The Portland daily press., 1886-11-22
PROFESSOR HIscks SPEAKS.
Christian individuality Within the
Lines OF Creed.
Governing Boards Not contennpIated
by the Scriptures.

by the Scriptures.
At State street church Yesterday Professor
e. \. Hineks, d. d., one Of the five profess
sors Of Andoyer who are charged with teach
Ing doctrines at variance with the creed
prescribed by the founders Of the Seminary,
preached from the text In 1st Cor, 12: 4-il--
dividing to every man sevsrally as he WILL"
&c. The preacher said that the apostle
sought to describe the varied workings Of tho
spirit. The church ought to acknowledge
the individuality Of Christian endowments
The spirit endowed with certain gifts those
whose natural powers we're in the line Of
those gifts. Spiritual gifts from God follow
the individual characteristics Of the re-
ceiyers. We should expect this from the
part which individuality plays In human life.
The originality Of genius Is the source OF
It's unique charm. man who has much TO
give his fellow men must have a creative and
independent mind. Paul showed his own
natural character and mental idiOsyncrasy In
his presentation Of the gospel TO his hearers.
The inspired truth In his writings gets ad-
ditlOnal potency from the personality OF the
writer. IL was 50 with Peter. He, quick
impqlsiye, but strong also, expressed him
NH1EA
Dis character upon his teaching.
John likewise gives In his Writings the strong
Impress OF his loving yet feryid character.
As COD brings men into the church he uses
them In their Individuality as he used Luther
and Edwards 10 influence the world IN favor
Oh the truth, and to lay its foundations broad
and deep In the human heart. Before a man
hnds Christ he must find himself. Luther,
before ne became ref0rmer, had 10 awake
70 know the nature which God gave him.
Moody learned his peculiar power a. soon a.
he was converted: Wesley found his when
be broke away from the established church:
WIN. r. Dodge was effective by giving such
gifts as he had 10 the service OF Christ
We have TO judge Of church government In
the light OF this truth. No system OF church
politY Is % come between the personal con-
ylctlon Of the individual and Christ. Ia
there then no standard Of truth? Yesl out
the true belief must be freely held, and lib
erty In non-essentials must be granted and no
one human character is TO dominate us; II
we are lmitators, we shall fall Of true indl-
viduality. III we are to become like Christ
Ia the Heavenly life, IL will not be by sacri-
icing our own natural individuality, but ,,e
shall preserve that, and yet grow into
Christs likeness.
In conclusion Professor Hincks spoke a.
follows: I'VE have gained a test OF any sys-
tenn or teaching which pretends 10 be doing
the work Of Christ We ask whether a
church organization should take men and
women out Of society and out OF family life.
and devote them to a most monotonous and
cramping religious routine. Mo- SO far as any
system makes man OF woman mere unit
among other units, its influence Is not
ChristS. He did not intend that his ssr-
wants should enslave themselves In order 10
make others free. He saw the spirit Of free
dom should only come through enfranehised
souls and 50 he so planned his kingdom that
each unit OF power In IL should be the Dro-
pnlsiye force Of "a free human personality.
He did not organize or tell bis followers to
organize society which should put control
and responsibility into governing board or
executive head. He never Intended chat hig
army should be subject 10 strict regimentaI
drlll. Inc Apostles were not officers com
manding the church. All the authority they
nad was spiritual authority coming out Of
their character and spiritual gifts. III Christ
had wished them to have military power he
would have given 1t TO them. lie did not
give It to them for He knew that they would
not use IL without undoing His work In
human character.
And there must be freedom TO study It's
truth, and apply II TO conduct
There Is Of course standard Of Christian
truth. Creeds are necessary. IndiVidualism
Is unchristian, for it means diseord The
church requires a union, not IN belief
merely, but In life, OF which belief Is an
Important element. In order 10 express and
maintain this union i has to state Its beliefs
ana make PROVISION for having them incul-
Gated. But Christ has set before 1t the
problem Of so doing this as not to repress the
spiritual lie, which 1t may easily do by
checking Christian thought. The solution of
the problem we are finding out lies
in simplifying creeds mot abOlishing them),
50 that they contain but the great historical
verities OF the Christian faith, aud in max
ing much OF scripture-scripture not inter-
preted 70 meet the claims Of some theory OF
inspiration, but Interpreted In obedience 10
the inspired writer and the inspiring spirit.
Before the problem Is solved IL will be found
that there Is peril In allowing Christians TO
mud Gods truth for themselves In scripture.
greater peril In refusing them the right to do
so; that every mind forbidden 10 think, and
allowed only to assent to statements Of be-
lief, becomes torpid. and presently reac-
tion into unbelief sets in.
We may proftably apply this test Of
Christs work In us and through us. Are
we natural in our lifeP DO we pray our own
prayers2 Do we think our own thoughts
about Christ? Does all our religious spccu-
latlVn grow up In us? Or are we In our
walk with our Master partly ourselves and
partly some eminent Christian whom we
have read otY Are we trying TO have some
we cultivating Charles Kingsley's enthnsi--
asm Tor humanity? To have an answer 10
these questions we need not subject our
selves 70 process OF self analysis II any
character, however good or great Is dom
mating our religious life, so that In all our
searching after God and our service Of Him
we are directed and moulded by that charae-
ter, we may be sure that we arc not wholly
ourselves, and so not wholly genuine ONLY
one character should dominate Us, and lts
rule Is perfect freedom. Religious biOg-
raphies are useful II used with due inde-
pendenee; pernieiOus If made spiritual hand
books. The temptation TO try 10 be like
good man, In order that we may be as good
as he, Is most seductive 10 some natures. IL
yielded to, IL leads 10 the delusiOn that we
are acquiring the goodness Of our exemplar,
when we are only gaining his mannerisms.
We shall not yield to 1t If we let Christ have
His own way In us
This truth we may say In closing connects
ourselves closely with our hope Of the
future, as well as with our present duty. II
WHITES our faith In Immortality. For IL
assures that what we are here in our sepa-
rateness, we are to be always. This Is the
distinctive feature Of a Christian faith in
Immortality. Its inwardneSs, its conception
OF the unseen future, not as a dwelling In
external spendor, but as the possession OF
every character wrought out here in service
and conflict. Its keynote Is, eve know not
what We shall be bus we know that we shall
be like Him.. Each like him IN his own
capacity OF resembling him; each re-
tral light. We know that we are
most truly ourselves when most like
Him. And so we believe that we shall be
more truly ourselves then In being more like
Him. Moses and Elias, ON the Mount Of
TRANSPORTATION were the great law-giver
and the great prophet. That which was
glorious In each during the earthly stQfe
shone out more grandly in the new bright
ness. Paul, John and Peter wear the old
manhood. purified and perfected. The glory
Of the heavenly society consists largely In
the varied beauty of Its manifold characters.
Those souls which we have seen taking on
distinct and individual beauty will wear that