Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-12
MANHATTANISMs.
A REVEREND DOCTOR DECLARING oRTHo
DoX PASTORS HYPoCRITEs.
Chevalier Wikof Again on the Surface
Human Wrecks-Is Adirondack
Murray Insane7
NEw YoRK, March 4, 1880.

NEW I DIRK, marcn 4, 1851.
Orthodoxy is tolerably well accustomed
in this country, especially here and at other
great centers, to vigorous criticism and
rationalistic objections from laymen. But
when evangelical doctors of divinity assail
it, its advocates are apt to be thrown into
a commotion which lasts for some little
time. The commotion is usually made up;
in large measure, Of anger for they who
call themselves Christians almost invariably
show abundant temper when their opinions
or beliefs are questioned, however mildly,
or indeed when anybody begs to differ
theologians are proverbial, and if they
were not, they would soon become so by
their constant exhibition. The latest
offender of orthodoxy is Rev. DIR. William
Hayes Ward, for years editor of the Iade-
pendent. He has published therein paper,
in which he says that the fact is notorious
that very large proportion of the clergy
men of leading evangelical denominations
in the land do not believe what they
preach, or in the inspiration of the Bible !;
that the Fall of Man, as narrated in Gene
sis, is not the record of an actual occur
renee, and that many of the
scRIPTURAL STORIES ARE PALPABLY AB-
sURD.
This is the reverse of news. The fact is, as
the doctor puts it, notorious. But what
ever every body thinks and asserts pri-
vately is likely to create stir if put into
print and Dr. Wards article has had this
effect. He has already been assailed by
any number of the clergy, and will be by
many more. The circumstance that he has
told the exact truth only adds to their
choler Ali the sectarian weeklies, which
arrogate to themselves the name of the
religious press, will fall upon him tooth
and nail, and if there be anything left of
him it will not be their fault. | am greatly
afraid that, if they had their way, they
would try him by an ecclesiastical tribunal,
condemn him to be burned at the stake in
City Hall Square, and carry out the SEN
tence. Fortunately for him, this is the
nineteenth, not the fourteenth or fifteenth
century. I heard an intellectual and
NCA =
much money, but I'm very glad that the
little do own is not invested in ortho-
doxy; for l know that the investment
would get poorer ard poorer, and that l
should never have dividend" He was
entirely correct. Orthodoxy is at great
discount here. Comparatively few persons
own their skepticism, imagining that
avowal may excite prejudice; but the pre-
valence of skepticism is very wide and
among all classes. Of the tens of thousands
who belong to the church, as the phrase is,
and who I think are devout believers,
hardly q dozen hold the same view on
evangelical points They have actually
discarded the old theological teachings
without being aware of the fact. If they
knew what their creed is they would be
shocked by its barbarous morality and
gross inhumanity. / remember when
Professor David Swing, of Chicago, was
arraigned by Presbyterian synod for
heresy, that one of the newspapers of the
city published the creed of the church, and
it was revolving to the last degree. Scarcely
any Presbyterian had dreamed that such
dogmas had ever been entertained, and
some of the faithful were disposed at first
to pronounce the publication a forgery.
Reason and humanity have 30 steadily
nodded evangelical mems opinions until
they have no idea to-day what
A INDUSTRIOUS THING THEIR THEOLOGY IS.
To designate it as Christianity or relig-
| ion is a libel. No man who has faith II
the goodness of God could be induced te
accept many of the tenets of the Churches
| Those tenets are carefully concealed, as
they ought to be, for they are abhorent Il
! Justice and reason. The last quarter o.
the nineteenth century will have none o
them. Even. the worst men are better
than their theology would warrant. Ii
fact, they couldscarcely be worse. Human
ity in ripe in this age; and its principa
foe. is, undeniably, what is commonl,
understood as divinity, so named, perhaps
because it is totally opposed to humanity
It is not possible for ministers, who are a
rule intelligent, amiable and benevolent
to believe in UNCONVENTIONAL theology
They simply blind the repellent part, an
cleaye to the central idea of goodness
gentleness and self.sacrifice as embodied
the character Of Jesus. They are in cel
tain sense hypocritical but they, in a
probability, justify their hypocrisy by I'll
conviction that if their skepticism wei
! known, it would have a most unfortunai
influence on the community at large. The
think that they can have private doub
! without detriment, but that the mass
mankind could not doubt without dang
of destruction Religion is, as they CO..
fceive, great conservative force whit