The sun., 1884-02-10
IIeresy Among tho Methodists.

gard to the Bible similar to those of HEDER
NEWTON are entertained by the most proml-
pcnt thnologian of the Methodist Church.
Hitherto serious hcrcsy hns little affected
that powerful and numerous body OF Chris
tians. They have not bcon disturbed by diff
fercnces Of opinion concerning important
theological doctrines, the welltiisciplined
Methodist clergy presenting an almost un-
broken front In the army Of old-fashioned
faith. Doubt as to tho cardinal points of
Christianity and novelty in treating them
have not been hoard from the Methodist pull
pit. Tho plain, undiluted Gospel as 1t was
known to WESLEY and WnIrEFIELD has been
preached in the Methodist Church from their
day to this. Flee from the wrath to come
and DO saved from sin" is their exhortation.
1t seems, however. that even 80 conepicu-
GUS Methodist leader as the Rev. DR.. CURRY
Is now dealing with the Scriptures in a way
which directly antagonizes the complete and
chlldlilte faith in revelation which has 80
long characterized the denomination. He is
tho foremost theological writer among tho
American Methodists, and Is generally re-
garded by his brethren and recognized by
outside communions as perhaps their ablest
and best-equipped scholar. When, therefore,
DIR. CURRY goes over to the enemy, his fellow
Methodists are alarmed and that DR.. CURRY
has gone over seems to us to be evident from
certain remarks made by him before the
Methodist preachers Of Chicago.
The Rev. Dr. THOMAS of that city is ono Of
tho very few Methodist minister's who have
diverged from the old-fashioned theological
standards. Accordingly. he was promptly
put away as Il heretic the Methodists having
no disposition to compromise In matters
which involve the essentials OF their faith.
A brief report OF the remarks OF DR.. CURRY
having appeared In the Chicago papers, DIR.
THOMAS. the next Sunday, preached SER
mon, In which he spoke OF them as affording
proof that "thc doctrlnal conception OF re-
ligion in our day Is seeking new FORMS"
MANY orthodox minister's" he declared
further, "are embarrassed by the too narrow
limitations OF tho creeds thoy have prom
ised to bolieve and teach"
DR.. CURRY's attention having been called
to this reference to him, he said that DR..
THOMAS was mo gentleman" That, OF
course, WAS no denial Of the truth Of what
Dr. THOMAS said, for man may be mo
gentleman" and yet a specific statement OF
his MAJ be true. DIR. CURRY may have
meant merely that DR.. THOMAS was "no
gentleman" for exposing him to tho critl-
cism Of his brethren. and for trying to get
him classcd as fellow hereto.
He doubtless intended, moreover, to break
the force OF tho others assertions. II not to
deny them explicitly. But it seems that he
could not so deny them. for on the following
Sunday DR.. THOMAS read verbatim report
Of what DR.. CURRY actually spoke at the
,,,oo.I,,. - Tu,i,,,,o ,,ro,,ho,, ,,,o, h,, :,
''o'i'h 20 o''s" o " "
sIeuoBrHphef preseht' WHO ~ ALSO Himself
MehOdist preacher, and who la ready to
take his Oath ns TO It's accuracy This is
uJ.t H. r,,,uy e,;d.
we have no Hebrew literature OF any Older dale than
the hme ot 'he jewish oapu'ty' anu We nave no ne
them on your onysr.. The fine NAV com. when there
viii hs thoroughly educated Hebrew scholars hut that
time Is not now Butw nre now standing on the eve of
the mor. supena""s revolution in reference to the doc
,,"cor,anty and dou,, .rs ur,ssIny un"n us W. ,r.
no, certain OF the authorship OF tho old sstament We
cannot tell what rnrt waswrt'en by Mosrs and what
part by other hands OF the books attributed to NOSES
,,, "t"e " as ~, w, "s MO" .na' "e
ten hy laeren persons n, long intervals No one can
tell the hook Of job It contains evidence of
beng one of tho oldest books in The bible The Old res
,a"sn' M np"una' WIZ" n op, wives laorS. wh''n
has no further use for ii.
at would not be prudent now for us to attack these
fables in the pulpit But mus, say there great de-"
,,,on T., i. "", MI Given Nv .n,r.,,on wn.n " vo, ,s
have to gve up wln, your mother caught you do il hon
estly hut do say much about 1t publicly The re
vised New Te'tan'entis inc"nP'raby superior to th'
oa Vsrshi ou' 'e'e are s'iil many 'n,hes 'ha w,'
Ts.,O.n =, 1.s 10, ,n h. ,hor"'Uhv rv,..a .,s "
criticism says that any Of the books are no, genuu.
they mus. 20 overheard. Many of the prophecies Of
Is"An and other rrophes that are applied to cHKlsr at
,ns onufrn nau reference 10 .ne ,e'a,n oI sns Jew
Ro,,rr.o,, sa,Iu md Tiers with him moys ,,owIv ro
they may and themselves standing on the same grouut
in the near future"
What does this mean? It means that DIR
CURRY has doubts as to the authenticity ant
authority of tho Bible which he does mo-
dare tn exprcsS publiclv. He has outurow,