The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-12
THE FATHERH00D OF GOD
REY. DR. DIC6ERMAN'S ABLE DIS-
 COURSE YESTERDAY MORNING.


 Remarks on Dr. Watson's Lecture on the New Dogma-Termed Significant-Dis- clplinary Punishment Instead of Ever iasting-Progressive English Presbyteri- anism.
 At the Church of the Messiah yes te-day morning the pastor, Rev. MT. Dickerman, delivered an able discourse on "Dr Watson's Significant Lecture on the New Dogma" Dr. Dickerman spoke from the text Eph iv, 13, IA: Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God, etc" He said that in England the Presbyterian church was very progressive, and in some parts of England and Scotland it's ministers are educated at Unitarian schools. "The English Presbyterian church," he said, lis more progressive than the church of the same communion in the United States, and Dr. Watson's church is one the most progressive. Dr. Watson's lectures here elicted in- terest, especially from the broad view taken of every subject discussed, and the fearless presentation of views that in some quarters might not be we'll re- ceived.
 Atthe time of the Augustinian teach ing everything was in solution in the church so far as dogma was concern ed
 Widely divergent opinion prevailed even in the time of the prophets. At last time came when it was desirable to know the mind of the church on various things, and so came the Latin period of Augustine a precipitous period which was followed by time of quiet. After this quiet period came the critical period, which comprises our own day. In the second period under the Latin church there was a precipi- tation of ideas from the solution. Dur ing this Augustinian age views were taught that would not have been tol- erated in the earlier church. So we may follow the foundation stone of dogma back to Augustinian. In the period following him there was little or no scientific effort. The church be- came wealthy and the priestly class be- came corrupt Dr. Watson called par ticular attention to the before mention ed critical period, when the scriptures were subjected to rigid examination. We are now in the period when the scriptures must be subjected to the tests applied to the other literatures. A few years ago this would have been considered profane, and thus is shown to what an entire revision of opinion on the matter we are subject Former ly the scriptures from Genesis to Rev eIations, must be accepted without crit icism or too close a scrutiny as to it's Authenticity. The Biblesis the result of evolution, as well as are other books.
 "Dr Watson took particular pains to ensure the young men to whom he lec- tured that the most enlightened bibli- cal critics of England remain Evangel- ical. It is not true that the great critics, Driver, Schriver and others hold to the absolute infallibility of the Bible, and that is Evangelical teaching. By Evangelical teaching Dr. Watson meant spiritual, deeply religious, not theological
 ''The art of apoliogetics in theology is the process by which we are made to believe what reason tells us is fake. How much better it is to change our minds without hedging and turning. What did Dr. Watson mean by "a per iod of mysticism?' He included theos- ophy and spiritualism. The doctor en- couraged great consideration of be- lievers in these ideas, as in some of them there is some philosophy. He de- parted from Calvinism when he said: Young men, you must accept goodness, with or without faith In some quar- ters 1t is hard to recognize goodness unless accompanied by professions of faith. That was a brave thing for Dr. Watson to say; a remarkable thing for a school man to say The new dogma, he said. was the declaration of the Fatherhood of God. This Is not a new thought. It is preached in all the or thodox pulpits of our land to-day, and 1t was not necessary for anyone to cross the ocean to tell us about it. It was a mater of surprise that this, with which we were so familiar, should be offered as new dogma. He mentioned Clement of Alexandria as an advocate of this dogma. He might have men, toned Ongin and the Jews who taught it. Why can't we be honest enough to put the credit where it belongs. The expression, Our Heavenly Father is found in every synagogue in this land to-day We need courage to speak the whole truth
 'The Fatherhood of God has been the leading idea of the liberal progressive churches of our country. Dr. Watson insisted that the young men should ad- vocate the idea of Father, who is not only loving Father, but one who will even plunge His children down to the depths of he'll itself to save them By this remark we See that Dr. Watson does not believe in an endless hell, but in punishment as disciplinary. The leaven of our fathers is gradually leav- ening the whole loaf. We must still maintain our position and advocate the love Of God as a Father until all these people admit the universal Fatherhood of God and the universal destiny of man."