The Columbus journal., 1881-10-26

to the human race: "He who doubts
is damned % Armed with the tenn
poral power, II experienced little
difficulty in establishing the most
tyrranicsl dominion over the minds
OF men who, however ignorant,
knew that to question its assumed
divine authority was heresy, and
that heresy meant not only torment
in hell-fire hereafter, but here, too.
But the determination of heretics
was necessary to maintain the su-
thority of the church; therefore, the
heretics were exterminated. All
writings which the church said were
heretical were destroyed if they fell
into the hands of the church, and
those which the church pronounced
orthodox were compiled in book,
so much of which as suited the pur-
poses of the church was pronounced,
by the church's infallible authority,
10 have been written by diyine in
spiration.
All this Brother Thomas knows
perfectly well. He knows that the
Protestant reformation" so called,
was simply the outbreak of wide
spread heresy. Protesting against
the authority of an infallible book.
But they quickly found that this
only carried them back to the era of
contending heresies before an or
ganized church existed. The infal-
lible book was merely a collection
of symbols of ideas which had been
formed in mems minds in a previous
age, and which (whether divinely
inspired or noD had to be interpret
ed, by men who could lay no claim
to divine inspiration in the terms of
human thought in long-subsequent
age. The Interpreters were no more
able 10 agree than Paul and Peter or
MarciOn and Tertullian had been
able to agree. Each faction realized
the necessity of discriminating au-
thority-of a church, organized to
maintain and authorized to enforce
against all heretical sdversaries a
particular dogmatic theory. There
were, consequently, formulated as
many different creeds and set up as
many distinct ecclesiastical organi-
cations as there were leading differ.
ences of opinion respecting the
meaning of the infaIlible book. In
one respect only were these many
churches alike. Each required of
its members submissive acknowl-
edgment of its authority and implicit
belief (or pretended belieD in its
creed. Other matters were nom
essential, but these were vital to the |
existence of the church.
-.
No church can possibly stand on
any other basis. In its essential |
verify every church is an orgsniza-
ton of dogmatic authority over
matters of religious opinion and be-
lief Mon who dissent to its creed,
or who question its right to deter
mine authOritatively what theolog-
ical tenets its ministers and members
shall and shall not believe, stand to
it IN the relation of heretics, and if
within its Jurisdiction must submit
to its punishment of that highest of
crimes against the church. 1t is the
one condition of the church's exist
ence. All other sins may be con-
doned immortality, lying, hypocrisy,
slander of the neighbor, all the per-
sonal vices in the list, the church
may pass over and "whitewash,"
even in the minister of the holy
altar; but the hereto it must "cut
off," or perish. Brother Thomas
knows as well as anybody that there
is no other alternative. Apparently,
he desires to continue in the minis
try of the church to whose dogmatic
of what its members
shall believe, or profess to believe,
he dissents. He knew, ten years
ago, that his conscience did not ac-
cept those dogmas of the church.
He knew he was hereto. Know
ing this, he knew that the only con-
dition of his remaining in the min
istry of that church was that he
should keep his heretical opinions
to himself, suppress his sincere con-
and preach doctrines he
did not believe. That would have
made him hypocrite. But hypoc-
risy is not crime against any
Theological hypocrisy is
not an offence which any church
Furnishes, either in clergymen or in
aymen. On the other hand, there {
8 good ground for the opinion that
he ministry of all churches, in these
lays of ever-spreading heresy, con- {
aims large number of hypocrites.
The conditions exclude the possibil- =
ty of its being otherwise. l. The
existence of the church requires that
ts ministers shall preach and profess