The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-30
WISER THAN PAUL.

that ne mas made great advances In theolOgy
above his fellows. He has found out that
Jesus Christ our Saviour mad, and has now,
no human sOul-leaving plain Christians to
wonder, if that be true, how he can be pos
sessed of more than half of human nature,
if that much. This, however, is nothing
new it is simply an old exploded heresy in
the early ages of the Christian Church.
Again, he is really enabled to reach the
conclusion that Christ our Redeemer did
something or other, which somehow or other,
is in some way or other connected with our
salvation But he is positively sure that he
was not our substitute-and that his death
was not an atonement for sin in any such
sense as that it was satisfaction to the law
of God. 1t is an influence, rather than
sacri6cial work, and his whole life was in
this sense an atonement. In fact everything
is an atonement, in his view, which helps In
any way to bring men back to God. What
the Redeemer has done in his example, his
words and works, is indeed far greater than
that of any other, but only in degree, not in
kind. The self-sacrifcing toll and care of
the mother, the minister, the missionary, or
the friend; everything good man does for
the salvation of fellow creature-all this
is an atonement. The death of Christ was
only the browning part, because the contem-
plation of it is the most influential. But
now even that part can be true, is by no
means plain-for if such influence constitutes
the essence of an stonement, there is no
other being equal in that work to the Holy
Spirit, if the Scriptures may decide. And
so, Beecherism would make the operations
Of the Holy Spirit the greatest work of
atonement ever known, and one still con-
tinued. All this is confusion and error of
the worst kind. Yet this is the theology of
Beecher, and Bushnell, and of those who
run greedily after them. But this also is not
new. It belongs to the old and mischievous
errors of Socinianism-a heresy with which
this modern school is deeply tainted, and into
which it viii, after little, openly terminate.
Corresponding with such views are those
entertained about the Church. The paper
edited by Mr.. Beecher contains, in its last
issue, an article from his hand under the
title of the Religion of the Future" Such
terms as this and "the Church of the flu
ture," are fayorites, almost cant words, with
that class of latitudinarians. We have in
this piece quite flourish as to progress
made by liberal Christianity and the toler-
ance that will soon be extended to all. "The
details of these notifications cannot be fore
seen. But we look with confidence for
special prominence of certain spiritual quail
tiles in the coming development of religion. "
And now, what does the reader imagine to
be the extent of this modest demand for "the
GOOD time coming!" Let US see:
"The religion that includes this element must
/
| IJ mrst place absolutely no limit Cd tue honest
seaica for truth. Thus fay, ireedons OF opinion
has been conceded only as g social right, not as a
| Christian right. Heretcal opinion has ceased to
bring civil penalties but IL still excludes men from
the churches. We must 20 beyond that. The
tine Is coming when Il Will be recognized that to
think with perfect bOnesty-that Is, with perfect
freedom-is not only right, but Christian duty;
chat to the truthseeklng spirit belongs the highest
moral quality. When that's fully understood. ex-
clusion from the church for opinion sake will be
unknown
There it is, in all its pure impurity. The
old idea in the time of Paul was this: "A
man that is hereto, after the first and
second admonition, rejects; knowing that he
that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being
condemned of himself. Every reader OF
the Bible knows how full ana explicit are its
warnings against false teachers, and how
strict are its provisions to exclude them
This modern light (ignis fataos) claims it as
the glory of the Church of the future that
erelusion for opinion's sake eciU be en-
knoacn." We prefer to take sides with Paul.
Some of those who were with us in the
Theological Seminary at Princeton, will re-
member a good hit given BY DR.. Alexander,
on one of the Tuesday night exercises, when
number of the students seniors excepted
delivered in rotation speeches not exceeding
ten minutes. After each speech came criti-
cisms from iellow-students, and then from
one Of the Professors, presiding in turn. 1t
happened on the night of which we speak,
that one of the brethren, much addicted to
spread-eagle oratory, undertook to spread
his wings over the work of creation, as given
in the first chapter of Genesis. The effort
was gone through with abundant fappings.
evoluuons, and what not, and was concluded
with a certain air of satisfaction which seemed
to say plainly" Beat that, if you can !"
After the performer had been pretty we'll
riddled by the brethren, DR.. Alexander
quietly disposed of the matter by single
remark" Can 1t beat Noses call the nert
Rev. DR.. Hodge, OF Princeton, has been con-
fined to his room for more than month past aud
was not able to conduct the examination of his
classes at the close of the session in the Theology
cal Seminary last week. 1t should be matter of
sincere gratitude to God that his life has been
spared to give to the world such commentaries on
the Epistes to the Romans, Ephesians, and Corin-
thians, aud, as the crowning work Of his life, the
three massive volumes on theology recently issued.
No superior, if equal, contributions have been
made to good Old-fashioned Presbyterian theology
during this century. May it please the Father of
spirits to spare so great and so good man that he