Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-09-01

81 1850 ~ lin OANiiieHA ohiouA@ "
culture, finds himself in the posses
sion of a body, Of knowledge that
his people will not let him use, how
ever good may be his mind. The
people trust the minister so long as
he keeps inside their own old famil
lar bounds. But he passes rapidly
into the class of "the suspected if
he attempts to enlarge their horizon.
For instance, on the subject of tex
tual criticism of the Scriptures, there
is one knowledge for the Priest, and
another knowledge for the people.
That matter has grown to be of
such Importance within the present
generation, that the scholarly clergy
of the English speaking tongue,
have been compelled to take in hand
a new translation of the Scriptures.
We judge, however, that the con-
gregations inside English-speaking
Professionalism, are comparatively
few who would tolerate an exposi-
ton before them of the ordinary
knowledge Of ministers on this mat
ter. To hint that "King James"
may contain what is not Scripture,
is to attack the pillars of Heaven.
tits more or less perilious to any
Priest to tell what he knows about
the concluding sentence of the
Lords prayer, or the text of the
"Three Witnesses" in the first let
ter of John. 1t is usually the safer
thing for any minister to know what
he may about such things, and keep
his knowledge from the people-to
read the Bible as an act Of worship
alone, and let all information about
it slide. We think this sad state
Of affairs, but " ,udge it to be the
existing condition. No man can
have looked sinto this matter from
the point of observation of a Priest,
without forming some philosophy
about it.
We think the prime difficulty in
the matter is one of moral import.
Many people in passing into the
domain Of Religion are not convert
ed "to the love Of TRUTH" they are
converted only to the advocacy of
certain PROPOSITIONS. It's conceived
to be part Of the process of "get-
ting religion" to take an attitude
on certain points. The less informa-
ton one has on these points, the
more merit is supposed to lie in their
tenacious holding.
Religion soon degenerates on this
plan into a matter of party spirit
md of temper. Men serve God by
the pugnacity with which they fight
for their propositions. They love
not "tAe TRUTH" but their truths,
and woe be to the minister who at
tempts to enlarge their truths into
ssthe TRUTH"
A young man once came to us
shortly after the period of his pro-
fessed conversion, asking for the
loan of some short treatise on the
subject of mans free agency and
Gods sovereignty, saying he must
now stake position on that oucs-
ton" We vainly tried to impress
him with the idea that it was not A
matter of importance for him ssto
take position on that question at
all. The world has had the benefit
of his advocacy of one side or the
other of that matter for many wears.
We will warrant, however, that it
has been "a rough and thorny road
for the minister who has intention
ally or accidentally stepped athwart
the path of his favored proposition.
It's along this way that people come
to the point of tolerating nothing
outside the circle of tAe1:, own pre-
conceptions. They throw over
board all restful trust in Gods truth
and in the integrity of purpose of
the Christian ministry. On their
notions alone, the pillars of the
kingdom of God are founded. Such
an element ic avarvxuha-o ox,:o4o,+