The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-05-11
CHURCHES AND CLERGYMEN.

Tho Charges Against Rev. Hober Newton.
New York Correspondence: And so it has
come to pass, after all. The bold and plain
spoken rector Of All Souls church is charged
oficially-as Sir Joseph Porter would say
with the CRIME or vice Of heresy. I have told
toms position toward his church and congre-
gstion, and toward public opinion. His posi-
ton 10, to say the least OF it, o curious one and
one which, it is possible, his excellent and pious
associates will find some trouble in dealing
with. Look at his position for q moment
He is a devout and honest Christian who in tho
course of thoughts and events. has reached cor
tain conclusions. He has found, for example.
that the word Of God is in the Bible though the
Bible is not the word of God. That is to say,
not to put too fine d point upon it, the Bible is
book which one must take with reverence
and cum granum. It does not work we'll to
accept the Bible as q final declaration of
Christian principle. Here 10 the end of Mr..
Newton's logic. In his sermon, preached last
Sunday, Mr.. Newton made what might be
called an audacious statement to his congre-
cation: II have spoken to you of these things,
and have asked you to believe them. But, to
be frank with you now, I do not believe
them" Mr.. Newton, it must be clear, is one
of those thinking men who, finding himself in
restricted place, with rigid orders of faith
imposed upon him, has grown gradually and
almost imperceptibly out of these IDEAS and,
perhaps in spite Of himself, has given express
sion to his convictions. He has been disloyal
to Ills ordination VOWS, there can be no ques-
ton Of that But an honest man who persists
in making inquiries, who persists in going to
the bottom of his own faith and in adjusting
this faith to the knowledge of his time, may be
. reformer, not essentially hereto. Mr.. Now
ton is, technically, hereto But his heresy
does not 60 far enough to make him dangerous.
His heresy is that long sightedness which sees
beyond dark and narrow conservatism. 1t is
q modification of old belief and knowl-
edge. If his Episcopal associates, however,
can not stana this, they will, naturally
enough, put him out of their fold, and they can
not be condemned for their action But men
of thought will condemn them for putting
creed too obstinately before reason.
The charges of heresy wero set forth in the
presence of Bishop Potter, yesterday after
noon, by DR.. Samuel Buel, Rev. R. H. McKim
and Dr.. b: F. De Costa; long and serious
indictment against Mr. Newton Was presented
to the Bishop, who promised to give attention
to it. LIST me give you synopsis of the
charges which were made against Mr. Newton.
He has, it seems, violated the seventh
article Of the constitution. He has held and
by the Protestant Episcopal church. He has,
for instance, virtually denied the divinity Of
Christ and the incarnation Of Christ by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary. He has been
guilty of acts which involve breach of his
ordination VOWS. He has represented the reli-
gion Of the Jews as o polytheistlc and idola-
trous religion. He has representa- falsely the
mission and teaching of the Old Testament aud
prophets. He has represented Christian
ity as the outcome of natural
historic evolution, and not as
direct revelation from God In fine, he has,
the indictment asserts, rejected tho super
natural character of tho Christian religion He
has also rejected the predicative character Of
prophecy, and has thus impeached the author
ity of Christ The doctrines that MIR. Hebcr
Newton has taken the liberty to preach are, in
the judgment OF the presensers Of the indiet-
strike at the root of tho Christian faith. They
reduce Christianity to "a transient phrase OF
natural religion" Evolution is placed by these
doctrines above Christianity.