The Washington herald., 1907-09-16
POETS AS PROPHETS
DR.. Van Schaick Agrees with
Pastor in Heresy Case.
LIBERALISM IN RELIGION
Man Who Believes in something "a
the Truth of God, Says Washing
and Heart Open TO Revelations of
Every Age, IL a True Liberal.

What Is Liberalism in Religion?" was
the subject Of the sermon of Rev. John
Van Schaick. pastor Of the Church OF
our Father at the service of yesterday
Aorning-
S'From the text in St Johns, He will
guide YOU unto all truth" he outlined
the progress in the religions OF the world,
characterizing the liberalist as the man
with the open mind and inquiring spirit
In a recent newspaper dispatch" said
DR. Van SChaick. attention was directed
10 another heresy case in Ohio. A leading
Methodist Of that State is under fire be-
cause he declared that poets are prophets.
/ Emerson, Carlyle, and other poets and
/ philosophers said he. are prophets OF
God. just as were Isaiah and jeremiah Of
old His utterances may be summed up
in the phrase, God has not ceased TO
speak 70 men.
Claims Bible Not Only Revelation.
what this noted Methodist said in
/ brief was that the Bible is not the only
revelation of the Word Of God That
Isaiah, jeremiah. and others are not the
only prophets Of God, but that God re-
veals Himself TO us to-day.
II cite this case because il illustrates
what I mean by liberalism in religion.
/ In recent book Or. Sunderland defines
/ religion as a temper, an attitude OF soul.
The liberal Is the man with the open
mind and inquiring spirit. A Unitarian
/ is not necessarily a liberal \ Catholic is
| not necessarily bigot The Unitarian
may be the biEot. The Catholic may be
[ the liberal Whether Unitarian or Catho-
/ lie, the liberal believes that truth IS safe.
and. as John Robinson declared 10 the
/ Pilgrims God has stiH more things to
bring forth to us out of His Word
Instances When God Spoke.
NO man has put IL so we'll as Emer-
The word unto the prophet spoken
Was writ on tablets Jet unbroksn.
Not only amid the thunders OF Sinai
did God speak. but amid the thunders Of
Waterloo; not only when Elijah lay under
! the juniper bush. but when George Wash
iuEtOn knelt AZ Valley Forge. Not only
when Isaiah said. Comfort We. comfort
We, my people but when Lincoln stood
/ up before q great multitude that no man
could number and said, With malice
toward none. with charity for al. with
! frmness in the right as God gives US to
/ see the right
What True Liberal Is.
Dr. Van Schsick spoke Of the liberal
movement in Italy. and showed that not
only among the Christians is progress
| being made. but among the Buddhists
and Confucians Of China. and the Mo-
hammedans of Syria, Persia, and Turkey.
/ In closing. he said:
NO mere indifference is liberalism.
Because We have broken with old dogmas,
we are not necessarily liberal. We must
/ be alive TO truth. We must thrill with
the JOY of discovery. We must count IL
/ a privilege 10 suffer for the truth.
NO man who patronizes all Creeds
alike, no man who Is tolerant because he
| is good-natured, and does not care. is a
/ true liberal First and foremost. the
liberal must believe in something as the
truth Of God. and then keep his mind and
heart open to the revelations of every
age"