Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-25
The Late Dr. Dorner and the s'Ne~

TheoIOgy.''
 The Rev Newman Smith, of New Haven, says in the September Century, in introdu- cling this thoughtful essay with the above ti- tie: Several years ago eminent Ameri- can theologian, Dr. Edwards A. Park, late professor of Christian theology at Andover, Tholuck. Feeling evidently under some ne cessity of overcoming the prejudice then ex- isting in many quarters against the freedom of German speculation, and being embar- rassed in particular by Professor Tholuck's supposed leaning toward the larger hope of the final restoration of all souls, Professor Park apologized for the great German Chris tian, saying, among other extenuating re- marks, that Fan opinion, when entertained in the shape of subordinate and incidental theory, is as different in it's influence from that same opinion, when entertained in the shape of an essential and conspicuous doc urine, as the alcohol in bread is different in it's effect from the alcohol in brandy The apology is creditable to the charity of the distinguished divine who made it, but it is not so creditable to the circle of his readers that such an apology for such Christian as the late Professor Tholuck ever should have been deemed necessary. I once heard Tho luck himfef offer 8 simpler and very differ ent defense for the German clergy. It was in the course of one of those conversations which American students abroad, who have ever been invited to walk with Tholuck, cher ish among the memories of a life. Kindling with enthusiasm-for Tholuck was always young in heart, and word was often enough to call forth his devout entnusiasm-he said that the German clergy have been accused of falling into rationalism, and it is true that many of them did become rationaIists When I first came to Halle there were only two evangelical ministers and one evangeli- cal schoolmaster in all this region. But the German clergy he continued, have sought most conscientiously to find the truth They have been most conscientious students Ger tain c1ergymen in the United States have of late been credited with the questionable right of holdinS private speeulations diverse from their public teachings. An honest man may make, and because he is honest he sometimes must make, distinction between his opin- ions and his beliefs; Horace Bushnell said he kept certain questions hanging up in his mind. But the only defense which religious teachers should make of their own work, or which they should willingly accept as an apology from their friends, is the justifca- tion which Professor Tholuck made for the German clergy, that they have been consci- entious students of truth. Good Bishop Butler claimed the same high for the English clergy when he said, in anticipation of his own work, T mean to make truth the busi- ness of my life In this country Dr. Ma thaniel w. Taylor used to say to his classes in theology: Young gentlemen, follow truth, though it leads you over Niagara And this same tone of manly sincerity was echoed at another seat of theological learning in New England when Professor Park, in a notable sermon on the Duties of, the Theologian,' pleading in defense of his own suspected new theology said: Idle, idle, this at tempt to defeat the first law of nature, that the soul of man shall go out free as the air of heaven-go after truth, let her leadings be what they may Such worthy words as these may very properly be quoted in a sketch of the life and teachings of that German scholar and theolo- zian, Professor Isaac A. Dorner."