Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-02-20
Standard Authority.

An article appeared last week in this
paper under the title ''An Effect of Re-
lIgious Disputation," which We wish
kindly to criticise. and to differ from.
1t seems to have been taken from The
Saturday Revicw(D of course there is
some wheat among the chaff in the arti-
Gle, but there is also throughout it. so
much Of loose statement, misstatement
and error Of understanding that we know
not at what part TO aim in a short reply
to it, A few definite suggestions ans
wers most of its error. The Episcopal
body" and General Assembly" referred
to, were NOT differing upon, nor disput-
ing about, fundamental nor essential
truths. We insist that with possibly
two exceptions, (the Unitarian and Uni
versalist churches); all the other Protest
ant churches are in substantial agreement
upon what is standard authority, what
thai authority teaches, anc about the
plan and way of mans salvation.
These two suggestions being true, throw
a clearing light upon the supposed "con-
troversies." Does the author of the pa
per in question, lean toward the fold
where doctrine and teaching have always
remained the same? We suspect it
from the slant of some of his promIscuous
charges. But neither the high shepherds,
under shepherds, nor cunning of the flock,
will thank him for his right but inadvert
ent admission. They SO vehemently de-
ny the teachings which made possible the
gross practices of "A thousand dark years,
thai many are led to doubt about the
identity. But We digress.
Our point is however, that because
Protestant christians are manly, thought
full aud honest enough TO have opinions
and discussions upon religious subjects;
neither the Saturday Review" nor any
body else, ought thereupOn to suppose or
say, the land marks are gone, the compass
is overheard the preacher admits that he
may and very likely did. Girec. US in the
wrong road" Not at all. Mr.. S. Review.
The preacher makes no such admission.
Nor is he called on to do so, nor can he
in sincerity. Substantial changes in
views of the clergy. upon the main truths
of religion. are exceedingly rare-almost
entirely unknown. To he sure, few
Doctors OF Divinity" whom much
learning bath made mad. still delight in
hair splitting dissertations upon the
higher criticism" and kindred topics,
doing no especial harm however. except
TO amuse ike minds, waste their own en-
ergies, and weary and disgust the great
ma SIS CT earnest christian people whose
anxiety only see the wide fields still
white unto the harvest" Ii the Satur
day Review, would only score such dis
sertationists little, without getting its
elf completely at sea. and that too with
out a pretense of rudder or compass, We
would applaud.
But has the writer of the article and his
come, no source of light and truth? Do
We still grope after truth as did Socrates,
honestly but blindlyf five do, We differ
from him in this, we insist on holding
our eyes tight shut. We need not surely
be as ignorant and blind now as the phil
osophers of two Thousand years ago.
We haye had opportunity to know some
thing about God and eternal life by this
time. We ought to have improved it.
But alas the standard we may learn from.
and test truth and error by, humbles and
requires something of u.s. Our pride and
are in the way. and we are %
afraid, oh so very much afraid of the
''theologian' and the preacher" and
that in their specislty they might posi-
bly, suggest something we in other fields
had not learned. And that would be 90 old
fashioned, so-weli-it would not be
liberal and reasonable" and in short
smartts)
And We must be liberal and smart, and
popular, even if We plunge tonight or
next week or year, wholly unprepared
into another. far different and eternal
safe Of existence J. r.