New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-28
FREE THINKERS AND THEIR DOCTRINES.

The Rev. Dr. Deems, Of the Church of the Stran-
gers. preached forclbie sermon yesterday on the
New Decllogue from the Free Thinkers at Wat
kins Glen. He said IN parts
MANY persons seem 10 be greatly alarmed at the
peruiclous sentiments expressed by the IIee
thinkers at Watkins Glen: Such Ideas as they
entertain are to be expected III this age OF the world
and they Will only disappear when the friction
of the tides ceases. When there is corruption
in the body, the physician wants to DTlHg lt 10
inst how TO remove IT, So in the treatment
If moral disease, the moment you reduce
error 10 q written form, that very moment
Won are able TO take measures toward dlssl-
hating that error. The term Free Thinkers Is no
more applicable to that body than 10 others. What
H. free thlnkiugY It's the voun AIRY exercise OF the
mental powers No Involuntary act OF the mind
can be called free act. But a man cannot think
free from the laws OF thought; These laws are as
inmutable as the xiOms IN Euclid. All men are
subiect 10 them. The Free Thinkers Of Watkins
Glen have gwen 10 the world new decalOgue TO
take the place Of the old. They have embodied in It
some oil their fundamental principles. L VIII cali
vour atreutlO 10 the first of the new COmmaudAents
and notice few thin IN regard 10 II. III reads s
foiow7i 1t Is better 10 be an honest nan N nel
sumes that there Is a STANDARD or rlgAt
aud wrong although they would make US
That there are heaven .and hell Why should
Free Thinkers bind themselves % such heathenlsh
beheff 1hIdly, II assumes that II D. possible Tor
al honest man 10 be Ia hell ana sneak IN heaven.
search through ali the teachings OF every sect OF be-
levers on che face of the globe and you VIII not
tnd one line which authorizes such an idea. No
sare n eacuer ever advanced such "a doctrine" Or.
deems discussed each commandment OF the new
d.raIou1ie and eudeavored TO snow that they were
Inconsistent with the teachings OF the Christian
church
WATKINS. y. Y, Aug. 27.-The Ncw-York
state Free Thinkers Association continued its session
today Resolutions were adopted declaring that the
disc,sions in science inventions IN mechanical arts
md the general progress In knowledge are the out
rogyt OF the cultivation OF the intellect that the only
men VINO cannot rejoice freedom or thought are the
CLERGY because the spirit OF untrlmmeiied research In
the field OF ucism threatens 70 destroy the claim they
make ia behalf Of the Bible that there should be no
l,.,,,, NATHAN made by the law IN
f,yor Of any class of citizens on
account their es0u- opinion, II tie case or the
exemption OF church property fIom taxation and IN the
employueu OF cnapaIns say prayers for the religious
rncaon Of Cougressnen soldiers and sailors advis-
m the promoton of Liberal Libraries and the circua-
on OF Liberal Journals asserting that the Free Thinkers,
a!nost without exception, remarkable for their IN
diligence. purity patriotism aid general eActlchcc ol
character In al the relations o. Ic ana sthns la the
liberals embrace the ~plral=ls NauOndl'l-, Dels.a
ApnO-tcs and other classes Oi thinkers WuU asIeo ~
fNeir onposi0u TO tie encroachments or the Church
other resolutions were adopted stating tuhl no Us
tiuc don should be made which denies 70 woman the
right TO be- mans competitor TOT any posllou " "n4Su
b eible thar labor should be the sovereign ot the
ear h. That free thought makes room Tor Industrial ub-
erty and churches and theology nave crusleu Inc
IN