The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-23

with "no man TO hire them A pathetic
tale was told OF ono OF the applicants,
who had come from q distance at consider
able expense, a. he had been five Sab
baths without employment, with q family
Of Eve children and an invalid sister, and
felt that "somelhing must be done" The
body Of the discussion In the conference
turned upon the manifest evils Of their
present lCongegalionaD system oil sup
plies and settlements. One brother affect.
lngly closed bis remarks, as he related
bis struggles since his leaving the semin.
AIRY To- the present tlme-"and now |
find myself and family ahoat, with no
harbOr In view"
A WRITER In the LldeFenieTlt conceives
that crisis Is imminent in the Methodist
Church. II Is called upon, he says, to de.
ane It's position, at no distant day, on sew.
eral subjects on which It has hitherto been
happily uncommitted. One Of these ia in
regard 10 several doctrines on which there
has been tiIl now considerable latitude.
Another is in regard 10 treating It's liberal
clergy, who doubt or reject one or other
OF the doctrines commonly held by the
Church. The issue OF this crisis will deter
mine whether the Methodist Church Is TO
be liberal or llliberal one, q growing or
stationary one; whether 1t Is 70 have elias
ITCHY, or not, sufficient to adapt Itself TO
the changing beliefs oil time and place aud
peoples, or whether 1t Is 70 be shut
up and committed against the changes
which science and philosophy may
require in current theology. The i'm.
mediate occasion OF this crisis will
be likely 10 be the case OF DR.. II. W.
Thomas, Of Chicago. He is liberal man
in every sense, lie fraternizes with Uni
tarians and Universalists, and is even on
good terms with infdels. He appears TO
Be DarYinian and believes In the nebular
hypothesis, He thinks there may be err
r0rs in the Bible which are not in any
way reconciable with the truth. He
doubts whether the wicked shall all suffer
eteFnally, He thinks that We are saved,
not so much By the blood as by the love Of
God; Christ having died, not to reconcile
the Father to Us, but us to the Father. He
is liberal enough for any liberal Christian
and would tolerate as much difference Of
opinion as the infdel even would ask.
The question Is whether he is too liberal
for q Methodist or whether Elan can be
good Methodist Notwithstanding these
views and feelings.
TIE Harvard divinity school controversy
calls forth this week an article from Mr..
Abbotts Ider. A school for tho scienti,
fc study OF theology is something which
has never yet been known in this country,
it says, and is most certainly consumma.
ton in the interest OF intelligence in this
province Of thought and human concern
devOutly to be wished. Furthermore,
there is nowhere in this country where
the conditions are more inviting or favor.
able for such an enterprise than within
the precincts Of this wealthy, comparative.
ly liberal, and ancient university. But
are we sure that President Eliot has really
in view what the fullest poncep.
ton OF the phrase scientific the.
ology implies? A comprehensive study
Of scientific theology would neCessi
tate much greater comprehensiveness than
the limited range Of Christianity
As it has been said that he who knows
! only his own language knows none, so il
is in regard to any single system Of reli
gion. Even Christian theology cannot be
understood, its genius and development,
unless the theology Of other religions i
, studied. Indeed, to understand Christian
ity one should know scarcely less Of Other
religions. Especially would there need tC
be rigid scientific examination OF thf
grounds Of evidence for belief in the vari
Gus forms OF supernaturalism, not only in
the so-called pagan systems, but also ir
Christianity. And then, when We hat
summed these all up, and had reached tliC
very smallest abstraction or residium O
affirmation, when we had stripped Of
all correlative ideas and conceptions anC
had reached the solitary ones Of God and
Immortality, the scientific study OF theolo
gy would still demand that these should
shrink from no exposure to the doubts oil
agnosticism orthe egationsofphilosophy
Nay, should rather invite hearing from
their most powerful representatives. But
such a study OF theology as this could not
be pursued in the interest OF a sect or q
single set OF opinions. II could not be
pursued in the interest Of single religion,
! not even Christianity. ItsteaChers would
need TO be religious philosophers and
scholars in the broadcast sense,-not de.
nominational Christians. 1t would he q
grand achievement, il President Eliot
should succeed in eiiecting such result
as this at Harvard University. ItYould
be glory enough for life time.
!