Orthodoxy: Its Truths And Errors

Orthodoxy: Its Truths And Errors

The peculiarity of the book now offered to the religious public by the government of the American Unitarian Association, is thisthat it is an honest attempt to find and state the truth contained in the doctrines of their opponents. It is, perhaps, something new for an association established to defend certain theological opinions, and baptized with a special theological name, to publish a work intended to do justice to hostile theories. The too usual course of each sect has been, through all its organs, to attack, denounce, undervalue, and vilify the positions taken by its antagonists. This has been considered as only an honest zeal for truth. The consequence has been, that no department of literature has been so unchristian in its tone and temper as that of sectarian controversy. Political journals heap abuse on their opponents, in the interest of their party. But though more noisy than the theological partisans, they are by no means so cold, hard, [pg 002] or unrelenting. Party spirit, compared with sectarian spirit, seems rather mild.1 It is true that theologians do not now use in controversy the epithets which were formerly universal. We have grown more civil in our language than were our fathers. It is also true that we often meet with theological discussions conducted in a spirit of justice towards one's opponents.2 But to say, Fas est ab hoste doceri, is a step as yet beyond the ability of most controversialists. To admit that your antagonist may have seen some truth not visible to yourself, and to read his work in this sense,in order to learn, and not merely to confute,is not yet common. This we are about to undertake in the present treatise. We stand in the Unitarian position, but shall endeavor to see if there be not some truths in Orthodoxy which Unitarians have not yet adequately recognized. To use the language of our mottowe come not as deserters, but as explorers into the camp of Orthodoxy. We are satisfied with our Unitarian position, as a stand-point from which to survey that of others. And especially are we grateful to it, since it encourages us by all its traditions, by all its ideas [pg 003] and principles, to look after as well as beforeto see if there be no truth behind us which we have dropped in our hasty advance, as well as truth beyond us to which we have not yet attained. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 29054
Author: Clarke, James Freeman
Release Date: Jun 6, 2009
Format: eBook
Language: English