Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1913-06-26

Ia without soms
particular significance
Transferring the scene TO the pres
ent day there are many voices con.
corning almost all subiects-social.
political. commercial and religious
but We confine our thought TO the
last. or the many voices on religion
mat might be considered, there is not
one but has some Specification. There
Is not q religious error OF the day
out contains some truth. There Is
some valuable Specification In II, and
from II the religions and orthodox can
oftentimes learn useful lessons. Prob
ably never in the history OF the world
nave the voices touching religion been
so confusing as now. and largely be
cause the most dangerous of them
carry come badge OF adherence &c
the word OF God and traditional reli
sion OF the best kind. There Is moth
Ing that should so concern a man M
relision-his relationship to God In
Volving his own veal or woe for eter.
nity-and he wants to know Just wha,
the truth IT,
With q goodly number the voice of
reason Is esteemed as safe. and as the
Christian religion Is a religion Of RI
tionality that voice has strong sup
port That the power OF reasoning Is
highly important is conceded. or God
would not ask man to reason together
with Him. But reason Is given a
place beyond its right. and the result
Is most unsatisfactory. and with many
there Is fanaticism and unreason. Of
which Paris vorshIpping a harlot Is
a suggestive result Men trusting rea-
son will either become thorough an
archists. or adopt some religion which
is the very antithesis OF nationality.
With some the voice OF the inner
spirit Is supreme. and by introspection
they are seeking to know what God 10
saying. This voice Is so variable that
no reliance can be placed on 1t, every
man becoming 4 law unto himself
The most grotesque experiences are
al this point engendered. and the way
Is open for the incoming OF all kinds
OF religious fallacies such as Christian
Science. spiritualisr. occultism. and a
brood OF other evils
With many the voice Of the church.
as such. 10 supreme. and when the
church. considered IN the light Of In
history. Is fairly treated its voice In
worthy OF the highest respect. II 10
never wise 10 neglect the great his
toric creeds. nor the church as speak
f,u shrruvh ranra.art.,Nw. ...t-k.,.
but IL the church as such is depended
On exclusively IL becomes ultimately
rhe voice Of a single person. and We
have the hundreds OF millions OF the
human race dominated by one person.
Il has been found that the church.
whether speaking through its popes or
councils. has certainly often been
wrong. and it cannot therefore i'm
plicitly be depended upon.
But with some the church speaking
at the last moment is to be needed
II IS contended that the church today
/ does not believe as IL once did. and
that because Il is more intelligent its
voice is to be Needed rather than the
church Of two or three centuries ago,
or even the church In the first centu-
ries Of the Christian era. This Is evil
deneed BY the tendency TO the reyt.
SIGN Of church creeds. and the argu-
ment for such revision IL that the
church does not believe as Il formerly
believed and should change its creed
The teachings OF the great divines of
the sixteenth and seventeenth ceutu.
nss. when theological thought was a,
its zenith. are thought TO be outgroxu,
and that the teachings Of the men OF
today. regardless OF their loyalty tc
the Bible. are 70 be Needed.
Il Is claimed that the Christian
teachers Of the earlier centuries dis
not know the truth. The German dis
tinguished apologize Lepsius make
the modern theologian say. Christian
ity has for nearly two thousand year
forgotten what the Master original,
taught. and perhaps neither Paul. no
John. nor Augustine nor Luther. no
Calvin ever understood who Jesus wa
and what lie wanted. The entir
church from the beginning OF tn
apostolic age TO the present gener,
ton has been one great misundei
standing and blunder" We nigh
ask. is il likely that the further W
get away from the source of religion
teaching. the clearer will be our view
is II likely that the German and En-,
lish Ia:Ional!sts know the truth be
ter than Jesus Chsist. and Paul an
Iohns
There is another voice and that
God speaking through the Bible. q
the special providence Of God thu
book has been preserved throux
many centuries Sc hstantially as IL wa
given TO the holy men of old, and III
reader Of today can go TO his EngIls
Bible with just as much confidence 1
It's safe guidance as those who ha,
died TIE original manuscripts. Th
Rible Is a safe guide In doctrine an
practice AS to doctrine. II contain
the faith once for all delivered
the saints. to which there have bee
no additions. and from which ther
have been 10 subtractions. The hi
tory OF individual nations by whol
the Bible has been sincerely respecte
and made q guide. shows thu
prosperity Of all kinds has followe,
and hopes for the future have bee
NEST satisfying.