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

those similarly affected, so-called
church, one truly their very own"
The love of notoriety. fame. influence,
power, money. has been each in turn
the master key in irresponsible hands.
fitting into the complicated wards of
demand, weakness and ignorance;
even good desire. love of right. the
hunger of the soul, the innate longing
for God and truth, securing full oft
willing utilization, with that moral
and financial support which tells its
own story. not only of yearning but of
gullibllity also, and the working of un-
seen influences, which, seldom ac-
knowledged. are yet real and tangible
In all the history of mankind.
1t Is customary now for this diversity
of presumed religious teaching and
theory to distinguish between the
orthodox and the heterodox" of the
Christian world; these terms have been
much abused and often misapplied;
churches have denounced their neighbor
churches: Individual teachers in indi-
vidual churches have denounced, tried
and expelled teacher after teacher for
heresy, the court of appeal deciding ac-
cording to accepted standards, such as
confessions and articles of faith, the
writings of their founders and from
catechlsms, rubrics, discipline, etc.
Thes' :andards are mainly man-m made.
and nothing greater than human
endt. mt: as an illustration, the
old Wesleyan organization insists that
the ministers alone are orthodox who
preach the ideas enshrined In Wesley
commentaries, and his first five vol
umes of sermons" and the trust deed of
chapels precludes In England preach
ing different from this. under the PEN
atty of conflscation; new light in
science, new light on, religion, new light
on the Scriptures or truths therein. not
already adopted into said standards.
are heterodox and in fact debarred.
The Calvinistic church bars itself by
the institutes of Calvin" the Presby-
terrain in great part by its catechism
and confession of faith, the Episcopal
by its thirty nine articles. including its
prayer book and rubrics as ISSUED by
authority" and every church and con-
venticle, every sect large or small
| erects its standard of truth and doc
trine, which. however. none may aug
ment, dispute or repudiate. or doing SC
| they are no more accounted orthodox
| but as heterodox, heretics and outside
| the pale.
From this conclusion there needs nc
particular appeal. but is 1t not true
that they all claim to be Christians
followers of Christ, and exponents OF
| Christianity? They think 1t unjusth.
able censure to question their ortho.
doxy. to comment on their divergence
from and infidelity to the author and
finisher" OF the Christian systematic
| Christian faith; they are less con-
| cerned about divergence from historic
| Christianity as found in the records OF
every pulpit cushion OF the land, thar
on denial OF some insignificant article
| or dogma, or discipline of the Church
| espoused. If these churches We're hall
| as tenacious OF their historic Masters
| teaching, of the institutions He an.
pointed, the order He gave, the spirit
! He promised. the organization He es.
| tablished, the absolute authority II,
held. they would no more be like tn,