The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-05-21
TIE RELIGIOUS VAR.
PROFESSOR BRIGGS BEEN
THINKING
The Church on Trial Instead of
Briggs.
TOM DIXON ON THE ISSUES INVOLVED

NEW YORK, May Il, 1891 .-Rev.
Thomas Dixon. Jr., preached his
sermon this morning by the follow
Ing review Of current events:
The religious war that has been
brewing Tor a generation has now
fairly begun. With ia ii has at last
become national. What affects
Presbyterianism affects directly the
whole nation. The dear old solemn
owls composing the Presbyterian
Sanhedrim Of New York have
delivered their verdict. They
gathered themselves together, rev.
erently adjusted their pine-board
spectacles, gazed steadily at IL blank
space, until they saw everything
with dogmatic cIearaess.
THOUGHT A CRIME.
Professor Briggs must be ar
raigned and tried for thinking-a
crime for which they look up and
truly thank God they are gui!tless.
The Protestant religious world has
been rpidly dividing into two great
classes during the past few years -
those who think, and those who
believe it is crime 10 think,
Within the past fifty years the
world has been born anew. The
point Of attack Of Christianity has
entirely changed. lsooks that held
high rank in the theological world
are set aside now AS curiosities.
Theology must readjust its state
ments in the light of the increased
knowledge or lose its hold forever
on the race. Religion, founded in
ignorance and superstition, cannot
enter the next century, Will
Christianity pass away? l do hot
believe it. But if Christianity Is to
hold the rising generation, it must
be translated into the language Of
that generation.
DoGMATICS AND LUNACY.
The theologian Of the Dogmatic
School speaks in an unknown tongue
to the youth OF this age. rogmatics
belong to the infancy of the race.
We have reached the era Of thought.
When the child reaches a certain
age he demands the reason for
things. He is entitled TO know.
You had better tell him. If You do
not tell him he will, sooner or ,ater,
spun your dogmatic assertions ard
retry the whole case deuOvo.
defy any man, who thinks, to take
"Shedd's Dogmatic Theology" }"
believe it, and reason keep her
throne. The lunatic n luin would
certainly be his home. If believed
such stuff / would lay down my
ministry tomorrow, join hands with
Col. Ingersoll, and say with Carlyle,
"Why, then, if He'll must be bravcd
1t must!" If this be Coo, i don't
know Him; ! don't want to know
Him,
TIE IIARDSHELTs.
Fifty years ago the Baptist denomi-
nation of North Carolina divided
On the subject OF missions --involv-
ing the doctrine II the sovereignty
of God. The majority Of noses
favored the view OF the pred ,stined
damnation o!' the heathen world,
and that il would be flying in the
face of Providence TO V tu save
them. In fact, they said il woul,l
be AN insult to "Almighty" God
They solemnly declared that "what
is tp be, will ue-if it never il -
They sat down there. And there
they died. The Church divided.
The Missionary Church set up i.r
itself. The iIardsheils, ur Primitive
Bapti4;s, continued /" edify thc
the saints. To-day lhcrc are NOR,
than 100000 Missionary Rapii,is in
North Carolina, aud about 9,000
Hardshelis. Fifty wears :ron. today
the difference, in prop, rtio.I between
the School Of Thought and the
School OF TraditiDnaIisn will he
even wider. This war was inevitab @.
SHOT AGAINST SUMTER.
The conflict is an ifrepiesoible
one. Tie champions oi Il human.
made orthodoxy have begun the.I
fight. They ,Duid not havc c!lp-en
| Il better time. The prophets Of ht
living God who believe in Jesus
Christ, III viIai, applied Chri.iida
ity, who rel ise to be The nle-s.erge.
Of infinite iove, are ready fJr tie
fight, IL fight they must. Their
souls ate in arms and eager Tor ihe
fray. The first shot fifci against
| Professor Briggs Was the first <ho:
against Sumter. The man who
fired il viii live to regT.l. Above
the wall, against which thai sha:
crashed, floats the banner of' Truth
The end will b. al Appomdlux.
What are the issues n,nivel il
this fight?
sTAGNATION Or PROGRESS.
| l. 1t means human tia.,;ti,,i
against tliviue progrc~s. II i ~ old
old fight. 1t - weary reading {.
trace its history :hrSagh The d,.il
and bloody centgries uf the past
Every iGxii of the way ut lea
progress i'm light and life or ili,
hulnan r;,ce has been fouaht wi.l
this grim enemy we call tradition
Conservatism mas doubles do.
much for tie world a. ..,nes. Bat
such conservatism is in It's la-
analysis, tie weakness Ui. age, o
the gall of pessimism. That ron
servatis:n that has sought with devil
ish p4 rsistency t., limit the horizal
of man 10 ancestral experience, ha
only Esed to curse mankind, to -.
back the work Of years bustins wifi
promise, and fling ovei the dawn O
brig days :he pail of ages OF TIN,
darkness ofsuperstition and slavery
DO you believe i'm stagnat on o
/.