INDEPENDENCE IN THE PULPIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20255, 15 May 1929, Page 16

INDEPENDENCE IN THE PULPIT.

Sir, —Mr. Barnard Brown very cleverly extends the analogy I suggested between the Christian minister and the Supreme Court Judge, and points out that the Judge is bound by tho letter of the law. But I did not claim there was a perfect analogy between the two cases. The preacher is to preach the spirit of Scripture, and not tho letter. Tho Pharisees were the fellows who in our Lord's time stickled for the letter of the Scripture, and we nil know how the Master put them down. Paul, a converted Pharisee, w-rote: "The letter killcth, but the spirit givcth life." Christ's summary description of tho Sadducees was: "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures," and I am afraid Mr. Barnard Brown and his school do not know the Scriptures either, their loud professions notwithstanding. As evidenco of this we have Mr. Barnard Brown's reference to John ii., verses 9 to 11. There is positively no parallel at all between John's denunciation of certain teachers of error find Mr. Murray's denunciation of Christian evolutionists. For (1) The writer, being a leader of tho Church, either an Apostle or a disciple of an Apostle, had a right to say what he said. Mr. Murray, however, is neither an Apostle nor a leader of the Church. Much as wo admire him, we cannot ignore the fact that his teaching was objected to by the leaders of that branch of the Church to which ho belonged. (2) The persons whom tho apostolic writer is denouncing arc not duly recognised ministers of tho Church, as our Christian evolutionary friends are. (3) All persons conversant with tho teaching of this same apostolic writer know that the error hp is there alluding to is that known to students of Church history as Gnosticism. The outstanding error of tho Gnostics was denial of the Incarnation. That the writer is here referring to tho Gnostics may easily bo shown by reference to verse seven: "For many . deceivers are gone forth into tho world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh." (Revised version.) Now do Christian evolutionists deny the Incarnation ? To say so is. a gross and scandalous libel on these worthy men! They are simply trying to show that the modern mind can quite consistently accept. Christ as Saviour. Thp Saviourhood and Lordship of Christ is the great determining factor ip the attitude they assume. [ May 13. Poor. Parson.