Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-08-30

- and none of them
is without some
particular significance
Transferring the scene to the pres
ent day there are many voices con.
corning almost all subjects social
political. commercial and religious.
but We ooniine our thought TO the
last. or the many voices on religion
that might be considered. there is not
one but has some Specification. There
is not religious error of the day
but contains some truth. There IL
some valuable Specification in IL. and
from IL the religious and orthodox can
oftentimes learn useful lessons. Prob
ably never in the history OF the world
have the voices touching religion been
so confusing as now. and largely be-
cause the most dangerous of them
carry some badge OF adherence to
the word OF God and traditional reli-
gion of the best kind There is moth
ing that should so concern man as
religion-his relationship TO God in
volving his own veal or woe for eter-
nity-and he wants to know just what
| the truth is.
With "a goodly number the voice OF
reason Is esteemed as safe. and as the
Christian religion is religion of ra'
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 worshipping a harlot ID
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 IL supreme. and by introspection
they are seeking 10 know what God IL
saying. This voice Is SO variable that
no reliance can be placed on IT, every
man becoming Law unto himself.
/ The mos, grotesque experiences are
at this point engendered. and the way
| Is open for the incoming OF all kinds
of religious fallacies such AS Christian
Science. spiritualism. occultism. aud
brood OF other evils.
With many the voice OF the church.
as such, is supreme. and when the
/ church. considered in the light OF its
/ history. is fairly treated its voice IL
worthy of the highest respect. II rs
! never wise TO neglect the great his
Il Oh l.
| ing through representative ministers.
/ but II the church as such is depended
/ on exclusively II becomes ultimately
/ the voice of single person, and we
/ have the hundreds OF millions OF the
/ human race dominated by one person.
! II has been found that the church.
whether speaking through It's popes or
councils has certainly often been
wrong. and 1t cannot therefore i'm
plicitly be depended upon.
But with some the church speaking
\ at the last moment is to be needed
/ IL is contended that the church today
I does not believe as II once did. and
that because II Is more intelligent its
voice Is to be needed rather than the
4
/ or even the church In the first centu
/ ries OF the Christian era. This is evil
denced by the tendency to the revi-
sion OF church creeds. and the argu-
ment for such revision Is that the
church does not believe as 1t formerly
believed and should change its creed
The teachings of the great diyines OF
ries. when theological thought was at
/ its zenith. are thought to be outgrown.
/ and that the teachings OF the men OF
today. regardless OF their loyalty to
the Bible. are to be needed
II lis claimed that the Christian
teachers of the earlier centuries did
not know the truth. The German dis
tinguished apologize Lepsius makes
the modern theologian say, Christian.
ity has for nearly two thousand years
forgotten what the Master originally
taught. and perhaps neither Paul. nor
John. nor Augustine nor Luther. nor
Calvin ever understood who Jesus was
and what lie wanted The entire
church from the beginning OF the
apostolic age 10 the present genera
ton has been one great misunder.
standing and blunder."
There IL another voice and that is
God speaking through the Bible by
the special providence OF God that
book has been preserved through
many centuries substantially as it was
given TO the holy men OF old and the
reader OF today can go to his English
bible with just as much confidence in
- safe guidance as those who han.
"a A. tl' y nsauscripts