Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-07
A STATEMENT coRseeTED.
Re- ~. Joy Replies % Re.. M. Po~-
srs Conserving the Rork Case


Re- ~. Joy Replies % Re.. NJ. Po~-
srs Conserving TIE Rork Case
70 rs Eazs.sE u Fsk rzEEsKsx
l. q sermon pEsaehee ~ PoseE's cpsEs
hoase "a the sFealn- q Asreh 4 AID ss-
ported - fEz Ao4sLsa KzLsaGA3 ~ tl.s
folio@iaS day. noElee -tzlsna~nt eoacsrn-
~ lbs ACTON "a ths Niehi.an Conferences
IA lhe elss 81 "a. = kosk. @hleh is ~holis Al
EaEisncs sitn tls fzels, and 10 calculated -
d. great in5ostlee % ths iElsllgellt ana
respectable bsdy "a christian gsntiemen BE-
fore whom bis case : - tried-
Ths language II a. foli0ss. Prom the
sery a&tare Of things Inhds.s of thls f4snion
mast pay the penalty foF their belief, which
II sxclgzion 81 eAeommgnlcstlOn from TIE
0id church. Ia this clts, IA le4s,
tne 81 r. Conference east Out Martin \.
Rork. simply becaase ke dad not believe,
literally, Ia the resurrection OF the body, and
~as HONEST enough 10 SAY that he dld not
believe H. +"
II would he difhcalt % crowd into 80 brief
a paragraph greater persersiOn Of facts,
or more ungenerOQs insinaations than y
contained IN the language above quoted.
The latter DO not care - notice, bat II -
due 70 the large body of christian ministers
whose intelligence. honesty and charity y
here lmpeached, that the statement Of alleged
facts shoaid be corrected
Ii the hrst place. Mr. koFk was never ex
pelled from the NJ. l.. Church, a. II here
plainly charged.
The minutes OF the nndlngs IN the case are
now before me, aud the verdict Il. That
Msrtin Y. ROEk be depOred from the ministry
I Of tie NJ. 4. Church" This sentence left
him layman Ia good standing in the
4 church, from which. however. be subse-
/ quently withdrew.
In The second place, - far from being de
I posed even, simply because be did not be
lieve literally IN the resurrection OF the body
and was honest enough 10 say that he dd
not believe it''-a statement which Is designed
: 10 convey the impression that this was the
/ sole and only charge-there were no less
( than seven distinct specifications against
I him, all of which were clearly proven with
one exception; and each Of the six unmcn-
I toned charges were far more grave IN their
I character than the one named Indeed, had
the eccentFicities of the gentleman been con
I tined 10 hls crochets upon the doctrine OF
the resurrection he would never have been
/ molested. There Il nothing IN the articles
of faith of the NJ. +. Church concerning the
resurrection of the body, and nothing in her
| discipline requiring belief IN the literal re-
surrection of the material human body as a
condition of membership; and her members
hold a variety OF views upon the subject and
Yet walk in peaceful and loving fellowship.
| The only utterance upon the doctrine Is con
/ tanned in what Is known as the Apostle 5
| Creed" and this will admit OF
I AS large latitude IN Interpretation "a
the words of Paul and our Savior.
/ Ii il we'll known that one of our most VEN
able and respected leaders who was last
/ spring elected to the editorship of the lead
ing periodical of the church, holds views
upon that subject entirely at varience with
the literal theory. A belief III the literal
resurrection of the material human body l.
/ not regarded as fundamental or necessary TO
salvation, and the Methodist church allows
large liberty to the private beliefs of her
members, provided only they evince sin
cere desire TO flee from the wrath to come
and to be saved from their sins She has
however. well defined views upon all i'm
portant theological and moral questions, and
she has an undoubted right 10 guard care
fully the teachings which emanate from
her puipits. a right which she exercises rig
idly despite the carping critics whose sole
mission in the world seems TO be 10 destroy
faith in the only system which has power tC
lift the human race from the degradation OF
sin into purity, uprightness and truth.
IL Is but just to Mr.. ROrk to add that none
of the charges against him reflected In the
least upon his moral character, otherwise hi:
conviction would have necessitated his ex-
pulsion from the church "a well as deposition
from the ministry. HESRY NJ. JOY.