|
 From
"Short History of the Christian Church," by John W.
Moncrief, we quote some observations that might be food for
thought for us all.
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"The
truth is always far greater than any man's conception of truth.
It is greater even than the conception of any school or party.
But this simple and evident fact has always been extremely
difficult for men to learn. A great man and his followers are
prone to think that the truth is all with them, while the error
is all with their opponents. These facts make it clear why at
times of special historical activity there are always numerous
and wide divergences of opinion. Each point of view emphasizes a
phase of truth and makes it the center from which all truth must
be controlled, and is intolerant towards other points of view
which make the same claims. Thus it is that conflicts arise and
violence is done to truth itself.
Now,
there are few historians today who would claim that Luther or
Zwingli or Calvin had all the truth. Indeed, most historians
would readily admit that each of them had much error. The
inadequacy of Luther's doctrine of justification by faith alone
is generally felt. Calvin's doctrine of predestination was
pushed to excess, and in many other respects the doctrine of
these men is open to serious objections.
But
nothing is more certain than that differences are never settled
until they are settled right. That there should, therefore, be
revolt from the positions of all these men was not only to be
expected, but it was
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demanded in the interests of the truth and
the common weal. It is not, accordingly, the true spirit of
history to speak of these people and their work in the lump as
'sects and heresies accompanying the new movement,' or to treat
them with the contempt that they have too often received at the
hands of historians. For, if by heresy we mean departure from
the truth, all the great leaders of the Reformation were
heretics, because all of them departed from the truth in many
important particulars.
But
it is to be admitted that many of these so-called sects were
very extreme — fanatical and revolutionary both in their
principles and their actions. They did not see clearly that the
true reformer must be able to conceive and hold constantly
before him the perfect ideal, but that he must at the same time
have the patience and the persistency to bring the world as near
to the realization of the ideal as it will come, and then wait
for results. This must be the policy until an enlightened
conscience is violated. Then the only alternative is conflict at
all risks."
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Moncrief
takes the needed step beyond "patience, appreciating truth
that others have, be not contemptuous, etc." No man serves
God acceptably who overrides his conscience toward God in his
desire to establish "unity in diversity" among men. Do
we lack the character and maturity needed to differ
respectfully, and continue to hold to Bible-spawned convictions?
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