, 1874-05-31
CIR Gb1f1aDn GI2iibu,1e.
Sunday Morning, May 81, 1874.



Some. who think they shall be heard for their
much speaking, t1y to make us believe that the
designation Evangelical" excludes every de-
gree of rationaisr, or of that habit Of mind
which subjects the Bible and the creeds to the
scrutiny of reason. But there is no disputing
the fact that there has grown up 4 recognized
and outspoken school of Evangelical RATIONAL
ism The Roman Catholic Church is the only
SECTION of the Christian world where tho rational
islic instinct may DO said to be inactive; and
even tEis statement may be called IN question
eince recent utterances OF Bishop Strossmayer
in Hungary, and Of Father Terry in Chicago.
In the section of the Protestant Christian world
called Evangelical, rationalisn1 may be found in
every stage Of development, from the chry sails
to the butterfly. The Lutheran Church of Ger
z,anv WAS represented at the late meeting OF tho
Evangelical Alliance by one of the German pro-
feEsore, who no more accept the evangelical idea
of inspiration or future punishment, as taught
By tho orthodox chairs of theology in this coun-
try, tron thoy accept the authority Of the
Church es taught at the College Of the Propa-
ganda in Rome. They reject the infaliblity OF
&;o Scriptures rs issued by tho Bible Societies as
decaiycly as they repuaiate tho Syllabus as pro-
mu1gcd by the Pope.
Prophesies, History, Psalms, Gospels, Epistlcs,
and all, are subjected to the same rationalstic
criticism BY 1be evangelical theologians Of Ger
many which they apply to the writings OF Poly
carp or Euscbius. Consequently the German
professors rationalze away much of what is de-
c1ared inspired and Indispensable by the teachers
Of evangelical doctrine in this country. The
famous ard cautious evangelical scholar Hagen
bach, in his work on " German Ratonalisn,"
enys: "Tho language Of the Bible is various1y
understood every one interprets it after his
own manner. 4 great deal of it depends upuu
the readers natural constitution, degree Of cul-
ture, and personal experience. It may be said
t2at, with q common groundwork Of religious
1,eiief, every one has special creed, 4 separate
theology and inner experiences and views differ
ent from those OF any one e1se."
The Church Of England abounds in the same
liberty Of p1ophesyins. Dr. Thirlwau, Bishop
Of St. Darid's, the Oldest and most learned pre-
late On the English Bench, pronounced 'sthe
doctrine thnt unbel1ef is sin" to be tssub7e1-
sve ef the 6rtt principles Of religion and moral
atty" and adds: II can conceive no greater
di6hcnor east upon the Divine character than is
implied in the supposition that any one is re-
eponaible in the sight of God for intellectual
any more than for physical infrmity-"
These and kindred sentiments arc fire.
qucntly heard in England and Scotland
from eminent preachers OF both Es-
tablizhed Churches and the Nonconfor1nists.
Among these the Psimate himself is classified,
together with Deans Stanley and Howson,
Charles kingsley, Stafford Brooko, Haweis.
Pulsford, Principal Tu]loch, DR.. Wallace, Of St.
Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh and the late I. ".
Robertson, Dean Afford, ind Dr.. Norman Nc
Ieod, who was once arraigned for rntionalistic
interpretations Of the Old Testament, but lived
to see his views generally adopted and himself
unanimous1y chosen Moderator Of tho General
Assembly Of the Established Church Of Sent
land. In his last days he made no concealment
OF his Reputation OF the dogma Of everlasting
punishment. Dean Stanley recently contributed
1u AfIlc1b 10 luc contemporary 4tCr1e1c de-
signed to prove TINT the duration Of future pun
iEAmcnt is an open question in the Church Of
England During the last week Principal Tul-
loch, who is NOW tho foremost Presbyterian di-
vine Of Scotland, it not Of tho world, in
speech in New York, regretted that Prof.
Swing, of Chicago, had severed his connection
from the Church, but hoped soon to see tho
churches allowing free scope to this spirit Of in
quirE and yot retain evangelical truth.'
Turning to the eects that surround us, We find
that what is evangelical meat to one douomina-
tion is rationalistic poison to another. There is
as much difference between the Evangelical Ar
tniniansm Of the Methodist Quarterly and tho
Evangelical CalEinism of the Princeton Recieu
as there is between the Liberalism OF the Old
and Aezo and the Arninianism OF the Methodist
Quarterly. Rationalism Ia INDUCED to pesiious