Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-05-04
An Important Ecclsslast; G Il Trial

Div be or as great gravity III CuutCu uIStO
nv, as were those ri Bishop Colenso in the
Church OF En1lan |. and Rev. DR.. Robert
son Smith, of Scots nd, and DR.. Swing, o
Chicago, in the Pr byterian Church is on
the eve of Inauguration in the Protestant
Episcopal Diocese of New York. A cou
mittee of among the most DISTINGUISHED
clerqymen of the diocese, consisting OF
Rev. Dr.. Samuel Buell.. Of the General
Theological Seminary, Rev. Randolph h.
McKIm, rector of the Church of the Hsly
Trinity in Harlem. Ia son.in-law of Rev
R. H Phillips of Staunton,) and Rev b.
f. De Coster, rector of the Church of St.
John the Evangelist, has made to Bishop
Potter presentment of Rev. q. HebeI
Newton. rector Of All Souls Church for
heresy. The presentment contains -four
charges and is based on the utterances OF
Mr.. Newton in series of sermons on the
Bible, delivered during The past winter
and since printed by him in pamphlet form
They attracted much attention during
their delivery. and since being printed
have had wide circulation.
In those serm )ns, the com.nittee charge
in their presentment that the hereto rec.
tor takes the ground that the Bible is not
the word of God, but only contains the
word of God, leaving man to deter.
mine how much of it to accept as such
and how much to reject that he virtually
denies the divinity of Christ and the In.
carnation by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin
Mary; that he has discredited the mir.
acles that he represents Christianity az
the outcome of natural historical evolu
ton and not as direct revelation from
God. and that he rejects the productive
character of prophecy, thus impeaching
the testimony borne for it by Christ him.
self. Rev. Mr.. Newton announces himself
anxious for trial, if Bishop Potter should
order one, on the presentment. To re-
preventative of the press he said:
ION the central point of the presentment
the question of inspiration Il can say
that my position is simply that of the
Broad Church school. The details of the
question are matters of no great impor-
lance. but the general principle involved
Is one of extreme Importance. My posi-.
ton on the question has been the recog.
nized position of liberal theologians in
England for several generations. Its
advocates have been among tie men of
the Church most prominent in scholar.
ship and general ability. The question
has been adjudicated upon ii the famous
Roland w iIliams case. in which. after an
exhaustive discussion before the highest
judicial authorities, no case could be
found against DR.. Williams. DR.. Will
liams's case involved tho points raised by
my sermons.
There is real revelation in Scripture.
1t is contained in the growing ethical and
spiritual truth, which lies, like the min.
erals III the ore. Concerning the question
of the person Of Christ, l must say that it
would require pretty keen hereto scent
To discover anything other than defective
statement in the language of my sermons.
Heresy can be read into them. But Or
thodoxy can be read into them just as
well, and my meaning was essentially Or
thodox.
The other charges of the presentment
as published in the newspapers are rather
superfine critlciams, upon which, before
[ could be condemned, the doctrine of the
church would have to be defined by the
proper authorities much more accurately
than now.
The polytheistic character Of the early
Jewish religion is stamped upon the face
of Scripture, so that a man would have to
run counter to repeated statements of this
character to prove me in error. In affirm
ing the natural evolution of Christianity
no more deny the supernatural origin
md supernatural guidance of jewish his
tory than would deny the supernatural
origin and supernatural guidance Of the
general evolution of nature.
''There has been 10 violation of Ordina-
ton vows in my case. Every vow has to
be taken with some mental Interpretation
of the language. and in this Case the gen
eral language of the ordination office must.
of necessity, be read bv the formal and
official, utterances of the Church-that is,
by her articles and hOmilles. the creeds
being entirely silent on the Biblical aues-
ton. So read, the ordination vow leaves
me honestly and entirely free to hold my
present views A pretty position the Pro
testant Episcopal Church would put itself
in by affirming the contrary Of the general
principles | have enunciated in my SER
mons. Common sense will surely save our
Church fr % such fatal blunder. have
perfect right to hold my opinions in the
Episcopal Church. To deny that right
would be the same as revolution