The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

as to have reached error, and not truth by it, then, as a faithful Church, after
due admonition, and opportunity for repentance have been given us in
vain, she is bound to cast us forth, to purify her own communion, and to
make it impossible for us, in her name, to injure others. As the individual,
in exercising the right of private judgment, is in peril of abusing it, the
Church has the right, and is bound by the duty, of self-defence against that
abuse. The right of private judgment is not the right of Churchmembership,
not the right of public teaching, not the right of putting others
into an equivocal attitude to what they regard as truth. A free Protestant
Church is a Church, whose ministry and membership, accepting the same
rule of faith, have, in the exercise of their private judgment upon it, reached
the same results as to all truths which they deem it needful to unite in
confessing. After all the intricacies into which the question of, What are
fundamentals? has run, there can be no practical solution better than this,
that they are such truths, as in the judgment of the Church, it is necessary
clearly to confess; truths, the toleration of the errors opposing which, she
believes to be inconsistent with her fidelity to the Gospel doctrine, to her
own internal harmony and highest efficiency. The members and ministry
of such a Church must have "one faith," as they have one Lord, one
Baptism, and one God. Apart from the "unity of the faith," and the "unity
of the knowledge of the Son of God," every striving to reach "unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," will
be vain; thus only can Christian men "henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive."
Use and abuse of the right of private judgment.
A great deal is claimed under the right of private judgment, which is
a most impudent infringement of that right. A man is a Socinian, a
Pelagian, a Romanist. Very well. We maintain, that no civil penalties
should restrain him, and no ecclesiastical inquisition fetter him. Give him,
in its fullest swing, the exercise of his right of private judgment. But your
Socinian insists on such a recognition by Trinitarians as logically implies,
that they either agree with him in his