I suggest, for one thing, that we ought to exercise a special jealousy over our own personal religion [i.e., evangelical Protestantism]. Let us take heed that it is thoroughly and entire Evangelical. The times we live in are desperately unfavorable to a sharply-cut, decided, distinct, doctrinal Christianity. A fog of vague liberalism overspreads the ecclesiastical horizon. A settle determination to think everybody is right, and nobody is wrong, everything is true, and nothing is false, meets us at every turn. The world is possessed with a devil of false charity about religion. Men try to persuade us, like Gallio, that the alleged differences between creeds and schools of thought are only about “words and names,” and that it is “all the same thing.” In times like these, let us be on our guard, and take heed to our souls—“Watch ye: stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men: be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). Let us steadfastly resolve to stand fast in the old paths, the good way of our Protestant Reformers. Narrow, old-fashion, obsolete, as some may be pleased to call that way, they will never show us a better!
J. C. Ryle, Knots
Untied, Kindle, loc. 403—412.
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