Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-27
A VERY LIVE SERMON.
Rev. HT. W. ]. Holland breaches on
Dishonesty With the Truth.
WINE ADULTERATION AS A TEXT.
The Awful Process He Would Advise to Get
a Pure Glass of Port
sKIPs AND TWISTS OF SCRIPTURES

Rev. w. ]. Holland, D. D., delivered a
verv interesting sermon in the Bellefeid
PRESBYTERIAN Church yesterday morning, on
Handling the Word of God Deceitfullyi
or Mental Dishonesty in Dealing with the
Truth" The speaker chose his text from
II. Cor, iv., 1-2 After explaining the
verse and the conditions under which Paul
preached from q similar subject and used
the words, What is it to handle the word
of God deceitfully?" DR.. Holland said:
The words employed are derived from the
wineshop, in which, it appears, it was Gus
tomary in the days of the apostle as it is now,
to adulterate the fluids exposed for sale. The
business Of the wine seller was evidently not
conducted any more honorably in the time of
the apostle than now. 1t was customary then,
as now, to seek prott by the adulteration of
drinks.
1t is said that if you wish to obtain glass Of
pure port wine you must pinch the grapes with
your own hands, carry them to the press, put
the juice into the cask, sit on the bunRhole all
the way from Portugal to your own cellar and
then get yourself detailed as a special police
man to watch the cellar door! Even then, with
these precautions, 1t is not quite sure that you
would get the real thing.
DREADFUL INGREDIENTS.
Half of the LIQUORS sold are composed of in
fusions of logwood, alcohol tarantula, juices of
tobacco and spit. The sign which is so CON-
monty seen in our cities ''Rectiiers of Spirits"
would, in nine out of ten cases, more properly
read, "Pravifiers of Spirits"
The traffic in strong drink in the days of
Paul was as tricky as now, and he draws a 6g-
ure from their nefarious practices, which he
applies when speaking of the deceptive manner
p, I'D
dealing with the word of God" he says. I'VE do
not follow in the crooked paths of the dram
shop, we do not corrupt and adulterate the
word; but, renouncing the hidden dishonesty,
we seek by manifestations of truth to commend
ourselves to the consciousness of men as in the
style Of GOD"
After illustrating several ways in which
the word of God is handled deceitfully, DR..
Holland touched on the greed of different
sects to "wrest the Scriptures into conformity
with their pet notions and give the word of
God a color and an Interpretation which
neither wisdom nor scholarship can justify"
Continuing in the same vein, he said;
Another way in which the word of God is
''handled deceitfully'' is through the neglect of
the principle that Scripture should be inter-
pre- I'd by Scripture:'' in other words, in cases
of 7oubtful Interpretation, we are not to rest
satisfied with single passages, but are to take
into consideration all portions of the word of
God which deal with a given truth, and in the
light of the collective uttersnces reach a con-
clusion.
FoRTIFYING A CONCEIT.
A theory, a notion, roots itself in the mind of
an individual or a party of individuals, and
forthwith a justification of this theory, this
notion is sought. The word of God is ran
sacked for passages which may be twisted into
a seeming justification of the conceit. Those
found are hailed with gladness as proof
texts" all passages conflicting with the cher
isbed idea are overlooked OF explained away.
The result is a half-truth, which is the worst
kind of a lie
AS an illustration of what he meant in a
practical way. DR.. Holland described the
rise and progress of the sect of Darbyites,
or, as they are more properly called, the
Plymouth Brethren, and, at the conclusion
of that description, said:
Denouncing all creeds there is probably no
sect in existence which has more definite
creed. Denouncing all commentaries on the
br0ls as misleading. they have been most dili-
print and out of print. Denouneing the Christ
ian ministry, they claim that they all are min
listers. men and women. 1t is one of the curious
phases of thought which, like others, has
arisen in this nineteenth century, as the out
growth in part of the spirit of protest against
the abuses which have been allowed TO invade
some parts at least of the great Church
Catholic. The proposed cure, unfortunately,
so far as the Church is concerned, is worse than
the original disease.
In opposition to all partial and one-sided
statements of the truth, the apostle. in our
text declares that he has made il his lifework
to manifest the whole truth.
On the latter point DR.. Holland enlarged
at length, and thus closed most interesting
discourSe