The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-17
PROGRESSIVE THEoLOGY

A PROGRESSIVE THEOLOG Y
l meant to speak, in the third place, of the
influence of dogmatism and dogmatic systems
on the spread OF archaeological Agnosticism
but can now merely indicate what L designed
to attempt under this head. 1t was to show
how such Agnostieism naturally follows from
the one-sidedness and exclusiveness Of many
dogmatic systems, from the conflict of dogmatic
systems, and from the pretensons to perfection
and fnality sometimes put forth on their behalf
Upon this last point especially l could have
wished to enlarge. Churches often forget that
1t is their duty not only to retain the religious
truth which has been transmitted to them, but
te incr it by ever fresh and fuller studies of
all Gods disclosures of himself that it is their
duty TO be continually deepening charging
and improving their theology. There can
hardly be a more serious danger 1t is by an
evergrowing appropriation and application of
the truth which God has revealed that Church
advances toward the realization of its ideal and
mission, and the appropriation and application
of truth presupposes it's apprehension.
Church which rests satisfied with the acqusi-
tions which former generations have drawn
from Nature, Providence and Scripture
which does not seek to add to the old treasures
stored up in its creeds catechisms, and dogmatic
systems, new treasures-may be Orthodox, may
have espoused as yet no grieyous positive false
hood but its whole attitude toward the truth is
a wrong one. 1t is at heart disloyal to the
truth and dead to the love of it and once a
Church IS dead and disloyal to the truth it will
soon be dead and dIsloyal to all that is good
When a Church loses that love of the truth as
1T is in Christ which constrains it to seek in him
ever new treasures of wisdom and knowledge;
when it comes to look with suspicion on new
discoveries and to discountenance the spirit of
Independent and original investigation; when
theological research and theological instruction
the last things it strives to encourage, that
Church is not far from the terrible condition in
which errors are justified and lies embraced
Every such Church practically and most pow
erfully teaches Agnostic disbelief in spiritual
truth. Every such Church presents its theology
IN a light admirably calculated to make men
conclude that it is a sham scence-a pretended
exposition of the unknown and unknowable.
Every Church. on the other hand, which seeks
earnestly more and more divine light; which
welcomes what is new in theology, if it be true
which encourages fresh and original theological
speculation if only it be sincere and reverent,
cannot but bear powerful practical testimony
that theology is real and vital knowledge and
eminently worthy of study. l have great re-
spect for Calvin; | believe in the doctrine of
the Westminster Confession but l utterly dis
believe the notion-which | regard as one of
the most powerful causes of Agnostcism-the
notion that theology came to a stop with Calvin
or the Westminster Confession. / believe, on
the contrary, that the human mind scarcely
ever worked more theoretically or successfully
In the fields of theological science than it has
been working during the nineteenth century
entire theological science5 like biblical theology
and comparative theology, having been built
up almost from the foundations within that
period. And there are still in theology worlds
to conquer by the human mind, divinely guided
and enlightened There remaineth yet much
land to be possessed. PROF Flint before the
Presbyterian Council
There is good deal in the above that
should, we think, have been stated diff
ferently. If Prof Flint means that i'm
portant discoveries Of "a fundamental char
acter may be expected hereafter in the
ology, we dissent from him toto ccelo.
Probably he might explain away this
most obvious construction Of his language,
but when we hear so much as we do
nowadays about progressive the
ology, we think that he ought, at least
to have guarded himself more carefully
than he has DONE against misconception.
We call no uninspired man Master any
more than Professor Flint-be it Calvin,
Augustine, or even the Westminster Con-
fession; but we do not believe that The
ology like Chemistry, is a science in which
one may expect to be continually making
from time to time new discoveries, GER
tainly not as regards essential doctrines
Theology is to be rather likened unto
Geometry than one Of the Physical Sci
ences. The former is non-progressive
science; the latter are progressive sci
ences. The former is the same now that
it was in the days Of Euclid; the latter
grows under the new discoveries which
are made every day in the properties Of
matter and the laws by which it is gov
erned.