, 1881-01-23
~ILLIBERAL LIBERALISM.',

l. L
THE PROGRESSIVE PREACHER: CRITICISED.
The Rcr. T4oz.as Gnrdon IN the Interior.
The opponents Of modern liberalism arc not
necessarily liberal. In fact, they are distin-
"guishcd By il1fbcr:llism- This is natural. The
Two words rcpresentSttc extremes of the arc in
which the pendulum yibratcs. This.is true So
claliE, politically, and .relieiously. In social ard
political matters the charge ~has long :bccu ac-
kuowlclGed. The same r.1ic applies inreliSion.
License is always prcsuming. Liberalism is the
twin sister Of license. Hence, tic pa1auoxical
sentence, iiiibcral liberalism.
What more narrow and iliberal than to insist
upon rcnlnining ina church when 10 longer in
sympathy with its expressed teachings? The
creed Of churchIs usually easily" understood.
i uaay NOT Da 90 tusily comprehcnded, since 1t
1nis with the vital, far Trar],lnt. principles OF
Christianity. Negatively and positively how
ever, its position Is clearly defined He who
daits in compreheEdfng or understanding these
principles of 3 crecd is unfit to be teacher OF
Others. He who understands these, and insists
upon Remaining or entering is, to say the least,
:. prcsumptnnns. Suppose Il servant in IN oidcc,
Il store. or . kitchen. He undertakes such du-
1tes arc, defined aud understood: Eor awhile
everything goes well Then he asserts his own
authority. He ignores the law or will Ut his
master. With injured emphasis he says, Lam
not ,.oia e Aslaye, but a, f5esnan: Such conduct
'mer1ttng instant dismissal. So the minister Is
'dut the ser.ant~of ChristAnd His Church. When
Church, ,ora particular branch Of Ills Church, i
Is presumlng and tllberal to insist upon remain
ing there.
:1hese liberalsts also presume to impeach tho
sincerity, the motives. and honesty Of others.
'.Thoysiu state In their own defense TINT the
ministry In the denomination which they repre-
fact believe as they do. That many Of them
would speak and act their convict1ons if they
had the eouragc. The sacrifice, however, Is SO
J., "Linxer shiveriug On the brink,
- And fear to launch away
Those who are not in sympathy with them are
belong to the common herd, believing what is
Taught By others, because they cannot do other
wise. In this way they impeach others with in-
Then, in selflaudation, they speak Of the rocky
ribs Of reEaorsclcss creed with which 1hey: were
It x ch ehsy ts speak Of the her
prtson-holsc- With tue assumed spirit uf mar
tysdom they speak r. Of their new trials. They
Hfc dut1tcd nov. Their names in illl tho pn-
pers Tho blood-hounds Of hcrcsy are ever on
'tleir truck. The sunderinR Of ties 20 sacrcds
the opposition md hatred hurried ut their de-
5sr1se1ess heads puts to Shame Coycnanters,
Wuldenses, HuYrcnpts or the early Christians
'uf Romc. All this is SO common on the part If
the iberatist that VIC ccase1o wonder ut it. Yet
This fldoerallty is seen in the way in which
.3lESC 1uEu AEal LTGElS. IiEy submit their
1eschsng us q creed for others, meanwhile re-
fusinK one for dhemscvcs. There eau bc tlo
instruction without a creed any more thin
there can be a man without bone or muscle.
Imagine man Of 1esh: No k1.uckle! A Chi
1esc picture, destitute Of shade! II these Ill.,
rallsts are nor instructors, then what are they?
Etood, written Of verbal, for1nnlstcd or chuorat
+ Is much more honest to have our cscsd e1-
pressed Than sinniy understood; It id much
than in chaotic condition. in whatever form
s1us Creed may be-. It has Il negative and pos
ittvc e1cment-uulcss liberalism is all ncgatton-
All this applies to these surely as to the
3nan who honestly signs The Confession Ut
:Eadth.' The only difference IL thar they pre-
au1ne upon debating u others, us they ALLOW
this iuiberal liberalism? |
; This .iillncratity-ca1ling I'll By the ni1dest !
also i'll setting forth US their |
Gthess.. The Fegy garments in which riost |
prominent iiDer:iiists' are clothed .werc ~orn by |
thu lnereouious and minimizing that the ma
tera IS new. that the fashion IS the latest style.
and dosigned cspccinlly for comfort. They wax
eioanent in praise Of is beauty as they strut
around with proud and lor11y 1nsin. Men who
take tho trouble to examine soon see that the
.nnteEia : m M is DID, thread bari, and moth euteu.
hreccnes of last century. IT you take from the
pfo9rineat 1fberalsts Of the present tluy the old
s}essm, you virtually, leave 1nem wtthpur-a i RAG
10 covcE their nakedness- Why shunld they h. |
~ NnheCl ;a5 - cover mp their obligations to |
these rrla1i deuiers iurags?
They spcal@-a.sn OF those who teach certain |
5ts'tas ,Ss -t1ndictts1: cruel monsters In The |
'pllit of1neir rprosenitor, they thank God that
hey arc mot as other men" Nor is this ali,
Let u man simply usca. the ~orls of the Lord
Icsu&Iaudh bets cruel, xiniictive, t1ard-hearted
t4Etr l1da6tl ta he anloug those who arc |
considered rash, who would thus speak Of the
.ordJesus.' The words. the thoughts, the scu-
cnces. which came burning from Hisgentlc lips
to them> when they cross soulo
ef theories Of theirs All that is sensitive ana
ender. and loving, has boon put into xheir COM
oSEon. = They almost presumc>1o tcuch aud |
ireft God: They would have planned and acted
tt1ef wise: Where were these men when. God
rcated the universe? Where were they when
I'd instructed His servants to communicate, to
ae. e.t7xorid' HIS -'wiI? Why did He not counsel
1th them? The world has lost dneaiculahly. By
1efr exclusion from the couusefs Of eternity.
Cd evidently did not think Of development, |
-ogtess, the advancement Of the race. He / j
light hare known fhat-men would get beyond :;
lnoa That INN was. the. great Eicar1o1la1