Sound Qoctrine Testimony of Britain’s Best Known Methodist Minister, Pastor o f Central Hall, Westminster, London, World’s Largest Methodist Congregation By DR. DINSDALE T. YOUNG
mattsm denounced. When a man does not like a doctrine he calls it a dogma and so creates a prejudice against it. That Dogmatism can be very offensive we all know. But so can latitudinar- ianism be; of that I have seen abund ant evidence. It still remains that it is dogmatic Christianity which wins men, and re news them, and affords them power to serve their generation, and furnishes them with peace, and joy, and radiant hope. And it is dogmatic churches which succeed numerically and in every way. That is a distant result of my observa tions during many years in many places, and under manny varied, circumstances. Emasculate your theology and you soon er or later emasculate your whole Church life and service. I have frequently been charged with being a narrow theologian. But stead ily and calmly 1 deny the impeach ment. On the contrary, I claim to be a distinctly broad theologian. I have been indicted as narrow because I have striven vehemently for the essentials of the evangelical creed. No one is more prepared to be broad in respect of non-essentials than I am. But I have always felt and feel more than ever that there are essentials, and that in fighting for them we ¿.re fighting as Christians for our very life. If there are not things that are surely believed among us it seems to me we are of all men most pitiable. I see clearly, too, that, in some cases at least, there is a legitimate distinc-
S I turn my eyes backward upon a prolonged and varied ministry nothing impresses me more deeply than the impor
tance of Doctrine. No feature of the churches of today evokes my alarm so much as the too general depreciation of Doctrine. It
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