The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-10

To THE EDITOR OF The SuN-Sr. Has
THE SUS ceased 10 shine for all? A recent arti-
Gle ON The Church and iis Enemies inspires
fear that il has.
II is not the general tone Of the article which
mak.s IT 50 dark 10 class but rather the art.-
Gle taken in connection with some previous ut
tcrances Of yours. You seem to attach the
same significance 10 the position OF all who op-
pose the dicta of churchmen. or the doemas of
their crreds whether they be- men Of 5 fence or
thcologians. You have called the writings OF
one ana all who oppose the present Theological
standpoint of Bible Interpretation inlldcl. You
make no distinction between men OF religious
training and men of scientific training. Your
article IN connection with your criticism upon
certain leaders OF r'iorinatory theology Is as IN
tulerant and unWarrantrd rs tho uurranres
which characterized the bigots oi me widest
ages Of iunuticism in the church Of the past.
You appear h flourish " inlidelity about the
point oi your pen IN dealing with the character
OF honest Christian thinkers with us much de-
lilht at the imn.. med torture you would innict
upon the Innocent as II seems Ia EN" the
stiipid and ignorant enthusiast. who Eliminates
1t IN the name OF religion from the puipit IN de
fence Of his r,itrn and hollow creed and To-
crush the truth ol the age as II struggles Ia itt
in lis light upon God ; word and work lor the
future.
Huxev. Tyndall. and spencer may be enc;
mics al the Bihlr. l"cnusr they only understand
interpretation. On the same principle Luther
NJ 'aninou, IMlnSlr. ana 'tn'f l'lplil'lN Oh INC
past would have rejected the Bible. hut no.
Like Christians. they assumed. what WIS true"
that the Interpretation of church creed was
false and the clVilHed world has be- One CON
WINGED. The scirntin theories OF TNndall
Huxley. and spencer. and their disciples. may
! be- utterly hostile u theological opinion and To
/ your opinion. But Theological opinion IL the
| creed and doctrines of the church. and. after
ALL may bc far from Bible truth. II the learned
| scientific men h.romc inlld"ls and oppose the
| Bible il does not follow that Christian philOso-
| pliers, who may see far beyond Huxley and
/ others more nOt"d are lhildclsand oppose the
/ II ble also.
| 1t viii no. do for THE SuN to 60 into eclipse
! when Christian men want light Crude dOgmns
| Of the Church are dark enough; mystery Is now,
is in the past, the cloak OF emotional sentlmen-
| tllsm and superstition III the church The
| latter is harmful and should be eliminated from
worship in this age of intelligence. II can only
| be- done by that class OF Christians who are Ia
boring in the field OF philosophy. Truth IL
| truth, whether brought to light hy science or
| the church, We believe in Il pure emotion,
based upon Intelligent views of Bible doctrine,
and not sprung from the oid systems of u dead
and buried age hpruallsm has its origin IN
these old huprrStitiOns which the church keeps
alive for II to feed upon. Christian philosophy
! eliminates these from It's system ana NndIchlcS
its standpoint by an appeal to the Bible. and II
challenges both the adhrrents OF the schools oil
theology and the systems vi ntde!liy 20 meet It
on this issue. GEO IL. tAIHEk.
| ASHYIIIE. Ala, sept. 4.