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Show PROTESTANT FREEDOM. The Rev. Dr. Peters, one of the most widely advertised ministers of Xew York City, recently resigned his pulpit and started an "independent" religious movement wherein he can preach the gospel gos-pel of Jesus Christ without, embarrassing limitation limita-tion being imposed upon him by his congregation. Dr. iters is, we doubt not, a man of ability and strong religious convictions. His reasons for quitting quit-ting his church and dividing his congregations, he says, are that he was no longer a leader in the spiritual spir-itual affairs of the congregation; that his position as shepherd of his flock had so degenerated that he was no longer even a bellwether. "The truth is not wanted, and the churches do not permit the pastors pas-tors to preach it," says Dr. Peters. He intimates that his flock resented particularly any strictures on the worldliness of existing society. What an arraignment of Protestantism this is! Whe,n a preacher, a teacher of the word of God. can be dictated to by his congregation, his pupils, it surely is time to inquire into the foundation upon which Protestantism is built. The congregation congrega-tion telling the clergyman what to preach and what not to preach! Preposterous as it may seem, God's word and law are relegated; all the old doctrines doc-trines and divine principles that have been the leaven of civilization and progress for 3.900 years; all the humanitarianism; all the commands of God; all the restrictions placed upon mankind; all are out-of-date all except a few things which the congregation con-gregation likes to hear! The command of Jesus Christ to the Apostles to preach the gospel to all nations did not comprehend any such interpretation interpreta-tion as is indicated by this new dispensation. Jesus did not teach, nor did his disciples teach, that honeyed hon-eyed words or oratorical flights or rhetorical pauses,' such as are used by Protestant ministers throughout Christendom to delight the ear of their congregations and adorn the Monday morning newspapers, constituted any part of the religion of God. The language of Jesus as we have it recorded record-ed in the Bible is a model of simplicity, but the lessons are stern and to the point. We may not choose our religious convictions. God has made his commands and we must obey them. We congratulate Dr. Peters on his tirra stand for God and righteousness. |