Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-19
:OUTSlDE POINT OF VIEW.

Written orithe lmes-Rcpublican.

The point has been raised that the re-
cent utterances OF Or. Hills concern
ing the creed of the Presbyterian
church are astonishing not so much
because he said what he did as because
for the past twenty-five years nobody
has believed in such Calvanistic doc
trine, and to thresh over this old straw
has produced nothing. Now GER
tain Presbyterian ministers and
Those of other denomina tons
closely allied are out in SER
mons which boldly agree With Dir.
Hills. We read Of meetings of presby-
teries asking for a revision of this
creed. Laity and pulpit say he should
not have no openlywcmfw pyshrd sh1'
mot have a trial for hercsy. And d large
number of the Presbyterian ministers
lof Chicago and elsewhere do not
want his resignation accepted But the
cold actremains that the creed is still
a part of the Presbyterian church. and
as eminent a Clergyman as thatschurch
possesses says such belief and doctrine
7 is monstrous--is not Christ like.
.ss
The explanation OF the discussion
caused by DIR. Hills utterances Is that
he has had the courage to say such
words and sentences are in the Presby-
teriaE creed--to call attention to the
dead letter on the statute book. The
time has arrived with DIR. Hills when
he is 10 longer silent concerning snch
belief and doctrine, but thinks 1t is
smonstrous to ask members joining the
church to subscribe to a creed which
neither the applicant for membership,
the church members themselves nor
the officiating minister believes in. All
this in substance has been said in this
lscolulnn many times, but 1t came from
IAN agnostic, an outsider. who according
| TO the theory of many, was better auas-
/ flied to discuss matters secular than
religious. But When DR.. Hills says the
doctrine of election is contrary to the
ideas Of Christianity, then behold What
a gathering there is to agree With him.
lin this line is a bit of personal ex-
I5perience. A few years ago talking
with consistent. not to say liberal.
| Congregational minister the writer
mentioned that he had once listened to
a sermon by Il Congregational minis
ister in which the statement was made
that an infant Of a spans length would
Ibe externally lost and damned under
certain circumstances; also that the
good mother of the writer was taught
and believed that if her baby was not
baptized and should die 1t would be
sent to everlasting punishment. And
on the strength of that this scribe was
1 baptized at a very early age. Now the
good man very politely asked: Are
/ you sure you heard such a sermon?
nj ia
tssermon being delivered hundred
| years ago." He. the minister. never
had listened to such doctrine in all Of
/ his religious education. He never had
heard of such sermon being delivered
of late years Now. then. 1T 500 hap
/ pens that this good friend OF this scribe
Twill probably read this article and the
4 writer wants to make this statement.
| That this minister OF an orthodox
church would not for various reasons.
! In the year 1900. think best to preach a
| sermon in which he should positively
| deny the damnation OF infants or the
saving power Of the baptism Of infants.
Just the same he does not believe such
monstrous doctrines. hut II he preached
ia fiat-footed sermon against them he
would create small tempest in a
teapot"
One Of the stock questions OF the day
sis, why people do not go to church,
Again. why do not young men attend
churches? Once more, why 10 religion
losing Its hold on the people? Now,
the writer 10 far from believing the
world p growing worse OF. that religion
is losing its hold on the people. But
OF the reasons why churches and
church membership sase not gsanins