Year: 1872

Holiness q Hobby.


1t is quite possible, as people say, to have


"too much of good thing" or in other words
to make good thing disagreeable in its pre-
sentation and in its acceptance by continually
harping on or ''hobbying" it. This, we fear,


is what the present advocates of the doctrine
of holiness are doing throughout the country.
They mean WELL we dare say, but we question
whether zeal is according to knowledge. The
doctrine Of holiness, both of heart and of life,
is not new one invented or promulgated for
the first time by the National Camp Meeting
Association of the United States. 1t is histori-
oally as old as the Jewish Church, and is nearly
as old as Creation itself A God of holiness and
purity must naturally and necessarily expect
those qualities and graces in His children. He
has made provision in His Gospel and in His
economy of grace for their attainment, and
were people properly instructed in these things
there is no good reason why the Christian
Church should not as readily accept ''full
salvation" as partial salvation, which the advo-
Gates Of holiness imply and assert the Church
has only yet attained t9. s.~.s


This movement in these latter days origi-
mated among the Methodists, but within the
past three years it has embraced Baptists,
Presbyterians and Quakers. A national asso-


citation has been formed in this country, and


two Methodist pastors haye given themselves
Up wholly to tGs preaching Of of this doctrine.


They travel thousands of miles annually, North


and South, East and West, declaring this doc


trine from pulpits and platforms and through


the press, and they count large accessions to


their way of faith. But there is an egotism


and self-assertion about its presentation that


mar the beauty Of the thing itself, and make


it disagreeable rather than acceptable to the


multitudes. The advocates and teachers of
this doctrine to a great extent hide the
Saviour's work for human redemption behind
that of the Holy Spirit, and in their own lives
and conversation they too often say to the less
fortunate or less sanctifed, s'Stand back, for
am holer than thou" Hence, though there
are goodly number Of professors in many of
the Churches, the doctrine is not at all pop
ular among the people. However it has in
it the elements of tenacity and of success,
and though they may be called "a pack
of FOOLS" as it is reported they were so called
by prominent Methodist minister a few days
ago at the Sea Cliff camp meeting, they will
keep hammering away until they make them
selves heard and felt and, like the abolition
lists of other days, they may get the senti-
ment of the Church around to their own by
and by. But before that day comes they
must change their expressions and modes Of
presenting this great truth to the people


The professors of holiness draw very largely
upon St Paul for their understanding and
assertion of this doctrine But they seem to
ignore the fact that that great Christian
teacher did not confine himself wholly to this
doctrine. Indeed, it forms comparatively
small part of his teaching. He was much
more anxious that those to whom he preached
should believe in and accept the Lord Jesus
Christ and then he encouraged the converts
to 60 on unto perfection and to grow up into
Christ, their living head, in all things. The
Saviour, too, in all His teachings, conveyed |
the idea that the Christian life is develop |
ment Of the spiritual in man, not sudden
from one state to another. With
Him the kingdom Of heaven is like unto
grain of mustard seed, which springs forth and
develops into great tree, or like leaven hid
in measures Of meal which is gradually con-
verted into bread or like treasure hid in
field, which by gradual process of labor must
be sought after. 1t is on this point that the
great mass of Christians differ from the few
leaders of this doctrine. The former read and
la1;aya <bot ,,orfacf;o,, v,,,rfx f;o,,
or holiness of heart, as the experience is inter-
changeably called is growth in grace, con-
stantly developing process of spiritual life.
The latter believe that it is an instantaneous
work, and that, after their explanation Of it,
any man may obtain it who seeks for it; and
on this rock they split These deny practi-
cally that the publication of the human heart
may be both gradual and instantaneous, and
hence, during the encampment at Sea Cliff
grove, Rev. Mr.. Inskip is reported to have
said, in substance if not in words, that un-
sanctifed persons according to his under
standing of it) were unsaved. 1t is this kind
of dogmatc assertion, and limiting of the
Almighty to particular modes of operation,
that causes so much trouble in the Christian
Church, men ore so apt to forget that Gods
ways are not as our ways nor are His thoughts
as our thoughts. We are none of us likely to
become too holy; but if holiness is desirable
it should be made at least as attractive to the
masses as the Scriptures present it, and it
should not be made hobby to the exclusion
of other equally important Christian doc
trines. No minister who confines himself
solely to this can be said to teach the whole


counsel of God, and the man who thus fails
miserably fails. We recommend Messrs. In
skip and Company to give this doctrine its


proper place in the line of Christian truths, but