New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-01
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.


Mr.. BEEcHER's CREED.-Tne religious press.
with few exceptions. takes streng exceptions
to Mr.. Beeehers formal statement OF faltn-
One or two regard it much more orthodox
and conservative than could naturally nave
been expected, but many more look upon u
with Suspicion Us 1nsOund ana unsettHng Ut:
Prime, in The Observer, is reminded by It OF
the platforms OF creeds OF DOlItical parties,
Issued with a view Of saying little or nothing,
capable Of being understood one way OF an
other by all sections of the country TO oe de-
Tended by Opposing factions OF the same party,
and suited tO any meridian and 10 any emer-
gency. Mr. Beecher's creed ~ neither n-h nor
flesh. 1t is not athestie, and that IS all thar can
be said Of II which IL the more remlrkaoie' az
il was put forth 10 cOunteTact the force or hlS
own explicit Declaration of Independence made
on the Fourth of July. In his creed there Is
not a word tn contradict those remarkable Ut
terances. To reconcile them with sound Chris
tan doctrine Is as Impossible as IL If To MAKE
the expressions of Mr.. Joseph Cook consistent
with hostility TO Spiritualism. Mr.. Beecher
confession of faith has nothing In common with
the Platform of the Congregation alists, as ex-
hibited by DR. Dexter ID his lately pubh-hed
great work, TO which we may safely 90 Tor
candid and intelligent exposition OF the faftn
of the fathers of that communion. 1t Is one
Of the queerities of modern philosophical and
religious discussion Dr. Prime continues,
- that men OF genius and learning seem To be
Incapabe of saving what they mean. whether
they use language for the purpose or conceal
Ing thuught, or have found such new meaning
in words that they have forgotten the sense IN
which common people receive them, they 'ei-
tainiy show remarkable facility IN making IN m
selves unintelIgible. Ii is said to be good geDer-
alship to keep the line of retreat Open And me
philosophical writer, or the religious teacher,
who il not sure Of his ground. often c0nCIiVes
70 use such a form OF words that he can after-
ward interpret II in n sense quite opposed 10
that which il naturally conveyed to the candid
-.
FORMS" The central Baptist regards the sermon
as another instance Of the studied ana etinlnal
discrimination Of modern liberalism, Of masked
inidehty, in Christian DulpltS. lC complains tlaJ
Mr.. Beecher ~ nor alone 10 this shaneIul Iorm
o hypocr ~ winch permeates the whole school
Of German rdriOnalists aud their hali-educitSd
mi atOrs in America. Let those men only De
frank let them s,are in uRmlstakaOle IAN
guage that the Bible ~ not GOdS WORD. anu Is
not Of supreme authority; then their innueilby
can he exposed AMI sODhIstGy gwen 10 the
winds. But they fear such conflict they VIII
not meet the real issue. Hence their covert AZ
tacks and their misuse OF terms ana tbelf gen
eral discrimination" The charge IS made that
Mr. Bescher has again aud again denied the
atOneme Mt as a substitution for the guilty lie
has SAID in substance, and his many lmtators
have echoed him A lew or heather may be
saved Outside the death of Christ and so may
any man who lives up to the h2ht ne
has he has even mOckpd ut the thought that
Jewish sacrifices were types of Chrlsrs death,
and has even said that redemption through
blood Is a barbarOus expression ana ought 10
be banshed from our vocabulary. let, 10
conciiiate public opinion, he has sad IN his re-
cent exposition Of his belief: believe that
the atOnement IL not an act nor series OF ac'
tiOns devised to amend broken law" hat
the life. teachings, and death of Christ were
simply instruments Oy whcn the hearts OF men
might be Interested and Affected tie, never
theIess speaks Of atOuement as man nope
and trust. He claims 10 believe IN 1t ana
preach it. But what, IN fact, asks The Central
BAPTIST. does he mean by the tenn. SIMPLY
4 SUectacle-a series OF dramatic representa-
tions instruments by which the hearts of men
might be touched and affected. Is nor al this
criminal, as well as a snare =
FASTING WITHOUT MBACLE.-The religious
press does not seem 10 be- impressed With the
dangers to which Christianity may be exposed
bv the success of d.. Tanner n going forty
DAYS without food. 1t is argued IN some
quarters that 1t Will remove the superficial OBJ
lection that the SaviOurs fast was physical
impossibility, for ii DR.. Tanner can abstain
from food tor forty days, Jesus Christ could
have performed the same feat unalued by SUI
pernatural means. The Methodist says: We
have 10 special anxiety 10 see the breadth OF
mil acle reduced, bur its reduction would not
alarm Us The supernatural element II too
large and various IN form to be destroyed ny
such SubTactiOns' The same journal points
the minor moral that those people VINO every
yeaI fast forty days by changing theii i00d
should lean shat the zeal thing, OF wacl Ihey
peIpctIate "a sham Is possible, ana they should
be induced 10 d. httle real fasting next
year. say iOt I'VE days, OF by eanng only one
frugal meal daIv. The BdPtSt Weekly face
tiOusy remarks tlat DT. Tanners endurance Is
really encouraging Tor Congregations VINO ne-
hove that a pastor should i've by bread alone
i hat o minis er, It adds, who knew that
church would not support pastor and thought
they hau better Dry Ton Jacobs ladder TO ieI
hm down from heaven every Lord day ana
take ham back alter the services OF the Gay
were eudei might, If he lived now, set, by what
Dr. Tanner has endure Z, that such 4 miracle ~
he proposed Il Unnecessary The BHfatG
Christian AdyOclte Will be IN Il most embairass-
ing POSITION If Or. Tanner survives his last Tor
ii takes ChIs narrow view OF the case: - tie who
creates and performs miracles could, II tie
should 50 choose mlracu Ously keep human
BODY IN such a condition that the sOul might
remain in il for forty days without food. Bat
tfat any man without divine interference
could 1--we for that eng IA OF Tune Is not accord
ing to experience or reason. Waste must nave
supply or life become extinct. d.. Tanner
mast in some Wav have pOuIIshmenC miracle
be wrought, or before forty days be must de
CoNvOCAr1ON N ENGLAND.-COnvOcati in
the Anglican Church, after having been
silenced for nearly century and a nall has
begun of late years to make It's voice BeaId
again, is now constituted nearly as IL was IN
12S3 1t is striking instance of political resus-
citation Il was then a novel mode OF raising
taxes from the clergy without the interference
of the Pope. The clergy, secular aud regular,
though MANY of them were then, as now,
very poor. had vast possessions in England,
and refused to be taxed by lay authority. Many
plans were tired by the kings To obtain grants
Of money from this rich and powerful body. At
last the king bethOught himself of summ0nlng
an assembly of the clergy by his own authority.
From very carry ages of the Church bishops
had held synods to consult on the affairs OF the
diocese. Afterward came provincial synods,
called together by the arch0ish0ps. he
clergy of all England were represented In The
national synod. The Convection of Canter
bury after fOuI days session, was formally
proIogued a fortnight ago till August 5, with
the understanding that lt would not again meet
for BUSINESS until Febr1ary ne1t. One OF the
- -. .f,rs- rpeffanfS af rho Sasston tVas