ARGUMENT. MANY causes conspire to prevent those who are dissatisfied with popular Theology from seeking reform, or advocating change. Any attempt to modify Dogma is dreaded as an attack upon Truth -the difference between Dogma and Truth is then pointed out and illustrated, by referring to cases in connection with the Church and the Bible. The present Thoughts do not aim at unsettling any one's opinions, they merely recognise existing doubts and difficulties, and are intended to throw some light upon them. The only safe guide in religious inquiry is the Love of Truth. Any attempt to modify Belief is dreaded as an attack upon Faith. The difference between Belief and Faith is then pointed out by refer ring to cases in connection with Jesus Christ and the Reformers of past Ages. The Theological Principles of the so-called Liberal or Broad Church Clergy are founded entirely upon the above distinctions between Dogma and Truth, Belief and Faith. The position of a clergyman in the National Church is that of a member of a National Community. He has not only the interest of a professional man in his profession, but the interest of a citizen in a National Institution. As any citizen may give his opinion on any branch of State administration, or any professional man may express his views on the established dogmas of his profession; so, as a citizen and as a professional man, the clergyman ought to be allowed a similar freedom of speech. The charge that the Liberal Clergy have no positive doctrine is then briefly denied the following Thoughts supplying a further answer to that accusation. First Discourse. ON THE LIBERAL CLERGY. Delivered June 1871. in SUPPOSE I should not be far wrong assuming that there are three classes of persons in this church. A minority who are very well satisfied with the Church of England Service and orthodox theology; a large number who have no particular religious opinions, or who, if they do differ, lack the courage to differ openly from our established forms, and hardly care enough about religion to make a disturbance; and lastly, there perhaps are a few persons here (and looking around me I fancy they are not so few) who are casting about for some new ground of religion; who want to have a religious belief and cannot find one; who are not satisfied with our forms and ceremonies; who are convinced that there must be some forms and ceremonies-must be some theology that would meet their wants, although they do not like what they find. Brethren, when a man wants to make his religion coincide with his convictions instead of following whatever religion he has been brought up in, however much it may be at variance with those convictions; when a man desires any kind of reform, whether it be in politics, or in the social system, or in religious faith, he is met with the same kind of opposition. The seeds of truth seem to be sown, but no sooner are they sown than a band of mailed warriors instantly starts up to oppose the progress of truth itself. If you and I belong to the number of those who are determined to have a reasonable belief, and who are determined to bring that belief into some practical harmony with our life, I say that we shall find a number of obstacles which will make it very inconvenient and uncomfortable for us to do so. In the first place, there is Interest. There are such things as vested rights. Every reform of every kind is opposed by people whose interest it is to keep things as they are. Why is it that at this moment our Parliamentary Commissioners find it so very hard to re-distribute funds which have been accumulated under other circumstances, and which have for years been misapplied? Simply because a number of people have what they call vested rights. It is their private interest to prop up some of the grossest public abuses in the land. Then there is Prejudice. We none of us exist without having some prejudices; but we should try and allow our prejudices to interfere as little as possible with the circulation of truth, and the honesty of our own conscience. Prejudice means the dislike of something |