The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-07
The Dogma,i.m Of chri.tlanily.

definition OF DR.. Worcester. means "the
quality Of one who dogmatizesn or
''positiveness of opinion" To dogma
tie, as he defines this verb. Is ITO sf-
firm positively, to assert authoritatively
to declare peremptorily. The dogma
tist assumes 10 know whereof he speaks.
He IS assertory in respect to what be
thus knows, and claims that Others
should accept az true the utterances Of
his lips.
Jesus Of Nazareth was. in this sense,
a religious cogmafIst Of the most posi-
tive aud pronounced type. To NicOde-
mus he said: "Nerlly, verify | say unto
you. we speak that we DO know, and
testify the- Me nave seen" John iii.
H. But | say unto you" is an Oft
repeated formula with which he pre-
FACED what he was about 90 say. HIS
whole bearing and manner in his Ser
mon on the Mount impressed The people
vino heard it with the idea that "hc
taught them as one having authority.
and not as the scribcs. Matt. vii. 20 J
He assumed 20 be more than an ordinary
prophet. and greater even than Moses
lie denounced the scribcs ard Pharisees
with q severity and pungency that were
terrible alike in matter and manner.
While dealing with the gravest Ques-
lions relating to God and man, he al
ways took for granted the absolute
truthfulness Of his own utteranccs. and
made them laws binding on the faith.
the conscience, ana practise Of mer He
was not, upon his own showing stating
mere conf ctures or opinions that might
be true or might be false, or DTOtablli-
ties resting oua prcponderance Of evi.
dence in their favor. lie dOgmatized
in the sense of asserting what he know
to be true. and in the further sense Of
claiming that what he asserted should
be accepted as true. lie a.-
ways spoke in the dogmatiC
manner, without the remOtcst
implication OF doubt on uncertainty, OF
The possibility tnat be might be mss
taken. No sayings. ever heard IN this
world, were more completely marked
with all the elements Of the most absO-
Lutte positiveness than those which fell
from the lips0f the great Teacher. His
whole mental nature. as he presented 1t
10 Others. was a mass Of sell-luminOus
intuitions. shedding light in all direc-
ti0ns ana on everything it touched. He
summed up an ms own self conscious
ness, when IN the temple he said 20 the
Jews at the feast Of TaberDacles: Il
am the light of the world: he that fol-
loweth me shall not walk in darkness.
but shall have The light Of life, John
viii. l2.l
Sucn was the fixed and uniform char
acier of Christ's ministry. and this char
acter be stamped upon all that he said.
Christianity. as he taught ii. Is pre- emil
Dcntly q dOgmalic religion from begin
mng to end, and in all It's paris. Ii gives
% human thought the very highest
form Of a pOsitive philosophy ia al
cases in which faith accepts Christ as "a
teacher; and leaves man nothing 10 Go
but 10 study his words. .certain their
meaning. and then regulate bis faith
and practise accordingly. One vino
sits at the feet OF Jesus TO-
learn. is to be "a disciple.
and that means that he is 10 believe
what he says and do what me com
mands His words are THE word of
eternal life:" and TO accept Gas
such. 10 make them such 20 thought.
ana trust in them as sCcD. is tine mos
reasonable thing that enc can possibly
do. Jesus Christ is the authorized oX
FOUNDER OF God 10 man, and. as such.
IS entitled 10 the most implicit conf
dence IN all that Dee says. God, as the
Bible says, hath in thess last dave
spoken unto us by his Son. Heb. i. @
The ministry Of the Apostles. con-
Quoted in the name aud by the appoint
meut and authority of Christ. and no.
IN their own names al all. and also
guided By the inspiration Of the Holy
Ghost. SO that they preached the gcs-
pei, mot in tine words when mans
wisdom teachcth. but which the Holy
Ghost teacheJh, stands on the same
basis of absolute positivencss and GER
talnty. We aie TO trust them and be-
heye what they said, rot because
they were diligcut students or
great reasoneTs. but because they
were chosen, appointed and endowed
by Christ to preach the GOSPEL 20 The
world He selected them 30 be the
teachers of mankind after his own as.
ceHsiOn into Heaven. The gospel
which they preached was not then
gospel but ms; and on their lips it had
the same dogmatic character and au-
thOrily which IL had ON his lips. lie
promised them inspiration as their
guide, aud that promise he fulfilled
beginning with the day OF Pentecost.
and extending the ulilmcut through
out their entire career. Their teaching.
like his, WAS dOgmatic. resting for ils
authority not on unaided human rca
son. but on divine appointment and a
divine inspiration.
The result is that Christianity, whe-
ther from the lips OF Christ himself or
from those OF his Apostles, is essentially
a d0gmatic religion. 1t is such in form
and such ia its contents: and this j.
precisely what every man needs. The
plain truth Is thai. every one, no matter
how wise he may be in the sense ST
earthly learning, needs a religious dog
matist to teach him in respect to the
problems that concern his relations 10
God, the purposes Of God in regard 10
hin. the method Of his rescue from guilt
and stu, and his prospects TOR the fu-
ture life. No amount Of study can lift
ihuu dDtNN tuio hrNtHSltl. ana no dDHD- !
lutte relief to thought is possible. except
on the basis Il a reliable, religious
such as we find in
the teaching Of Christ and his
Apostles. We want To know more than
we can kUOw by the unaided exercise !
of reason, We have questions 10 bean
swerod that we cannot answer. and |
that no mere man can answer for as |
The more we think the more numerous /
and IN some respects the more difficult /
these questions become. Thiaking ma /
turally reminds Us of our limitations /
and ignorance, and at last brings Us to |
the point at which the necessity of be- 4
log taught by competent dOgmatist. |
who as we have sufficient evidence t. 4
be convinced. knows more than we do.
will be deeply felt experience. Men
may trifle, and sneer, and cavIl. but
they cannot think soberiy and serious.
y without having tins experience.
4 scholarly man once remarked to a
friend; Il have. first and last. thought
A great deal on the subject Of religion.
luC one result Of my thinking is a
ieep and all-peryading sense that |
need some one TO dOgmatize for me.