Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-15
Thursday Morning, Sep. 15, 1881.
THE FATE OF A HERETIc.

The case of Dr. Thomas. the Methods
 clergyman of Chicago who has just been de
 clared a heretic and suspended, has attracted
 much attention and is likely to attract mucl
 more. Dr. Thomas was the pastor of the
 Centenary church, one of the strongest o. the denomination in the city. He was { popular and eloquent man, and thougE
 known to hold and preach some advanced
 views, such was the purity of his character
 and his strength with his congregation that
 the matter was allowed to pass for a long
 time. About two years ago, however, he l was censured by his Conference. Lastyear, | by his own desire, the matter was reopened
 and a committee, appointed to draw up
 charges of heresy and prosecute them. The Conference did not give him any pastorate, and on his return, to Chicago Some gentle 1 men proposed to him to preach regularly in I theater to whoever might come. Dr. I Thomas consented with some reluctance, | fearing failure, as the field seemed already occupied by Prof. Swing. He was however, successful beyond his most sanguine sxpecta- l tions, and the Peoples church has been one of the institutions of Chicago It is not,
 strictly speaking, church, as no sacraments are administered. It is simply the meeting of a large congregation every Sunday, con- posed of persons of every shade of belief, many of whom would not otherwise attend any religious service.
 The heresy of which pr. Thomas has been
 found guilty consists in denial of the inspi-
 ration and authority of a portion of the ca
 daniaI nf fha doctrine
 of the atonement as taught by the Methodist
 church and in teaching that there may be
 probation after death for those who die in
 sin. He first gave the alarm to his church and to others by preaching a sermon over a dead billiard player, in which he uttered liberal and sympathetic senti- ments. He also preached an alarming ser mon on the trial of Dr. Swing, in which his liberal. views were again offensively put forth. A man in Chicago murdered his young wife, and in preaching on this topic, Dr. Thomas ventured to say that he thought there must be some chance for Heaven for this poor woman cut off without moments warming since the murderer could Ego to jail, and after six weeks, die happy on the gallows and go straight to heaven" He said he could not accept such teaching. 'If there was hell this man must go to it for while at least" Such were some of the offences of the reverend doctor by which the attention of the Conference was drawn to him, and it's censure was passed upon him.
 The feeling excited in some pious breasts against Dr. Thomas may be judged from the following utterance of the prosecuting clergy man: seWhy did Dr. Thomas thus preach to the people? Because it was his stock in trade. It was because he had to preach these doctrines as he did, or he could not get peo- pie to come to hear him. And now I will say the hardest thing have said to- night. There are gray haired men in this city, there are broken hearted mothers in this city who are weeping tonight over their sons, whose gambling whose drinking, whose card playing, whose downfall began with hearing the preaching of these doctrines" Dr. Thomas may thank his stars that heretics are not dealt with as they once were. The Conference has now to pass upon the case and will probably ratify the verdict pro-