The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-09-15
RELIGIOUS.
THE DECLINE OF DOGMA.

IHE UCULlNE UT DuUNlH.
Nothing is more marked in Protest.
ant circles than the decline of dogma
Nearly every Protestant religious body
that established itself hundred years
ago in this country brought across the
water theological system which was
already hammered into shape, and was
logical and hard, and upyieldiDg in the
extreme. The Presbytelians, the Dutch
Reformed, the Baptists and the Con
gregationalists had each a current theo
logical system which was believed to
be perfect, and which was taught as il
it could have no defect. For a hun
dred years or more these systems have
been presented to the faithful, and
have had great success. The clergy
have believed in them, and have made
the people believe in them, and have
carried conviction by storm when 1t
could not be obtained by reason. But,
with the advent of the doctrine oil
/ evolution, and with the advance of
the scientific method, people have
come to look at religious truth very
differently from what they used to, aud
the old theological systems were not
| construed so as to be impervlous 10 a
large amount of truth which the new
scientific view has let into them. 1t
has been found impossible to believe
the old theological dogmas as they
were once presented.
The most conspicuous Illustration of
the decline of dogma is the change
which has taken place in regard to the
condition of the lmpenitent. The first
notoriety which Archdeacon Farrar
obtained was by standing up in an
English pulpit and denouncipg this
whole business as inconsistent with
truth, and travesty On the teaching of
the New Testament. 1t was at Indian
Orchard, in this State, that a young
clergyman first dared to say that he
did not believe what was taught about
the lmpenitent, and the council which
was held 10 settle him was the begin
ming of an agitation which has hardly
yet subsidized. The Andover move
ment, in which Mr.. Joseph Cook and
Prof. Egbert Smith were antagonists,
was really contest over this same
question. 1t was mixed up with foreign
missions, and the discussion went
through the length and breath of the
Congregational denomination in all
parts of the world. Like all such dis
cusslons, 1t was bound to win. The
old dogmas were expressed in terms of
severity and of logical absoluteness
which men could not accept, but the
fight in the American board, which was
the stronghold of the old theology, was
bitter and unrelenting and uncomprom-
ising. 1t seemed as if it would never
end. The adherents of the old theo-
logy had given up preaching it, but
they could not bear to have it 60, aud
yet ii did 60, and to- day 1t would be
almost impossible to make some of its
most strenuous advocates believe that
they once held the extreme views about
the future of the lmpenitent which was
the staple OF their sermons.
On another subject great change
has taken place, and that is the auth
ority of the Bible. The Presbyterians
have had to wrestle with this matter,
and their theology contains dogmas
about the Bible which intelligent Christ.
ian scholars cannot accept. The con-
test in that body is over the acceptance
OF truth as it is stated by competent
scholars, and DR.. Brigg and Professor
Smith have both been censured by the
bodies to which they belong because
they refuse to accept the old dogma
about the authority of the Bible. The
result OF this discussion has been that
Presbyterian people are beng educated
in the later and more intelligent views
OF the authority of the Bible which the
scholarship of the day has reached.
Our Christian people, also, have been
educated in the same way. And yet
the Bible has not been overthrown or
discredited. 1t is the same book that
it always mas been, but the dogmas
about it are found to be insupportable,
and are given up.
These are the two most distinct in
stances in the decline of dogma in our
own day, but they have greatly changed
the way OF approach to the Bible and
to practical religion. The Bible is no
longer fetch for the young, and its
human side and interests are studied
with more sympathy, with more intelli-
gence and with better results. At the
same time motives for personal religion
are very different from those which
used to be presented. A religion OF
fear has been exchanged for a religion
of duty. The basis OF the faith is laid
in the nature of things, and the true
grounds of faith are taught and urged
upon Others. The old compulsions
have passed away, and yet the addi.
tions to the churches are as numerous
as others, and the hold upon young
people is marked by as tenacious
grip as il used to be. Revivals are
not common, but the results in Sunday
School and in Christian instruction are
as marked as when the terrors of the
Lord were employed to frighten young
people into a religious life. The de-
cline in dogma is chiefly a decline in
the belief in the worn out dogmas
which needed to be thrown away.
Dogma has its place in every system of
truth, and Christianity will always find