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Progressive Theology in «…

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Progressive Theology in « the Rhoiidda. D 11 Why the League was al Formed. [By Rev. J. LEWIS, M.A., Ton.] le If i forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, let my vi right hand forget her cunning. If I do cc not remember thee, let my tongue cleave ac to the roof of my mouth. If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." So sang se the Hebrew bard. There is no patriotism so so deep as the religious, no love so passion- de ate as the love for the God of our fathers. B This was at once the strength and the weakness of the Hebrew character. This it was that made them God's chosen race. This is was that made them crucify their w Saviour. tr The Hebrews of modern times are the cr Nv elsh-conservative in thought, passionate al in nature, and essentially religious in 0 temperament. In Parliamentary elec- P< tions, questions economic and educational sc have their places, but it is when these p: touch directly upon religion they stir the 01 hearts of the electors. Then the Fiery « Cross is sent out to the people, and the m claws gather together with rapid steps gl and fast-beating hearts. Then the apostle ni of conscience goes forth with a Thus saith the Lord," the poor farmer gather- tl ing his family around him at early dawn wrestles with God, and the injured miner tl implores to be carried to the polling booth is ere he draws his parting breath. ir The man who interferes with our edu- vi cation and economics may, with certain T provisos, be tolerated to live in our y midst; but the man who dares to trifle ir with the religion of our fathers, Crucify tl him. Crucify him." CI Such people are not likely to allow n themselves to be carried away by every T silly innovation or new-fangled doctrine; tl and yet my subject is Progressive Theology oj in the Rhoiidda Valley. n What led to its formation 11 No great religious movement comes like a thunderbolt from the unseen, un- expected or unsought for. The day of 1 Pentecost is always preceded by the one accord in one place." One of the most important, though perhaps most indefinable, factors in such a movement is the spirit of the age. Few there are who have intimate knowledge v of Science and Philosophy, but we all live in the atmosphere created by them. This it is that makes so many movements bom, as it were, out of due time to end in no 11 less tragic death. This it is that makes 18 things possible and impossible. To light b a lire on the frozen ground is not to estab- it lish spring. To turn on the electric: light a is not to create day. In this all-pervasive t] twentieth century atmosphere we all live o and move, and tie Rhondda Valley forms ti no exception. T In the month of June last, there ap- w peared in the" Rhondda Leader two is articles of criticism of Mr. Campbell's tl book, The New Theology." These were h contributed by one of the local ministers. s( In due time a reply appeared from the G pen of another local minister, and the li correspondence did not cease until the early days of October. w The point at issue was simply the right ji interpretation of Mr. Campbell's concep- Ii tion of God. One maintained that it was nothing short of a New Apostacy or New Religion considered as a whole as new as Dr. Dowie's Zionism, but not so sane denying as it does the very personality of God." The other argued that this was a total misapprehension of Mr. Campbell's conception. Whatever the results of this correspondence, two things were made sufficiently evident-the possi- bility of two Christian ministers differing fundamentally in their versions of a, posi- t tion without becoming the deadliest of t enemies, and the probability that their I difference of interpretation increased as j; the square root of the distance from the ij start of that correspondence. n When this topic was still the topic of a the hour, Dr. Warschauer, of Anerley, v was announced to preach and lecture at t the English Congregational Church, Ton. ? The visit of one of the most successful Pioneers of Progressive Theology was a looked forward to by some with dread, r by others with joy and confidence. I Dr. Warschauer's visit was nothing I short of epoch-making in its influence f upon the religious thought of the Valley, i The spell of misrepresentation was broken, £ and the new movement was seen to be 1 other than a New Apostacy or a New Religion considered as a whole as new ] as Dr. Dowie's Zionism, but not so sane." J Two other factors exercised not a little 1 influence in the formation of the Pro- ] gressive Theology League. < A young man, well-known as poet, preacher and critic, and at the time ( studying at Oxford University, had been engaged to preach at one of the oldest churches in the Valley. In the mean- 1 time, an article of quite exceptional merit 1 appeared from his pen on the subject of Biblical Inspiration. This • article ex- pressed clearly and convincingly, not any wild or extreme doctrine, but what would 0 be regarded by every competent Bible student as the more conservative point of view, such as that of Drs. Sanday and Griggs. These good people, after earnest prayer and deliberation, came to the con- clusion that this particular student was not a fit person to preach to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and so forthwith cancelled his engagement. With the rightness or wrongness of such an action I have nothing to do. To enter into that Question would be to assume the role of war correspondent. This decision had a very far-reaching influence, not only upon the denomination immediately concerned, but also upon that ever-increasing class of people to whom the suppression of free enquiry is not a sacred duty, or pious ignorance the climax of Christian virtue. If," they argued, this is the working hypothesis of Biblical criticism adopted by our college professors, and we have to by our college professors, and we have to support these colleges, how comes it I about that what is truth in college is dangerous heresy in the pulpit? Another factor made the formation of the League still more imperative. In the Valley we have many societies, both attached and unattached to churches, hich do excellent work. Among these Is the Naturalist Society, and under its auspices some of the most prominent Naturalists of the day pay us not un- ffequent visits. If," exclaimed many, can have a Naturalist Society, ancl ae able to secure the services of some of our most illustrious naturalists, why ?°t a Theological Society? Surely, know- of the Bible is not less important Jhan knowledge of na-ture? To know God 18 Hot less needful than to know a star, a moth, or a beetle? .Sufficient has been said to prove that hat led to the formation of the Pro- Theology League was not the r/umsical caprice 0f a certain number oi V^ponsible individuals, but a plurality torces to ignore which would be to play *^jnth all that is best and noblest; the subsequent history of the League ts fully demonstrated the wisdom of the iurse adopted by its originators. Already Dr. Warschauer, London; Dr. uff, Bradford; Dr. Hunter, Glasgow; ev. T. Rhondda Williams, Bradford; fa id the Rev. R. J. Campbell, M.A., andon; have visited the neighbourhood. aj heir inspiring sermons and instructive ctures have rendered not a little ser- ce to the cause of true religion in this ismopolitan centre of population and stivity. For next winter session we have already bi cured the services of Dr. K. C. Ander- la n, Dundee; Rev. Hugh Wallace, Lon- m )n; and the Rev. E. W. Lewis, M.A., tl .D., Clapham. fo No Pet Doctrine. The League has no pet doctrine it « ishes to retain antagonistic to light and uth. It is being bound by no sectarian III 'eed, nor fettered by the restriction of y ly Theological School, whether New or of iu. Its main object is to bring to the si 30ple the results of the ripest Christian in iholarship, and so help the Church to tl iy its long-standing debt to the intellect SE ? the world. At present the League is C imposed of a doctor, tradesmen, colliery anagers, miners and ministers. The £ } 'eat inspiring truth which actuates its t lembers is the belief that God is spirit, ( ght, truth, and love, and that in Him B iere is no darkness. is The main difference between them and cl leir more orthodox and timid comrades that they have greater faith, not less, N i the truth of God and the ultimate r ictory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. hey believe that it ill becomes those who rofess the everlasting Gospel, to be living constant dread lest the foundations of leir religion be undermined by any dis- )very whatsoever. God's children have T o cause nor right to be so panic-stricken. P his lack of faith in the invincibleness of d ie Gospel of Christ has always been one a F the most prolific sources of conster- S1 ation, intolerance and persecution in the e: istory of the Christian Church. To persecute is furthermore a 0 perfect witness of a perfect faith y 1 him that persecutes. When men are tossed n n strange opinion, and not sure f their own selves, they are wroth with 11 their own selves nd thence with others. Then who lights w the faggots? ot the full faith. No, but the lurking doubt." J Hyperdogmatism is always ill at ease, C ncharitable and cruel, and arrives too ti tie to render any service to the church ir ut that of the sexiton. Invincible faith ly i a living truth is confident, charitable g nd kind, for no one can afford to look c] 118 facts of criticism in the face like the iv. ne who is being possessed by a great a L'uth which anchors his soul to eternity. s< o him the dissatisfaction of the people ith existing forms' of religious doctrines but a glorious opportunity to lead -xem forward and upward to sublimer fi eights of thought and action, to tap new a mrces of the inexhaustible riches of the si ospel, and to set free fresh streams of fe and teaching. s All Christian churches in our Valley s" ould do well to remember at this critical d jncture in their history the immortal o nes of the late Ben Bowen t, Lie bo'r Arglwydd y mae rhyddid, j Nid yw crefydd Iesu'n erlid; Y mae'r galon gar ormesu, p Eto heb ddysgu caru'r Iesu." S, li

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