The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-02
REV. HAY WATSON SMITH
Answers Some of the Charges That Have Been
Recently Made Against Him.

while not essential to saving faith or
subsequent spiritual growth. We have
simply deceived ourselves with. such
words as fundamental" essential"
cardinal" On the superstition that
between these fundamental doctrines
on the one hand, and a Christian char
acter on the other, there is a necessary
and vital reciprocity, we should expect
as uniform consequences these two
things: first, hat those who are ig-
norant of these doctrines should be
found low in the scale of Christian
living; secondly, that those most thor
oughly 'conversant with them should
stand correspondingly high in such a
scale. Do facts bear out such an
expectation? Hav they ever borne il
out?
In the first place, multitudes of men
and women, the latter especially, who
are not only profoundly ignorant of
these doctrines. but who could easily
be shown to have radical misconcep-
tons OF them, yet exemplify in their
lives the spirit of Christ in the beauty
of holiness. Does ony one suppose
that they would be greatly improved
by a course in theology? And il a
proper conception of our so-called fun
damentals be SO vital to holy living,
how account for the Christianity of lit
tie children, the loneliness of whose
character has such high commenda-
tion?
In the second place, the very men
who are sound when
judged by doctrinal standards, are.
in the light Of h life of Christ often
times to be but whited sepulchres. The
church of God has never been afflicted
with un~progressive Scribes, with dip
lomatic priests, or with merciless in
quisitors, who have not baptized their
traditionalism, their duplicity, and
their cruelty, in the name of sound
doctrine; while in any branch of the
church today, whatever it's creed, what
is called orthodoxy is entirely consist
ent with ~selfishness and bigotry.
1 do not underrate the value of q
thorough knowledge of theological
dogma. No minister is adequately
equipped without such knowledge.
But to eXalt oneself as in favor with
God on the ground of assent to theo-
logical doctrine, usually a mere inher-
rltance, and to pass cOndemnatory
Judgment on others, is simply to repeat
an old tale in new phraseOlOgy. Is
there not a certain familiar sound about
this? God, l thank thee that 1 am not
as other men, Roman Catholics, Unita-
rians, or ever as this higher critic. I
am a Calvinist: I believe in the plenary
verbal inspiration of Scripture.
But, it may be said, while belief in
the divinity of Christ does not guar
antee a sound character, yet denial of
that doctrine raises another question.
A man may believe that the axioms of
science are true, and yet himself be
untruthful; but for him to deny the
truth of such axioms would be to con-
vict himself of mental insanity. So,
a~nalogOuSly, while to accept d.
vintiy of Christ is no proof of a truly
Christian spirit, yet to deny so self
evident a truth indicates intellectual
imbecility. UnqueStionably the objec-
ton is pertinent. AS to the validity of
the analogy, and therefore it's force,
only this need be said: When it can
be shown that many of the ante-Nic-
enc fathers were intellectual imbeciles,
and that such men as Milton, Locke,
Webster, Martineau, Fiske and others,
belong to the same class of unfortu-
mates, the point may be conceded. 1t
is plain therefore that doctrinal stand
ards, to say the least of it, are preca-
rious tests of character, religious or
intellectual.
OBJ Instead of being an automatic
truth, the question of the person of
Christ is a profound metaphysical
problem, and God has not conditioned
the alvat of men on a right solu-
ton of such problems. The author OF
THE Spirit n the incarnation says
page 179), the subject is one of SUI
preme difficulty"
The great majority Of men have no
conception of what the divinity of
Christ means. Those that I have talk
ed with, including several ministers
and highly intelligent elders, could ap-
peal only to pre-eXistence, miracles,
and s~inlessness, in support of this doc
trine. If, therefore, Gabriel had be-
come incarnate, had been kept %sinleSs,
had worked miracles, and had been
raised from the dead, all Of which may
be conceived as possible under Gods
spirit, such persons might be at a loss
to know why he should not be consid-
cred divine.
But some one may say that Peters
confession, Thou art the Christ, the
Son Of the Living Cod" settles at once
the question of Christ's divinity, and
following words from DR.. Stevens,
professor Of systematic theology in the
Yale divinity school, himself a firm
believer in this doctrine, at least shows
that with some very able men such
an Interpretation is questionable:
Most recent scholars also agree that
the term Son of Cod, as used in the
s~ynoptics, is primarily an ethical one.
The term is not used in a metaphysi-
cal ems as denoting community of es-
sence. If the use of the title involves
something more than ethical union, it
must be by suggestion and implication,
rather than by direct assertion. Those
viii hold that it implies no such sig
~nificance may fairly challenge their
opponents to show a it does. They
stand upon the direct and primary
reference of the title n may main
tain that it's import is exclusively ethi-
cal until something more is shown to
be involved in it." (The Theology of
the New Testament. page 61.)
thing more is involved, but in endeav-
oring to prove it we pass into the rath-
er uncertain region of metaphysics,
where we tai of essence n sub
stance" things of which we know alb
solutely nothing. To repeat; the prob
lem of Christ's person is an extremely
difficult one-one that is now engaging
afresh ~theologians of all schools-and
God does not condition the salvation
of men On a proper understanding of
such problems
(c) Perhap I should not appeal to
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