The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-16

We continue to receive letters from men
and women who are dissatisfied with the
Christian Church ~ it Is. ami who thnl,
thoy have reasons go give for the unhoief,
or doubt. that Is in them. In printing ih..r
letters from time TO time. We do the Church
u real and Important srryrr. The dis-nti--
faction and alienation they express are facts.
and n order to deal with them effectively. IL
is essential that the hurch hall first clear
ly ascertain the causes that have produced
them.
cur correspondent. 81. J. H." although
impa!,rnily awaiting the hour when faith
shalt sink below the western horizon and
reason shall rise fuli-uib,d in the cast o.
Dee themccfurth the sole light of the wurld
does mot call himself an inildcl. He regards
skcptic-m rs the useful and necessary COM
plcmrnt of faith; and he complains that
some members of the Christian Church are
h.gois and hypocritcs. This complaint H.
unhappily. we'll founded. But our CORE
spoEdent. if he is n candid man. has only to
turn to the Gospels 10 be- convinced hat these
persons are higot- and hypocrtes. not be-
cau-" of Christianity. but IN spite Of it, No
religious teacher has ever dashed the vices
oi big try aud hypocrisy more unsparngly
than JESUS al Nazareth did in his discUur-,s
tu ANA about the Phari~ces. We must point
ont. also. that there is a, least rs much
bi3,otry and hypocrisy uutsidc Of the Church
- within il. and that some oi the most iliu-
erul and do@matic people going call them
selves iihrrn- and free-thinkcr-.
We lear that our correspondent who signs
himself Tolerance" is one of this latter
Ia.
tion is written in very iutolerant and Of
fan-ive vein. The Rev. Dr. DURYEA may or
mag not accept the story Of JONAH aud the
whale a. the authentic record Of an actual
event; on that point We have no informa-
ton aside from what j. supplied 10y our cor
respondent But the Rev. Dr. DURYl:A is
hgh-miudcd Christian gentleman whose
companioaship, whether in this world or
the next. Tolerance" should esteem rather
than dcprecate. Moreover. courteous con-
troyer-ialists never use such phrases a.
" imprdont ignorance" in speaking OF those
who differ with them.
We are not quite able to maize ont from
" ';entomai's" accoant of his religious
opinions whether he would prefer to hc
clas-ed ~ a dci-t OF "a an eclectic Christian.
He believes in GOD and in the immortality
of the sou.: he does not believe In eternal
pun -hment; he apparently selects such
portions OF the Scripture as seem to him 10
bear out his views and rejects those that do
not. II j. a question ior him 10 ponder
soherly wiki himself whether this plan is as
logical. honest, and SAFE 40 it certainly is
convenient.
What LenoN says of the modifying in
lunico Of The new ideas upon the old theul-
ogr, OF. more accurately. upon those who
profess ih''ld theology, Is fully borne out
by facts within every ones observation.
The old systems may still bee taught
in the class room. ont OF the Old
t'yt books; hut they are hardly recog-
azlhle WHOM they cone to appear III the
Iulp'. tween JONATHAN EDWARDS and
Jo-rrr COOK there is some space. Nct
jus trs Coos j. anortaoloN Congregational
minister as jonathan EDWARDS wa, and
BE- il trying lis best tocOnViurr himself and
OF 'f- t,at Ae holds the same beliefs the
oay difference being in the form =: state
N nt.
il the facts could be got at we
SUSPECT tia. the orthodox churches
N.ul. lr aetonricd az the percentage
&. pastors who, ia their ordinary
pulr teachings. practically suppres,
certain t".t, e.. tEcD c!eei, or az least
D. Itr laem 10 lio oJssare hao sground.
NArti.s ti.. s. polite, whether. iidc"d. II
,.t rely honest, are questions which wc
..H.l l.f 40 tH.- ti.lr discuss. They are
questions which IL hchooNe, the orthodox
churches To consider very seriously.