Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-10
PRAISES PART OF LIBERAL
SPIRIT IN Christianity
Or. Bowie Declares Cnitnrinnism
Has Made Great Contribution
To Religious Thought.
TWO PRINCIPLES IN CONFLICT
One Presses Beyond Old Definitions
To New Applications, While the
Other ChcrisIics Traditions and
Kcycrcni Associations.


THAT the liberal spri, is always
needed in christianity II the Chris
tian church is to win the life OF each
new generation. and that Unitarian
ism. in spite OF what he believes to
Il" ttS great limitations. has made "A
contribution to religious thought
which is entitled to the rcspcc; of all
CHRISTIAN people, WAS the message
OF i:ov. W. Russell Bowie, ID. d.. I'm
MS sermon at ST. paul's last night.
Or Howte's subject was The Contri-
nut ION Of Liberalism 10 Christian
Thought, with Special Reference 10
thc strength and Limitations oG Uni
thr!anisn. and he said in part:
In all the history OF human life
tnere nave been continually two
principles. seeking. sometimes In
conflict with one another. fo- express
Tn"re Is the spirit which presses
beyond old definitions to new discov-
fics ana new applications, and there
w spirit which chcrish.s the
ION 81 mat in which men long have
believed. because these two icndcn-
g'tS are "pp"site, they sometimes
Sem I" draw l!fc apart in sharp am
,agun.am. Yet. in the long run. both
a.! Them must have their place in
the creation OF Il fun experience
Both HIVE Their Place.
In the history OF religion ana in
tE' .IStoIS oil tnFlSt!an4t. nIrtlCi-
.arly. both these influence. hav. had
their necessary place The spirit OF
.ibcra!ism OF which ] want 10 speak
ton ght, is represented by some OF tbs
',ht"lt personalities OF history. The
neral is the man who. with u
| lie"chirss aspiration for freedom IN
thousht and in experience, advances
! h.yon1 many OF the formulas O: his
| m: and may even be considered Il
''htI AGAINST authority. st. Paul was
snprrmc liberal. lie hroEe WIKI
. % a.
tn" Jewish Church To boldly
t,fti 20 set up new standards FOR
-Ar!5tian faith ana practice which
."-!d'd with the Views OF the more
conservative elements IN tn. .ariv
'hrist:an Church He Formulated
n"wy :ntrrprctat!ons Of old truths ana
'a.t" thcm prevailing
Martin Luther. tn. champion of tho
~ itfhh'ioh. was as" erca, liberal.
ne chaIengei the n enIoUs strn
lure oi medieval !lith and practice
on OF New Testament truth.
Jumps Erooks, in rnc,l years
ah "Taamplc Of -" l.hsra. srit!,
| q! View within it's own church organ
| cation Al! thee" men. though ,n;ny
r 1 I'm IN IN the.. I'm" AHye made
tni Ike which are !acs,m d..
Conspicuous among the or;ai.izod
/ representatives. Of liberalism Il, tac
nr"scn; time aro tho t'uii5.riaus
''HN ~" talt t"I.tu tUur.. ats cl-,
.f'fv ilGI1;H t!rIS. 1f.vu its rtue,,.~..
'"ins TO ie u Re, .uI lts .te .,k!ng
MT tremendous r,I,.l 81 q. angel
r"n. Ist.oU. wah ul..-8 IN.
'.' stan Church r..tt. ~.
.t'si pnN,r Eut Il H.s ,.uG,.aI
AsilFh. ,,,t"lu dlsl.,t sag.
- II hts e rar,teU i. sp.r.t WHICH
i'.I"'. nrtay ."iuu !c. and rNai-
/ .asts syp. f..is ~ lc 81 tie inn
. tatson 81 an c.ystlar pr,pic
/ Tell. of rise in America.
/ ..n.am who DOES ...t study tl.o his
+ tory 81 IS rls" in Ancsi.a Il d.
! lnrcd IS - urutcst - .Ns, tAtt c!d
.vo'oaE 81 NtN Ena.:.md, which htJ
va r!Eid VIII form. ism. .rd sod
@ s'd To rec IN !tS tu"rl.E. tho
/ arc'S Of u Sgus.'t.. ,tui.al ruu-
science. Cnltari uism .ss.icI thsr
! "n."pi.cn OF Cod when certain u.a
/ 81 "nen.ent hr'! made morally iucrv
I tH!o. II rca$Scrtcd the ,rulr.I mcs-
. sage o! JrSua-thc m,ss.Sc Gi God
l"Nc, which IS The heart uf the l.. rahte
, @! thr prcG!..i son II iiltcd up also
INT" new recognition the message oI
/ IT," essential dignity Of man
| HUi the particular theological cou-
triuut.ors of Unitarisnism were sub
'rlinate In worth to the intellectual
! spirit in which these contri BUTTONS
We're made. II asserted the principi.
"f freedom. IL made clear that no
the human spirit To seek unfr,tcrrt
the fulncss OF truth. This spirit. ot
course. may lead TO dangerous cX-
Ccsscs. but il was the spirit OF i'aui.
t''u" 10 the mind OF Christ.
The limitations of Cui;arianism
seem to me as real as is its strength.
III the iirst place. il scarcely seems
aware that It's doctrine Of God de-
Ponds for it's ultimate assurance upou
nj
which Trinitnrianiism safeguards.
The God OF love. whom the Unitari, a
Ehurch breaches, is only known 20
US historically through the person
atty of Jesus. II is only as ~.
recognize Jesus to be in His will ana
purpose the express Image of His
certainty in our conception OF Tho
klnd of God we worship. The
warmer and more earnest tyne Of
Cnit"rianism is actually built unon
essential Deity Of Christ than it pro
icsscs.
sun Grrntcr Limitation.
On mo other hand. Il still greater
limitation in the work OF Unitarian
iisn has come from the fact that
its history, h:s almost Inevitably led
, u 10 Kind Of preaching which
1Jnrl*,i IL Viii go long distances in
iiohoring Him. but il has stepped
,inn , uTio ss'ipp.ry ground Of mega
| FoNtllrncS lcIuS more
ahu more TO the denial OF the cS-
scntlai place Of Jesus in RELIGIOUS
experience. until this tendency may
culminatc in such an end as the re-
} cent charge Of one of the largest
Unitarian churches in New York
WIN lis minister and nearly all It's
conversation. into the so-calIch
community church. with its refusal
TO recognize Jesus Christ as being
any more the focus OF it's LOYALTY
than other religious teachers OF tho
world This. OF course represent
he extreme left wing of Unitarian
ism; but it cXemplifirs that sort OF
depreciation OF the place OF Jesus il
the Christian consciousness. which i.
danger In all UuitariAnism. and
which lies at the root of tho com.
parat!vc lack of evangelical fcrvol
and missionary zeal. which some
even of the friends Of Enitarianism
recognize 10 lac its limitation.
Next Sunday night DR.. Bowie will
preach on The Necessary Place in
Christian Thought OF the Historical
: and Traditional Spirit"
Engineers VIII Meet.
state Economics" will he dis
cussed by Colonel Leroy Hodges 10.
..,l, y,