Evening journal., 1911-02-13
ADVANCE OF
PROTESTANTISM
Pastor Jackson Discusses
Subject in Sunday SermOR
at Hanover
PoINTS OUT OBJECT
OF THE RELIGION

In Hanover Presbyterian Church
last night, the Rev. r. l.. Jackson
preached on "The New Protestant
ISM" taking his text from Galations,
5: l. stand fast, therefore, in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made
US free"
After reciting the protests which
eliminated In the Protestant Church,
Mr.. Jackson said:
Such was the protest of the first
protestants. IL marks mighty ad-
vance Of the spirit of man. II opens
new stage of human progress. But
as epoch making, as it is, it is by
no means a finality The logic Of
human development demands that il
be considered, only as the basis and
beginning of further protests. II IS
the glory of Ch h-istlanity that it ad-
mits Of and demands an increasing
process of protest. The people of
Luther's time experienced a most
vital and radical emancipation, but
they were not ready to take full ad-
vantage of all its implications They
could not throw off the mental and
religious habits of centuries in a sim
gle generation. 1t is not to be Won
de ed that they should cling to con,
cepticns more or less characteristic
of the old regime, thus making neces-
sary new protests. The so-called new
Professionalism Of the present day -
not break with the old Professionalism
but a movement of thought and life
within the pale of organized evange-
lical Christianity TO make explicit, the
principles and ideals implicit in the
old. Il is not a new religion. II is
not a new theology II is not a
propaganda Of an unevangelical form
of the Christian faith. Il does not
set aside the old gospel. The gospel
is still the power of God unto sal a.
tion unto every one that believeth.
The new Professionalism is the old
Professionalism unfolding its latent
principles and potencies in response
to the new exigencies Of a new age.
II is both a protest against and an
advance beyond certain conceptions
Of doctrine and life which obtain i'm
the Christian church.
Protest Against Bible View.
1T is a protest first. against a view
of the Bible, which modern historical
study has made untenable, against
the view which regard it a. r1oh
/ all of whose parts are Of equal in
spiration and authority. No sensible
i man will contend that the lmpreca.
tory psalms are Of equal inspiration
/ and authority with the thirteenth
Chapter of Pauls first epistle to tn,
Corinthians. The application Of thu
historical method shows the Bible L
be both a growth and the records O
a growth. The Bible is the recording o
an age long process Of life, culminar
ing in the manifestation of the lif
of the son of God. The historica
method OF viewing the Bible in n
wise destroys its supernatu al char
acter or lessons its authoritativenes
in matters of faith and practice.
Doctrines as Religious Tests.
1T is a protest In the second plac
against the practice of making doc
trinal subscription the test Of true re
ligion. Theology is no more religio
than biology is life The new Prot
estantism believes in doctrine, bu
not as a test of or a substitute for Lie
Intellectual assent to the plan of sal
vation is not salvation. Mere belief i
the deity of Christ does not make on
! a Christian. A Christian is one VIII
is like Christ. Lastly, it is a protes