The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-18

eemsnaries 10 which our future ministry
is being trained. are schools which, while
encouraging the widest and freest In
vestigation In every department OF sacred
learning, as fully and as firmly as ever
before hold fast to every article OF The
faith once delivered to the saints" This
important fact. we believe, ought to be
emphasized before our people, that the
mischievous impression, somewhat preva-
lent. may DO removed. that our church,
while still ostensibiy holding her ancient
creed. has secretly, In some measure, de-
parted from 1t, and that the faith OF our
people. narrowed by so many assaults may
be encouraged and strengthened by the
assurance that our teachers, with the best
opportunities to know, have found nothing
IN the modern progress Of learning that
calls for any modification or our doctrines
or reconstruction Of our creed.
No doubt. however. Il was we'll for the
assembly. in the discharge of her great
duty. TO recommend measures for the
preservation of charity. truth and holiness
in all the churches under its care TO de-
wise means for putting our ministry and
Churches on their guard against the errors
by which they are surrounded, for sleepisss
vigilance is as necessary 10 maintain the
spiritual purity OF the church as ii Is TO
prc5erse the rights and liberties of tn,
State.
III so brief a paper as this NUS ntces-
saiily be. only few of the most danger
Gus trrors of our day can be noticed.
l. The numerous assaults now made on
the Scriptures make 1t very important tnat
their divine origin ami plcnary inspiration
should be clearly proved 10 I'LL on. con-
grcsations. The views that men ente
tain as 10 thedr origin, necessarily deter
mine their views on all other religious :ub-
jects, II they regard them as the p.o-
duet ons OF mere men. thoy will attach to
their teachings 40 moro value than my
be ascrib,d TO human spec,rlations. Ii thcy
II gard them as made UP of divine and hui
man elements and 20 as composed OF truth
and error In unknown and unascertainable
proportions. they VIII exercise an ecle2t-
cgsm in refersncato their doctrines that WI
make human reason the final arbiter of
truth ami duty. But II they regard them
as revelation from God. written by holy
men as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost. they will accept them as IAN in
fallible rule OF faith and practice" and III
all matters of religious belief and duty will
bow TO their sovereign and r.ghtful autho--
ity Ncihing Is more important, then. rian
that all our people should be thoroughly
convinced that they are Just what they
claim to be-Iu.e word of esd. The arguments
On which our church has always relied to
es;lbhsh this claim. it should be shown.
hBye net in the slightest degree been in
val dated.
The heavenliness of their matter; the
majesty of their style the unity of all
their parts. although written by SO many
different authors; the numerous prophecies
which they contain. all OF which have been
fulfilled in so far as up to the present
iimie their fulfillment hes been called for;
the perfect principles of morality which
they inculcate the full discovery they
make Of mans moral and spiritual con-
dition. and the perfect provision they make
for all his wants; the character teachings
k.u{. 4 81.
almost innumorahie spiritual phenomena
they present that can not he satisfactorily
accounted for except on the superstition
that they are revelation from God, the
baneficent effects they have wrought in
the world--these and many other argu-
ments, 1t should be made clear. demon
strate that they furnish a foundation on
which men may rest the whole weight of
thsir eternal interests without any misgiv-
ngs thai then hopes shall at last go up
US dust" Only when congi egation 10
thoroughly persuaded that the Scriptures
are to them the voice of God, Is the way
fully open for successful incubation
amongst them OF their great truths.
2. The persistent, and often malignant,
attacks made on the doctrines of our
creed, impose ON our ministers, as we be-
lieye, the duty of fresh and thorough
vindicatlon of them Much of the litera-
ture of the day has so abounded with these
attacks. that a vast amount of prejuitie
has bsen excited against these doctrines
I'm tine public mind. Moreover. objections
have been made TO them that many OF our
own people do not know how to meet.
Difficulties have been raised in regard to
them that they do not know how to re-
move. They are confused, embarrassed,
helpless In the presence of these assaults;
and, therefore, they greatly desire to see
these doctrines cleared of the opprobium
,fl,a taut
oughly indicated and established on scrip
tural grounds. This, indeed, has now,
perhaps, In many places, become necessary,
IL our people are to be held in thorough
and hearty loyalty to our church, and are
TO be expected hencefopward to be Jealous
propagandlsts OF cur faith In the world
and 1t Is equally necessary II our church
successfully overcome the opposition thai
has been aroused against her teachings,
and is so to command the respect of men
for her doctrines rs to be able to exercise
controlling Influence over them. Let
these great doctrines, then, be reasserteo
and re established, that we hold constitute
the very essence of the gospel; and. there
FORE are just what men need, and wha'
1t is our duty to preach.
g. Very inadequate views as 10 tht
euormity OF sin seem to be quite prevalent
This seems TO be indicated in number
of WAYS. II Is indicated in much OF GU:
popular religious literature. Instead o.
works (suoh as our people once read
| that search tho soul as with Lighted
| candle, discovering and exposing its des
perate wickedness and the manifold in
| trleacies OF its deceitfulness, we have
books that deal with It's condition ~ I
very superficial way, TOO often healing
the hurt of the daughter OF Goi's peopl'
slightly, saying peace, peace, when there
Is no peace" 1t is Indicated. also, in som'
quarters by using the gospel as II 1t wer
"A means for merely improving human so
ciety instead of for the much more radica
purpose OF regenerating and sanctifyinl
human nature. 1t is Indicated, further, b.
the almost universal tolerance by TIN
church OF worldly practices very incon
sistent with true views of the Christian
life. 1t is still further indicated by th
claims some are making TO entire freedom
from sir-claims which II wouli seem tn.
could not make, II they recognized sin II
all the forms Of omission and commission
in which II Is presented in the word o
God, and saw 1t to be in all these ferns
the undesirable evil 1t is there repre-
scented
1t is OF the utmost Importance that ou
church should distinctly see that true view
OF ,he evll OF sin are in many respects alb
IsollIt6ly necessary. They are necessary 4