This paper does not pretend to be anything like a systematic treatment of some such locus of Moral Theology as “De Controversiis.” Nor is it intended as an assortment of conceivable casualia, or as an attempt to construct Canon Law from precedents. The object is, rather, to treat certain fundamental principles, and to do so with special reference to (1) the democratic, congregational type of church polity with which we are familiar, and (2) genuine, serious theological controversies, rather than mere silly squabbles or purely local agitations.
I. Truth and Love
It would appear that theological controversies cannot proceed very far before charges of “lovelessness” are raised by one or the other side. It behooves us therefore to examine the relevance and validity of such charges.
It is clear that even the best of Christians daily violate love. i.e. fall short of perfect charity. It is equally obvious that any sort of controversy will tend to excite not only righteous wrath, but also a whol…