Page:Dr Stiggins, His Views and Principles.pdf/198

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His Views and Principles

enlightened, altruistic, and progressive political energies. It is a strange, a solemn thought that in a hundred years' time man may find expression for all his feelings of awe and adoration by attending Liberal meetings, and the proceedings of the House of Commons may become the supreme worship of the nation. Then, perhaps, for the first time men will understand the vision of John, who saw the Heavenly City, like a Bride, descending upon earth. We cannot realise it yet; but what if "Order, order, order" were the Sanctus of the future?

But, at all events, after what I have told you of our Ethic and Dogmatic, I need scarcely say that our Liturgic does not profess to be a literal following of any Apostolic system. I know that many of my brethren think otherwise; they assert that a Free Church service is a reproduction of Christian Worship as it was in the earliest ages. But, as I have pointed out, this is a priori unlikely; for if our theory of doctrine and morals differs, as is assuredly does, from the theory of the

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