Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1891-08-13
OrthodoXY and Liberty

Never In our generation, perhaps never
In America. were questions of creed and
OF church discipline cropping out in SO
many new ways, places. and humors, as
at this moment. Creed revision, accuse. g..
tions OF "unsoundness' or actual cher.
esy, discussions In the pulpit and in
the so called religious and so. called secular
press, are with us continually. 1t is idle
to say that the whole matter Ia specially
and that the opinion only of specialists
is of any account. Matters of religion
are vital to every soul, and pew as well
as the pulpit must make up It's mind-the
priest and the layman, the scholar and the
unscholarly. We must all know and do
something about it; we cannot, at the
very least, help thinking about It; and
we cannot be altogether blamed II some.
times we "think out loud"
Nov this matter of thinking brings us
straight to point. which some of those
In ecclesiastical or official place seem
sometimes to lose sight of. The modern
world Is too much In the habit OF doing
Its own thinking to look without amaze
ment at any apparent effort to put stop
to this highly sane and sanitary habit O (
the human mind. If II should get to be
understood that in any branch of learn
Ing, in any historical, philosophical,
moral. or religious system, In any society
or group Of scholars, or teachers, or
preachers, fearless ard unbiased inyesti-
CATION, and the frank acceptance of the
results of such investigation, lin other
words, honest, earnest. and independent
thinking at discount, was, In
fact, to be peremptorily, and hopelessly.
and forever limited by some fixed and
ancient formula, why, then there would
arise suspicion of-shall we say con.
tempt forG-that system. or that group.
which would initiate against its intellect.
ual and moral influence to an extent.be-
yond all computation.
We know well the honesty. the honor,
the devotion, AMI the deep conviction Of
many of those active In stcmming wha
they regard as "the tide of in6delity," "
which appears TO them to be perilously
invading, in our day, the most sacred
places, But 1t seems to US they should
welcome an outside view which they
may at first deem entirely and imperti
nen,ly secular, when that view Is warn
ing as to the effect upo1 the world a
large OF what might have the appearance,
Of persecution Of preachers and teacher
known In their various communities for
genuine, a glowing, most hopeful,
most passionate Christianity.
Nor should these questioners Of tn
faith of others spurn the opinion Of tha
world at large as an opinion unsanc, life
and worthless. The world at large
made up Of separate souls to whom 1t
the mission of the Church to bring th
food Of the spirit. The Church, there
fore, should seek-should II MOTTO r,
move, so far as possible. every barrie
that would succor and upllft--every bal
rier moral, spiritual and intellectual
There are minds that do not wish to d
their own thinking. that are happie
when utterly relieved from that duty
but there are others-and In the moder
world the number Is increasing-wh
can no more cease 10 think that they ca
cease to breathe. II would be moral an
intellectual death In the first place q
surely as ply sical death In the second
The motto. leave thought behind. a
ye who enter here" over the door Of an
any church or any institution Of an
kind of learning-what would he h
effect. think you, of such motto upo
the young, curious. active and earne
minds Of this generationf And 1t is ju
such minds that are needed now no lei
imperatively than at any former epoch
carry on the work. not only Of evangeli
ing the world, but Of chrisiianizing chri
tendom.- Topics Of the Time. IN T.
Century.