Parrhesia, or Christian and Ministerial Freedom of Speech [pp. 312-336]

Parrhesia.
remarkable difference between our ministry and that of Christ,
was strongly set forth by himself when he said to his disciples,
"what I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what
ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the house tops." Matt.
x. 27. Where this plainness of speech is wanting, neither
novelty of thought, nor eccentricity of language, nor audacity
of manner can supply the want of apostolic liberty and boldness.
But this essential quality stands opposed, not only to rhetorical defects, but to a moral obliquity. Plainness of speech
implies also freedom from disguise, duplicity, or cowardly
suppression of the truth. As on the one hand it is said of
Christ's last visit to Jerusalem, "no man spake openly of him,
(ag~:), for fear of the Jews," John vii. 13; so on the other
hand, some of the people said, "is not this he, whom they seek
to kill? but lo, he speaketh boldly, (waejwo")," John vii. 25, 26,
i. e. without fear of those to whom the truth must give offence.
In like manner Paul calls the elders of Ephesus to witness his
fidelity: "I take you to record this day, that I am pure from
the blood of all, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all
the counsel of God." Acts xx. 26, 27. What this was, we learn
from his words in a previous part of the same discourse —" and
how I kept back nothing that was profitable, but have showed
you and have taught you, publicly and from house to house,
testifying, both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts xx.
20, 21. The boldness of the apostolic preaching was not more
opposed to the distorted exhibition of some truths in undue
prominence, than it was to the suppression of these same truths,
or of any other, because humbling to the pride of the human
understanding or the human heart.
But in addition to this fair and equal or proportionate disclosure of the whole truth as a system, there is still another
kind or rather another exercise of candour and impartiality
required. This is the faithful exhibition of the truth, not as a
matter of mere speculation, but of practical concern and obligation, so that the appeal shall be made not only to the
understanding and the sense of truth, but to the conscience and
the sense of right. Where this is not done, but the truth is
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