man yet be saved?
Where is the standard? If a man's charact