Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12

would have concluded as he did In re-
gard to meat, which, said he. III 1t
make my brother to offend. will eat
no more meat while the world stands"
so he might have said IF my writing
of epistles to the churches has caused
my brother to be offended. will write
no more while the world stands" GER
tain 1t Is that tones of comment. of
criticism, of explanation, of deductions
and erudition deluged Christendom,
filed libraries. evoked mental acumen,
created sects and promoted division,
beyond the writings of any other man
since the days of Father Adam.
Time, strength, ability. money. learn
ing, have each suffered exhaustion, and
the full force, intent and meaning Of
many things of Paulistic origin are as
much of an enigma, as dark and mys-
terlous as they were In ages long since
gone. Religion has been nearly smoth-
cred by an imaginary conclusion,
theology has been created as false and
allen to Paul's ideas as possible, and
polemical warfare and contradictory
exegesis have created more contention
and boodshed than all other contro-
versies combined.
Today there is warfare, but II is dis
similar 1t is less heated, less dependent
on technicalities or TRANSACTIONS,
more disposed to ignore abstruse
dogma, and probably with exceptions.
to be less confident and less assertive
than under the old condition; there Is
disposition to speak of Essentials
and non-essentials," to exercise GER
tain liberal charity, which, uncertain
of individual or sectarian decision. half
concludes that some other person or
creed may have some truth or be near
er right after all.
There is growing idea that the relig-
ious sentiment in man is funda-
mental and irremovable characteristic;
that IL bedded In the constitution of
humanity there must be in the divine
economy provision for its proper Guilt
walton and inevitable expansion; ideas
are seen to be a gigantic factor for
progress, and If, as Henry Ward
Beecher said. 1T is important that man
should believe. 1t is equally important
| that he should believe Alright" to cor
| rect an unbelieving drift, there has
| been for many years an earnest in
\ quiry after authority, an official, liv'ng
commentary on the New Testament
| Scriptures so as to determine the
transient from the enduring, the intent
of the writer, the co-existent condi-
| tons. and to eliminate from modern
|
ent in their time and age to both writ
err and reader of those invaluable epis-
ties. Some ideas associated with early
| Christianity were official, perma-
nent, enduring. eternal: they bore the
sign manual of authority. they were
| verified by signs aud wonders, they
were efficient. meeting all conditions, all
ages, all time; there was no dubiety
about these when first promulgated.
there need be none now If the scanty
| fragments are considered In their true
| light-a brief. historically dictated re-
search-so plain are these basic princi-
pies that "a wayfaring man though a
| fool need not err therein"
A vast amount of interested specula-
ton, of rivalry In schools, Of polemical
warfare and contradictory conclusion
have arisen because neither side had
claimed or invoked that revealing
light and spirit which would have been
1.-THE end of controversy" later, per-
sonal or organized supremacy dictated
on the field OF battle the articles OF
compromise, which were to end discus
sion and make the lion lay down be-
side the lamb"
The assumption OF authority was
partially silenced by law, confiscation
was the rebound from the thunders of
the vatican, the dicta OF the pope, and
the arrogance (so-called) of the moth
err church; Professionalism in vain as
sumed to array itself In the meretri-
cious garments OF the olden rule. but
alas, the very principle Of protesting
placed the clergy and the laity on the
same basis, and Hear the Church
gradually became belittled and nearly
obsolete. Sects multiplied under the
abused, unauthorized and dlsinte-
grating theory of private Judgment"
until hundreds have essayed on
specious pretext and unmistakable
craze to make for themselves and