The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-21
RELIGIOUS PERSUASION.
Rev. Dr.. Jaekson's Scholarly
Discourse on Professionalism
In Hedding M. E. Church.

At Hedding NJ. E. Church yesterday
morning the pastor, the Rev. DIR. jackson,
delivered a very scholarly discourse on "The
Essential Spirit of Professionalism" his text
being from Roman xiv, 5:-"Let every man
be fully persuaded in his own mind" DR..
Jackson SAID
There are two great controlling principles
in religion-outward authority and inward
conviction or persuasion. The first proceeds
upon the superstition to be religious is to be
obedient to O set Of rules. The second, that
it is an inward spirit of faith and love-.
The first aims at making the will of God in
failibly known to men. The second regards
revelation and rules as valuable as addressed
to reason and producing right dispositions.
The Jewish Church anciently stood for the
principle of authority. And thus saith the
Lord, or the rabbi, was not only an end of
controversy but also an end of thought.
There was not a feature Of the religious life
that this authority did not undertake to
control. To the laws Of Moses the rabbis
added precisely 10000 additional rules.
Christ came and represented the spirit Of
inward persuasion. With him it was not SO
much a question whether rules were obeyed
as whether the heart and life were right.
He said the Sabbath was made for man and
not man for the Sabbath. He made little sf
the washing of cups and platters, but sad
the main thing was a cleon heart. He only
valued rules and retreats as they ministered
to a life of faith and love. When they be-
came mere Shibboleths to test orthodoxy
by, when they were turned into a fetish, he
e.-orx< fbop, nciIo Ha indnod oil iOsflf1I-
ions from the utilitarian standpoint. IT
they made men better, they were good; if
not, they were to be destroyed. Because
Jesus was this kind Of a a he was put to
death.
When Paul came be followed In the foot
steps Of his master. He took sides with
neither the jewish nor the Gentle party In
the church. He told men to fast or not, to
observe the distinctions Of clean or unclean
or not, to observe Sabbaths and new moons
or not, to be vegetarians or not, as they
pleased. Only two things, he insisted, should
be kept in mind; first, that every man should
be persuaded in his own mind. and be able
to give q reason TO the faith that was in him;
seco nd, that all should be careful to main
tain love and not judge one another.
ROMAN CATHOLIC HURCH OF TODAY.
As the Jewish Church stood for authority
of old, SO does the Roman Catholic Church
today. Its spirit was exhibited in a public
statement from Archbishop Corrigan lately.
It had been reported that there was conflict
between Chin and Satolli. He announced
that this was impossible; that the Pope's
legate had only to speak, and he. Us o loyal
son of the Church, could have no other will.
The spirit of the Roman Church is that of
absolute, unquestioning submission to au-
thority. In any case of trouble OF conscl-
ence, the layman inquiries what the Church
declares upon such a case. he priest de-
cides it for him from the volumes OF moral
theology left by Escobar, Sacchez, sSaurez,
Bauny or Deus. In the books of casuistry
every possible case of conscience is attempt
ed to be covered. There is no attempt to
lay down general principles to enable the
enquirer to determine the matter for him
self. 1t is held that he is entitled to a deci-
sion from the Church, for 1t has undertaken
to help his conscience.
The spirit Of Professionalism is different. 1t
says, slet every man be persuaded In his
own mind" It lays down no absolute laws
regarding the regulation of the religious
principles, the application of which it leaves
to the individual judgment Of the Christian.
As for casuistry, seeing there was nothing
like in all the moral teaching of Christ
and his apostles. Professionalism attempts
none. 1t holds that if the eye be single to
Gods glory the whole body will be full of
light. If a man desires to know the will of
" UhO " A. Oh 4AAAA " 49,
up special difficulties as they arise. There
has never been but one attempt in ProUes-
tantism to open an Office for the solution of
Of cases of conscience, and it was ridiculed
out OF existence as a "scruple shop" When
a man has a perplexed conscience, he will be
best served by, going, not to. some ''scruple-
shop" but to the Great Physician. A mans
own common sense, under the enlightenment
of the Holy Spirit. is sufficient to guide him
in ell the essentials of genuine inward
piety.
This spirit of Professionalism results di-
reetly from her doctrine of what Christian
ity is. Christianity is not a set OF rules and
doctrines, however excellent, even though
given by God Himself. It is a disposition of
heart, of faith toward God and good will to
men. The only value of rules from the
church and from God is to produce this.
The Roman Catholic conception has been
lately given by Father Hewitt in the Amer
icon Catholic Quarterly Recie.0 Tor October,
1888. To him Christianity is Identical with
dogma, and dogma be defines as follows Up.
150:-'tA doctrine revealed by God and pre-
pared by the authority which he has APP
pointed, with the command to give the
firm assent of the mind to it, This defini-
ton has all the key words of the Roman
Catholic position-"doctrine,p authority"
command" firm assent
THE PROTESTANT IDEA.
The Protestant idea has nowhere been bet
ter stated than by Prof. Harnack of Ger
many in recent article in The Outlook.
He says.-'Protestants. however much they
may differ in Judgment as regards inspira-
ton and single dogmas, agree In the follow
ing-W That religion is a matter Of the
heart and life; % that the Christian faith
is wrought within US by God Himself, and
consists in child-like confidence in Him; 81
that it is confidence because of Christ and In
Christ, and hence it is also discipleship with
Jesus; and az that it establishes a direct,
free relationship between God and each In
dividual soul, which admits of no priests,
and endeares steadfastly even unto eternity"
And elsewhere b states the matter even
more concisely:-eThe Christian religion is
faith and life, disposition and deed, but not
blind obedience and dogma
This. then, is the essential spirit of Pro
testantism; sthe Christian religion is faith
and life, disposition and deed" And what
ever persuasion is consistent with these, a
Christian may hold. And now, look at q
few applications of this principle.
First-Belief that the Bible is inerrant is
not essential to Christian life and character.
DR.. Craig, the retiring moderator of the
General Assembly,. now in session at Sara