Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Old Paths


"I am afraid of an inward disease which appears to be growing and spreading in all the Churches of Christ throughout the world. That disease is a disposition on the part of ministers to abstain from all sharply-cut doctrine, and a distaste on the part of professing Christians for all distinct statements of dogmatic truth."


"Let no scorn of the world, let no ridicule of smart writers, let no sneers of liberal critics, let no secret desire to please and conciliate the public, tempt us for one moment to leave the old paths, and drop the old practice of enunciating doctrine--clear, distinct, well-defined, and sharply-cut doctrine--in all utterances and teachings."


- J.C. Ryle

2 comments:

Dave Rogel said...

"Let no scorn of the world, let no ridicule of smart writers, let no sneers of liberal critics, let no secret desire to please and conciliate the public, tempt us for one moment to leave the old paths, and drop the old practice of enunciating doctrine--clear, distinct, well-defined, and sharply-cut doctrine--in all utterances and teachings."

Read with the early 17th century in mind, the above quote becomes rather alarming. Remember Galileo?

Todd Pruitt said...

Dave,

Bishop Ryle is clearly referring to doctrine and not geo-centricity. Also, scientific paradigms seem to change daily.

Read with the early 21 century in mind I find Ryle's words to be rather refreshing.