The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-09-18

In an article under the heading,
1.-The Tendency of Current Theological
Thought contributed to the "Homi-
letic Review" Rev. David James Bur-
rell, D. D., formerly pastor of ii
| Presbyterian church In Minneapolis,
but now rector Of the Dutch Reformed
Church of New York City, has the
following to say on the religious stu
alton in the Protestant churches:
THE examination for church mem
bership Is as rule, far less searching
in these times than that to which
candidates for Free Masonry are sub
jected. The fencing Of the tables is
quite out of fashion: and there is
practically no such thing as church
discipline.
And men are received into the
ministry in the same loose way. No
matter what they believe, gather them
I'M! The process known as The Ex-
animation of Candidates for the Min
istry' in ecclesiastical courts is usually
diaphanous farce. A theologue who
is prepared to say that he is more
than half inclined to believe that two
and two make four or that straight
line is the shortest distance between
two points. is morally certain to get
in. And once in, nothing but death
Heresy hunting is as preposterous IS
hunting the dodo. In many quarters
church symbols are dead letter; and
ordination vows are trifles light Al
air.
What Is the result? The Trojan
horse is lodged within the gates.
There are no notable and avowed inf
dels in the outside world today. The
last Of the old guard were Bradlaugh
and Ingersoll. Brave men, they! On
the heights above Elah they took their
stand, brandishing spears like weav-
ers' beams and shouting, We defy
the armies Of the living Cod TODAY
the only infidel worth reckoning is
that which masquerades in the livery
OF heaven. Out Of the Trojan horse
come men in canonicals, regardless VI
oaths, laughing at creeds, explaining
away the supernatural, flouting the
ordinances of Zion. and demanding
the right to be let alone while they
unbolt the gates.
First, as to the liberals of our
time. Whittier are they drifting:
When fragment of a heavenly body
leaves its orbit. the possibility of Its
return is infinitesimal; 1t wanders
lawessly evermore in boundless space
Truth is a circle; error Is tangent;
wherefore, as Paul says, 1t increases
unto more unrighteousness, it wakes
worse and worse. This is one Of the
planetary laws.
"The course Of liberal thought Is
in evidence. 1t seems but yesterday
when the boldest Of free thinking
clergymen in evangelical pupits coult
scarcely summon courage to deny thu
, entire truth Of any portion Whatso'
ever of the Scriptures; today there
are many who nout in toto the three
, miracles on which Christianity rests
, to-wit, the Incarnation. the Atonemen
and the Resurrection or Christ. Thee
is nothing strange in the denial; tn.
strange thing is that the deniers ar
i ministers of Christ, under oath I;
: preach and maintain the very do:
trines which they deny. This is no
q liberalism 1t is infidelity. 1t is no
merely infidelity; 1t is mendacity.
: is not mere mendacity; it is a hagran
G violation OF common honesty, an
: would be instantly branded as suc]
J. in any of the common walks of life
: The pastor of the City Temple, Rev
: Campbell, in London recently said
: We believe that Jesus is and was d
J. vine; but 80 are, we. His missio
Q was to make W realize our div!nit
4 and our oneness with God. The vir
gin birth story has beautiful meal.
. Ing in 1t. 1t showed the action 0
4 the divine spirit on humanity; but :.
: say that Jesus was born without "
. human father is untrue. Sin ts simpl
se,hshnsss--an offense against the Go
i - p Il. ~