DRIFTING by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 4, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 42.

DRIFTING.

By Editor

A REQUEST was presented to the Triennial National Council of the Congregational Churches recently in session at Worcester, Massachusetts, by the Congregational Union of England and Wales for a world's conference of Congregationalists to be convened in London, to "deliberate on questions affecting the faith of the Church of Christ, which at present are in debate throughout Christendom." Commenting upon this fact the Denver Times, a secular paper, says:—

"If this universal council be held, an effort will doubtless be made to bring the creed and the pulpit together once more. The pulpit of late years has seemed to be drifting badly away from the creed.

"There has been a good deal of talk about the new gospel preached in these more liberal times. But as yet this new gospel is a rather indefinite, ill-defined thing. The pulpit has made no sharp issue with the creed, but has rather ignored it, or wondered whether some of its severest doctrines were sound.

"The pulpit has for some time been silent on foreordination, election, and predestination, and has touched very lightly on eternal punishment. It has wondered whether men's destiny was fixed, for weal or for woe, at death, and whether he would not have a chance in the hereafter.

"It has toned down the hell of literal fire to a place of mental suffering. It has substituted remorse for the actual flames. It has speculated a good deal on repentance, atonement, and the inspiration of the Scriptures. It has raised the question as to how and to what extent the Bible is inspired.

"The pulpit, however, has substituted nothing for those severe, clearly-defined things in the creed which it ignores or cautiously questions. It definitely answers none of its own inquires, finally settles none of its wonderings.

"It hints at a gospel of love and mercy, but fails to positively formulate it or clearly define it. It leaves the people in a good deal of doubt as to what is the religion of the times. Orthodox clergymen often preach sermons that might, with perfect propriety, be delivered by Unitarians or Universalists. Hence there is real need of a universal religious council to do a little settling and defining. The proceedings of such a body would be watched with much interest. Would it re-establish the line of faith and doctrine in the old places, or advance them? Would it bring the pulpit back to the creed, or define the advanced position of the pulpit and bring the creed up to it?"

This statement, though from a secular journal, is, we think, not exaggerated, and suggests to our mind the query, How can non-Christians be blamed for not believing when those who profess to be Christians do not know for certain what they believe or why they believe it? It may be that the pulpit has "advanced," but it has been an advance not in the direction of truth but of error; it has been the "advance" foretold in 2 Tim. 4:3, 4. Some of the doctrines alluded to were doubtless unscriptural, but, bad as they were, is the present condition of uncertainty and infidelity any better, or even as good? We doubt it.