Evening journal., 1914-05-13

wish TO preface my report OF the /
year by a few remarks on the spirit
Of religious discussion.
One of the chief needs of our time |
Is clear thinking and clear speaking. !
In various ways it has become ap- |
parent that the Church needs more |
clearly to apprehend the principles /
and laws of her being and this need !
In the Church is only one instance /
of a general need showing itself in !
every aspect of life. Out of the ieep /
OF confusing complications do we call |
uDon God Whose Name stands for |
fundamental simplicities. There have /
been, and are, all about us strong |
Tendencies to Indifference and in |
|dehniteness. indifference to underly- |
ing principles largely due to the con-
fusion caused by the variety of their
manifestations, and Indebtedness due |
partly to superfciality in thought,
bartly to dread of controversy What
ever be the causes. good or bad,
necessary or avOidable, there is about
as much haziness in thought and in
decision in action, not least in the
recent history of Christian Churches.
Our own Communion seems to have
developed a policy of drift, as the
result of the easy optimism Of shall
lOwness in thought and feeling which
feels IN unjustifed confidence lha'
all must go well with those who
habitually follow the line of least re-
sistance. The Bishop of Oxford has
recently said of the Church of Eng
land: 1--WE have let Ouselves drift,
and have been disposed TO rely upon
The alleged habit of the Church of
England to avoid plain expressions
of principle, and TO tumble along.
trusting that somehow il will emerge
intact from the chapter of accidents"
The same thing has been true of our
own Church in America.
Times are changing. It is more
and more clearly recognized by those
who have best right to be regarded
hs leaders in thought and in great
action that complexity in problems
Is no reason for neglecting effort to
grasp their underlying principles, and
that the only chance of solution lies
with those who can detect these.
| Clear thinking and clear speaking are
more and more in demand as indica-
lion of the sOberness of a maturity
not far removed from the thought
Is !nsistent demand for deeper intel
ligence of principles aud more con-
sitent application of them: and not
least is this call heard in the Church.
Sgns of the times indicate that we
a'e entering upon a fresh discussion
! Christian principles of critical inn
jortance for all time to come
We deprecate controversy; for the
synonym for bad-tempered utterance
Of conflicting views by those whose
motives seem to be selfish and whose
methods are often INSCRIPTIONS.
1 There has been too much of that sort
of thing; and we wish no more Of
II. Yet this dread of what is un-
/ pleasant in itself and unworthy Of
the Christian name makes us some
times forget that there may be good
tempered discussions edifying 20 all
concerned in them, since they repre-
sent not so much conflict as CO.
operation. There may be pain in il,
but salutary pain. No great thing
has ever been achieved for the raoe
but by birth-pangs of difficult investi-
cation. Religious discussion need
not be acrimonious, though unfor-
|.
viii feel strongly on the matters in
volved in proportion as they appre-
hend their real Significance and the
strong feeling will of necessity show
Itself in intensity of utterance. But
this is lutte compatible with the
spjrit of true charity. St. iaul,
most vehement Oi controver sialists,
was man of genuine tolerance. He
felt bound to state and tiercely
10 defend the truth; yet he never
failed to obey his own precept TO
speak the truth in love-
There lies ahead, or close about,
the men of our generation a fresh
duty of investigating and discussing
the principles of Christianity and OF
religion, and before ourselves a plain
duty of fuller apprehension Of the
principles of our own Church. In
tits work, both in its greater, and
n its lesser aspects, l hope we may
oil have some appropriate share.
wish to say a few simple and obvious
things of the way in which such work
should be approached. There are
two chief safeguards for preserving
q right spirit in the discussion of re
ligious questions, first. the sense OF
our relation to our Lord, and, second
the sense of our relation to Truth
Perhaps the two ought not to be dis
tinguished, for our Lord is the Truth
but they may serve to suggest, as we
think of ourselves in relation to those
who approach things from differenl
point OF view, that we have as tirn
basis of fellowship a common loyalty
snd a common hope, loyalty to the
One Lord Who knows all His ser
rants, and hope for the better Chris
tianity coming for our country anc
for the world.
1. At one of the General Council;
o. the ancient Church, at which th'
subjects discussed reused intense
feeling, and where the rivalries o.
leaders made it difficult to determine
questions of precedence, a better tone
Vas given to the proceedings by {
tymbolical suggestion that the chic
Person in the assembly was our Lore
Himself. In the apse of the basilica
in the semi-circle of seats reserved fol
the presbytery sat the Patriarchs an'
chief Archbishops present; but in thu
central seat of all, the Bisbopi
throne, was placed a copy of the Hol.
Gospels. a mute reminder of Him II
Whose presence all we're met, ant
40 Whose service all we're devoted
The thought implied in this sym
bolism was true one, and may wei
have deepened in the minds OF tn
assembled Bishops the truth which
was intended to suggest.
Too often in our discussions W