Show lroCATD OPTIIOIXIM AND IIBTtltODOXV Every reader ot ecclesiastical history la tamlllar with tile bitter anti long drawn out controversies ot tho dark and mlddlo ages ns they were called I clerical casuists monks of the several ordre nnd protesting zealots vied with each other In speculating formulating or vindicating theories so threadlike In divergence and six profound In many cases that mentality fairly revelled In espun theories and subtle dU lnctlons such as neither affected morality spiritual life or the mental rasp oflany save the Initiated of the schools rrantlc appeals were made to tradl tlon to the fathom of the church and a t limes to the pcrlptuiis which were later made of private Interpretation to the making ot confusion more con I founMd It la even 10lble that had I lnul sten the results of his epistles he t woul have concluded as he did In regard re-gard to meat which said he If It make my brother to offend I will eat no more meat while the world stands so he might have said If my writing of epistles to the churches has caused my brother to be offended I will write no more while the world stands certain cer-tain II I 9 that tomes ot comment ot criticism of explanation of deductions and erudition deluged Christendom filled libraries evoked mental acumen created recta and Promoted division beyond the writings of any other man since the days of rather Adam Time strength ability money learning learn-ing hav e each suffered exhaustion and the full force Intent nnd meaning of many things of Paullstlo origin are as much of nn enigma ao dark send mys terlous as they were In agea long since gone Religion has been nearly smothered smoth-ered by an Imaginary conclusion a theology has been created as false and alien to Paul Ideas as possible and polemical warfare and contradictory exegesis have created more contention and bloodshed than all other controversies contro-versies combined Today there Is warfare but It Is dissimilar dis-similar It Is I less heated less dependent on technicalities or translations more disposed to Ignore abstruse dogma and probably with exceptions to be less confident and less assertive than under the old condition there Is I a disposition to speak of essentials and nonessentials to exercl a certain cer-tain liberal charity which uncertain of Individual or sectarian decision halt conclude that some other person or creed may have some truth or be nearer near-er right after all The Is I a growing Idea that the rellg Iou oenilmenl In man 10 n turula mnta and Irremovable characteristic that It bedded In the constitution ot humanity there must be in the divine economy provision for its proper cultivation culti-vation and Inevitable expansion Ideas are eeen 10 Ile 1 n gigantic factor for progress and If as Henry Ward needier Bald It Is I Important that man should believe It li equally Important that he should believe aright to correct cor-rect an unbelieving drift there has been for many years an earnest Inquiry In-quiry after authority an olllclal living commentary on the Ne Testament Scriptures so as to determine the transient from the enduring the Intent of the writer the coexistent condition condi-tion and to elimInate from modem application thoughts and oouns Upat cnt In their time and age to both writer writ-er and reader of those Invaluable epistles epis-tles Some Ideas associated with early Christianity were official p rma neut enduring eternal they bore the sign manual of authority they were verified by signs And wonders they were efficient meeting all conditions nil agco all time there was no dubiety about these when first promulgated I there need be none now If the scanty fragments are considered In their lruo IIghtn brief historically dictated research re-search so plain are these basic principles princi-ples that a wayfaring man though a fool need not err therein A vast amount of Interested speculation specula-tion of rivalry In schools of polemical warfare and contradictory conclusion have arisen because neither side had claimed or Invoked that revealing light and spirit which would have been the end of controversy later personal per-sonal or organized supremacy dictated on the field of battle the articles of compromise which were to end discussion discus-sion and make the Iron lay don beside be-side the lamb The assumption of authority was partially silenced bX law confiscation was the rebound from the thunders of the Vatican the dicta of the pope and the arrogance oclIed of the mother moth-er church Protestantism In vain assumed as-sumed to array itself In the jneretri clous garments 01 the olden rule but alas the very principle of protesting placed the clergy and the laity on them the-m basis and Hear the Church gradually became belittled and nearly obsolete Sects multiplied under the abused unauthorized and disintegrating disinte-grating theory of private Judgment until hundreds have essayed on specious pretext and unmistakable craze to make for themlnl und those similarly affected a socalled church one truly their very own The love of notoriety lam Influence power money has been each In turn the master key In Irresponsible hands ntttng Into the complicated wards of demand weakness and ignorance oven good desire love of right the hunger of the soul the Innate longing for God and truth securing full oft I a willing affiliation with that moral I and financial support which tells Its own story not only ot yearning but of gullibility also and the working of unseen I seen Influences which seldom ae knowledged are yet real and tangible In all the history ot mankind It la I customary npvv for this diversity of presumed religious teaching nnd theory to distinguish between the orthodox and the heterodox of the Christian world these terms have been much abused and often misapplied churches have denounced their neighbor churches Individual teachers In Individual Indi-vidual churches have denounced tried and expelled teacher after teacher for heresy the court of appeal deciding according ac-cording to accepted standards such as I confessions and articles ot faith the vrltlnga ot their founder and from I catechisms rubrics discipline etc Theo andards are tnktnly manmade I I I and i nothing greater than human I end int as an Illustration the old Wesleyan organization Insists that 1 the ministers alone are orthodox who preach the Ideas enshrined In Wesleys commentaries and his first five volumes vol-umes of sermons and the trust deed of chapels precludes In England preaching preach-ing different from this under the penalty pen-alty of confiscation new light In science new light onreligion new light on the Scriptures or truths therein not already adopted Into said standards are heterodox and In fact debarred The Calvinistic church bars Itself by I the Institutes of Calvin the Presbyterian Presby-terian In great part by Its catechism nnd confession of faith the Episcopal by Its thirtynine articles Including Its prayer book and rubrics as Issued by authority and every church and con venticle every sect large or small erects Its standard of truth and dor trine which hoover none may sing mcnt dispute or repudiate or doing so they are J10 more accounted orthodox but as heterodox heretics and outside the pale From this conclusion there nerds no particular appeal but Is It not true that they all claim to be Christian followers of Christ and exponents of Christianity They think It unjustifiable unjustifi-able censure to question their orthodoxy ortho-doxy to comment on their divergence from and Infidelity to the author and finisher of the Christian Itemthe Christian faith I they are less concerned con-cerned about divergence from historic Christianity as lound In the records on every pulpit cushion of the land than on denial of some Insignificant article or dogma or discipline of the Church espoused It these churchet were halt as tenacious of their historic Matters teaching of the Institutions He appointed ap-pointed the order Ho gave the spirit He promised the organization He es labllhod the abifolute authorlt lie held they would no more be like the I soldiers nt the cross 1he dlvld1 Ills raIment among them and eat Iota tar Ills vesture If religious teachers were arraigned for heresy for rejection of this standard stand-ard for disobedience to these requirements require-ments for lack of the spirit et Inspiration In-spiration for the assumption of authority au-thority for rejection of vital truth for dispensing at Pleasure or ty sectarian sec-tarian command with things eternal there would be such a fluttering and scattering of clerical pretender ai oil never been Seen since Satan and one third ot the hosts of heaven were cutout cut-out for their lack ot fidelity and that spirit of rebellion which questioned the w Isdom and authority of the rt Her of all It cannot be paid that there Is I aa Orthodox Or-thodox Christian church In all the land If scrupulous harmony with the Nets Testament Is I to be the standard of comparison Reformer after reform has endeavored to approximate to that Ideal that product of authoritative lev elation by the Sun but all bale > 1 f nally failed It was reserved ly Dlvlpa wisdom and eternal Intent In 1M dli pensatlon of the fullness of times to restore the original orthodox witem by hlch man can attain to eternal life and while there Is no disposition to Impeach the honor or learnlnr or devotion of thousands ot clergy lid laity there Is I vastly more reason for saying now as one of the great churches said centuries ago that ITH hav e departed from the truth the world ha become heterodox by boa Ing to themselves teachers has Ing ItchIng trust Ing ears who have turned the Into fables having a form ot pit ness but denying the power thereof ot old were a From ouch the disciples horted to turn away |