New-York tribune., 1885-02-01
MIR. NEWToN'S PREACHING.
wHArHE SAYS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION
HIS FRIENDS CONFIDENT THAT BISHOP fo'iN"
WILL TAKE NO ACTION.

teachings and persuaded Of the nobility OF MS mos
in removing what they term the cobwebs OF suPeia
from the framework Of evangelical faith ihey "'o
pared to meet any charges that may be urged aka. @
him with vigorous defence, and claim to be ape W
proye that he has in no way attacked the real ana
tial tenets OF the church. Mr. Newon's home Is III oa
den City, Long Island, where he was seen yes'eiu' ~
a TRIBUNE reporter. - AIR.
81 suppose you have heard OF the stir which YOU
mon of last Sunday has made in the religious eoni"
ity and also that attices OF presentment WIN "
mtted to Assistant Bishop PotterF was asReo' ar
"Not feeling very WE'LL" Mr.. Newton answered.
have been out of the city all the week, and SO nav
been aware until yesterday OF how mnch ieo,iAs =,
sermon of last Sunday seems to have arou'eu r.at
scarcely necessary, hope, to say that oeepi' , 90
that ANYTHING which have said has been the occasion
stirring up further excitement ON my own accou .a.
nv Bishop's account and on account OF my irie"U
among the clergy and on account OF any VINO may N
been troubled by the reports OF my sermon H..
"Do you think you have given cause for TINS eA''O
mentl"
81 have no doubt that may have used ungu''u0u
pressiops I'm INV sermon In fact, don't THINK cau'
ness is a strong point In me- since the mat'ei ,,h nos
brought to my notice see certain exprs'Son'
laid me omen TO lust such mputatons as have peeh '
against me- in the face OF the necessarily iinPerio
ports in the papers But Indignantly deny INC J"'
OF these inpuations. so far from seeking any
excitement have seiulousy avoided topics ihiS "H'
which were likely lead TO such an issue hios' Vi ny
subjects have been purely practical
:. what about the excitement last December 7"
"The furry made in December was OWING 10 con'
plete peryersion Of what had SAID
"was there any misrepresentation in the report OF
your last sunday T.
&" In last Sundays unfortunate sermon was seeIlnH
most earnestly to do real constructive work ior 'ho
young men who listened TO me- II had long SCENE" 70
TO me that the silence of the pulpit toward Ihgerso"
was leaving hosts OF young men under the impressio"
that the clergy had answer to his argumohls !"
mentioning his name, or advertising my '"P'''
or doing anything to call the attention OF others t"n "
own congregation to what proposed TO do, laid OUT
series Of which should try to meet some OF INC
worst of his points by building sounder vie" OF the
truths he attacked In my which has peeh
called "a euogy OF Ingersol' simply, In opening sAu
few words 10 clear OF any suspicion oi hhano's' "
acknowledging the good in the man and the measure VI
good-such 10 is-in the purely destructive "orA Ho
doing My language this point was careiu!y Sarueu
and by no just criticism 1t be made an endorsements
of him That is folly for said after these few words
.uaving said thu. much In Justice To tho man. may
the more frankly 20 to speak OF the eNh VI
his work'-ou which was surely outspoken enough ior
any one hut bigot The bulk OF that hr't sermon
was devoted 70 an earnest plea for Christianity rs the
agent to which our civilization owes Its present status
as the religion which holds the promise oi Iea'hS
civilization IN its further progress.
..What fault was found with your second serInonr
ain the second and third sermons purposei bringing
out Wow Of the doctrines OF Christianity when
would prevent thoughtful young meu. In sympathy
with modern thought from running of TO an utter re-
Election Of those old beliefs whatever others might uo'
/ eould not do this work on the standpoint
., the pressnt .atisfacoriness OF the ancient sym
b,s O, belief / reach such young men
frankly by confcssng their great unsatisiact'rno AZ
formulas of faith TO my mind ana thSh sought "
lead my hearers perceive how there lay WITHIN heSe
old symbols ever fresh truths My thoughtin brrl was
our fathers faced problems which they tried to state
and 10 solve in these doctrines These problems con
,ut s ,t and We must try state and solve them as
hest We can an falling satisfactory result walt Win
patience until the Divine spirit teaches man better ones
The bulk OF my sermon was earnestly constructive /
sought 10 show that could not escape from some
doctrine Of Trinity md Of original sn-hoNoYer faulty
the old expressions FOR these beliefs were"
Were tho published reports OF your sermon last sun
day correct r.
Lam sure had any one else preached the sermon It
would have excited no particular remark Ihof'uhA'eV
the worst possible construction Is put ON all say IN
proof Of m let me say that IN the report OF my sermon
- lat sunday you hnd given all the destructive part
the admission which any reasoner makes when Just 20
clear his ground for building upand bar. ihde"uoh "'
the real argument. which sought To hoId young men W
faith I'm a true Trinity Consequently got the credt oi
rely destructive work that II applied TO the chhrch
dortriue which affirmed OF the popular notion OF The
Trinity those are my very words That said aud al
WAYS say i utterly irrational aud presents iair marx
for the arrows o. any outside critic OF Christianity
- Then Won never attacked the real doctrine OF tie
Trnityl"
"How could attack 1t while
r.,oain In the church, Indignantly deny any such
s,,c,nut WA, seeking TO hold to that thought.
aud have never felt more intensely stirred In preaching
than IN this very sermon"
"what about the charge that you deny original SIN
cit is enough say that In referring to Original SIN
was trying do the piece OF Work Tor thiS Dee
s,rippng of the dogma and laying bare The doctrine
disclosing the heart OF the old belief ~ something
which is there sti although the old language Is made
ouate to our present outlook tried to show that science
itself taught us the substance OF this beefand then TO
hold young again patiently In the old formulas
"Do you anticipate presentmeutf'
They talk OF proceeding to present me on the basis OF
the ragmentary reports in the daily press OF fortynVe
minutes sermon"
"were not these reports as they appeared In the day
papers literally published from your own notesP
"Granted that my very language has been used-who
does not know take the first part OF an argument
IN which speaker states the objections to his case. and
10 omit or merely indicate the second part In which he
tries TO meet objections utterly to msrepreent
him II my excited friends will bear this In mind, and
with the that what said OF tho popular notion OF
the Trinity is used said OF the Churchs doctrine ITSELF
they may perhaps see cause TO 90 slow"
Mr. Newton closed the interview by saying 81 may
perhaps my view st clearer by adding that in the
other sermons which proposed giving intended to show
that life education and that hence the difficulties
against the order OF existence form argument
against the being OF good Cod and. finally that ie
iglon far from being ey Is the greatest good Of
earth"
DO you intend to refer in your tomorrow to
the matter OF the presentment T.
81 cannot tell. L may, III the Introduction 10 my
sermon, speak OF It," go
Bishop Potter stil confined To his with
severe cold. and will not he ut his office until next
sday when II 10 said Mr.. Newtons will be laid
be ore the Bishop.
gentleman whose personal relations with Mr.. New
ton are extremely cordial aud Intimate seen lie