London (England) -- Religion; Religious thought -- England -- London
as light in that pulpit—flame, perhaps, all the more glowing that you did
not expect to find it there. On all subjects Mr. Hinton is an
independent, an original, and a fearless preacher. On some he is
peculiar—on most he is far ahead of the denomination to which he belongs.
This is, especially, the case with regard to the strict observance of the
Sabbath. Mr. Hinton believes that it was made for man, not man for it—a
fact of which the denominations which pride themselves on being
Evangelical seem to have become utterly oblivious. Mr. Hinton sees in
Christianity a principle at variance with the observance of set times.
He sees in man’s nature abundant reason why the man who does not profess
to be religious should not be chained down to a form. He sees the man of
genuine religion will so shape his life that every day shall be a
Sabbath, and be religiously observed; and that, if he be not religious,
it is worse than mockery to ask him religiously to observe a day. It is
to the credit of Mr. Hinton that he has ably and faithfully preached this
doctrine—a doctrine which, if it be much longer denied by the clergy of
this country, threatens to be attended with most disastrous results. It
is dangerous to establish an institution which the Author of Christianity
never made; and if ministers choose to say that Christianity is
inconsistent with fresh air—inconsistent with the preservation of
physical life—inconsistent with the laws the God of nature has ordained,
the certainty is that the lower classes in ‘populous cities pent,’ who
toil from morning till night six days in the week, will do as they now
practically do—reject Christianity altogether.
I have said Mr. Hinton’s theology is original. A short sketch of it will
soon make this clear. Thus, while he holds the doctrine of human
depravity, he contends that ‘No man is subject to the wrath of God, in
any sense or degree, because of Adam’s sin, but every man stands as free
from the penal influences of his first parent’s crime as though Adam had
never existed, or as though he himself were the first of mankind.’
Calvinism Mr. Hinton _in toto_ explodes. He says: ‘Without being moved
thereto by the Spirit of God, and without any other influence than the
blessing which God always gives to the use of means, you are competent to
alter your mind towards God by obeying the dictates of your own
conscience, and employing the faculties of your own being. Think on your
ways, and you will turn your feet to God’s testimonies. This is what God
requires you to do in order to obtain deliverance from His wrath; and,
except you do it without regard to any communication of His Spirit, he
leaves you to perish.’ At times Mr. Hinton seems to contradict himself.
But, after all, is not the theme one on which the human intellect can
never be perfectly consistent and clear?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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