New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-15

10 foreshadow, rather suppress the existence OF
platform publicly laid down as fundamental. what in
tegent observer reader fail TO confess that what
il Objectionable and exclusive and separating In the
avowed creed this Alliance Is not what Is most real
VITAL and effective in it. All that is vital is love and
communicate His temper and spirit His hope aud His
holiness. What the Trinity, the Vlcarous Aonement
the Judgment Day. and the verdict OF rum for all con-
verted souls-what the alleged Deity OF Christ COM
pared with the universal longing 70 see the world
this unity existent spite OF the formal diversions
and separating dogmasf Doubtless TINS recent meotmg
has served TO show IL and TO increase IL.
PRACTICAL REPORTS TOWARD REAL CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
III were asked how the Evangelical Alliance could
prove that II In earnest than the rest OF the
world for practical union and had some other than
sentimental union at heart, would say: i. you arc
loud in deploring sectarianism and division Prove
your charity faith then by meeting the only serious
evils they produce practical way. Thus here are
thousands OF small and communities unable 70
support WELL fOur,i three, orieVen TWO cnuicnes
but secaran spirit sim insists upon having tT9
ferent persuaIons all alike futile, and struggling, anu
and Initiating the body Of Christ beside debasing
the wretche2ly paid and discouraged minister's VINO
sarve aud dwndle by ana ade
quate sphere and support Let tue spirit on oh 6h
the spirit OF the Alliance ncite or advise these Chrs
tans al to unite about the largest nucleus n h
sect there is in any given town. II ~ be bpseoPa a9Iu
that, Presbyterian, MethodiSt-abont that wncn
%Sss P Ser a Vs R
means to COLOMBO and create another independent
chance In this way good solid churches would grow,
and able, learned, and welsupp0te d minister pe re-
stored and sectarianism be practically reDuked. ANY
less practical form OF union than this IL essentially
merely playing at agreement -. -
2. The benevolent and charitable and vice and crime
reprossing agencies OF our great clues are nv"
wasted by mutual Jealousy and doubling and trepnhg
ects 10 admit the unimpeded sway OF rival denomina
tOns. But if union means anything, and the EVahee
in others good works. and TO favor to the utmost
each other cency. Let then the great sectsl DO not
ask that we should be counted Income together an
district the city out into suitable fields OF benevolent
and charitable missionary work. and agree to ieaye
another the IaRerans Of another the Presbyterians OF
fourth, the Baptiss OF fifth and so on TINS would
emulation free from interference, worthy OF tne pro
fessed sympathy fellowship Of the Alliance Docs
ANYBODY expect this practical unity TO result IN a Oh
vision growing out of mutual respect and con-
hdence in each other If not, why not
THE EXCLUSION OF THE LIBERAL CHRISTIANS FROM THE
ALLIANCE
As to the exclusion which Unitarian and other Liberal
Christians have suffered from the Evangelical Alliance
l do not believe IL represents even the inmost
feeling of the great body of the delegates or
the denominations they represent. Really, we nave
been shut out because our tendencies are 80
generally felt, and are 30 active In the orthodox
Church. that hardly safe and prudent TO confess To
all the world that the old wall OF partition had so 1ar
fallen down. and could not be rebuilt Ibat Is te real
fact The dominant and living ideas IN the orthodox
church to-day largely our ideas, and not the OLD
orthodox dogmas, These last have not been surren-
dered they are not forgotten. they are not disowned
and they are not theoretically consciously dsbeleved
But they the dead side Of peoples brains ana
hearts They do not enter into the practical circulation
of their living thoughts they not the vital ideas from
which they You see how Is with our great pop
Mar preachers OF the Evangelical school, They preach
mostly lust what you accustomed TO call Liberal
Christianity. tits IN the air and blood and experience
OF our time The people need II, and VIII have IT, But
they don't want 1t labeled, or they prefer 1t
even with the old label left on. Now rY You
illogical these liberal orthodox men are, who have
Liberal Christianity IN their hearts ana mouths anu an
odOx raadi in air "A
heads which from time 70 time they bring out ana read
or even preach perhaps with occasional volence there
ia no necessary of honesty in all this We all have
dead sides minds and hearts, as wei as iVlhg
ones Things ana people one nd inynIved NJ in
active PROFESSIONS that have lost Their power IN our
hearts by change IN tine pace ana en a on Buy ys
ing list in our respect as we Keep me memorials o
friendships that have been or ae n out
not be buried, but only kept ice 1t is evidently
80 800 in in part, with the pianks in the Evan,
SeIicai Alliance. don't think that one OF
cafon TeceiVed in the sense Of living faith that is
does not characterize and color flavor the preaching
of the most accepted and characteristic orthodox
preachers of the day much less the life Oh orthodox
communions and communities: Hear them. r-
The platform Of the Evangelical Alliance IS as foows
l. The divine inspiration authority and suHseOe OF the Holy Scrip
The right aDd duty private Judgment in The Interpretation the
e USity Of the Godhead and Of The person. therein
The utter dePraS Of human 3stG H. % ns M the
sins Of anEini and mediatoral necesson and reign
rbs insiGcxi of The sinner by faith alone.
The Holy spirit the conversion and specification Of
sinner go It.. -, ~ ~, -.
nent Of the world By our Lord Jesus Onr WI" ne tnS U
Of the righteous and the eeES o. 'as o s
aud peeu the ordinances OF baptism anu Oe Ioru sup
being however distinctly declared that this brief not to
be regarded in formal OF sense ere ~
lively debne the limits of Christian brotherhood but simply as an IN
dcsSn Of the class o persons whom Is desirable 70 embrace "h
= PIATFoRM or THE ALLIANCE DISCUSSED.
The clause appended pretty much neutraiizes all that
preeedes it, But the articles themselves are not with
exceptions, living articles 1.-THE Divine inspiration,
authority and sucency Of the Scriptures" is designed
10 hide the fact that the whole theological world Is de-
hating and distrusng all hitherto received ideas Of in
spiratiop all hitherto received ideas of authority and
OF sufcency" The right and duty OF private Judgment
in the Interpretation Of the Scriptures IS indeed gior
ous' Abatement; but how much has orthodoxy really
recognized the right and enforced the duty Nay is
not in spite Of orthodoxy and It's soeaI ana SPt1a
the dutyt And are not the fundanentas which follow
themselves a violent restriction OF tue night Who will
dare 10 interpret the Scriptures freely II he is expected
under social and ecclesiastical penalties 10 arrive ut
the conclusions in these fundamentals For in
stance / accept the doctrine of the right ana
duty Of private Judgment In the Interpretation OF
the Scriptures; and deny that the Scriptures teach
q Trinity OF persons in the Unity OF the Godhead-the
third article Of platform deny that tney teach the
faiI-the fourth article that they teach the linear
nation OF the Son Of God and the Atonement
in the sense in which those words are nsed-thar
is as Implying the preGxistenee OF Christ divine per
SON. and wrath of God that needed TO be appeased
which the of the fifth article deny
justification OF the sinner by faith alone" which is
sixth article IL what II Will be thought TO mean
that belief is more importanc than morality OF heart and
life and deny the work of the Holy Spirit In the con
version and sancthcaton of the sinner II 1t means that
The Holy Spirit is anything but God Almighty always
working In and with the hearts and eonscenees Of
children Christian non-christian consciously
Consciously, in that part OF their lives called
sacxed and that part OF their lives called secular
In the eighth article what believe and dsbeleve is
40 mixed, only believe the immortal
atty SOUL and disbeeve in the resurrection OF the
body; disbeeve in the personal judgment OF Christ,
in that ever-active Judgment which accompanies
our daily life and conduct. l believe In the eternal
besedness OF righteousness without thinking that any
men are righteous enough TO be capable of perfect
blessedness disbeeve In the eternal punishment
OF the wicked, but not the eternal punishment OF
wickedness. II is righteousness that is eternally