The Press., 1885-02-05
(Hartford Courant) Th q Newton Furry Again.

(Hartford Courant)
 The Newton Furry Again.
 It must be evident to those who have heard the Rev. R. Heber Newton preach in New York, that the furry his utterances cause is altogether out of proportion to his caliber. He owes his power to make sen. sation to his position. He is saying noth- ing new he has found out nothing con- corning the conduct of life, or religion, or the relation of this world to the next that is not every day expressed. Ills disdinc- is that he expresses 1t as an ordained cler- gyman of the Episcopal church. The in- terest in what he says-for though an ex- cellents and esteemed man, he is not a log ioal or powerful reasoner-is simply that of contrast. It seems odd that clergy man of the Episcopal church should be pronouncing the doctrine of the Trinity s'utterly grotesque," doctrine for which Christianity is indebted to the influences of Egyptian and probably Hindoo specu- lation in the early church, and that the doctrine of original sin is contrary to science, Grecorded truth and the genius and spirit of religion" and still desire to re- main in communion with that church and practice it's forms as an ordained minister. 1t is not a question of the truth or falsehood of h1s assertion, but of their agreement with the doctrines of the denomination in which he insists upon remaining. His mo- tions have no novelty. MT. Robert Inger- soil has uttered them in various forms, and there are religious organizations which hold and proclaim them.
 MT. Newton makes the same illogical mistake that Harriet Martineau made. He thinks he IS bound to proclaim as truth" anything that at the moment seems to him to be ''truth"-making himself the sole standard Of what is truth This is only, in most cases, gigantic exageration of nne's personal importance. No such ohli- eation is lad upon any human being. The duty of ''testimony' depends upon circum- stances The personal equation is not enough to settle the greatest problems of existence. It is great responsibility for any man to assume that his mind alone has arrived at truth. It is responsibility that lunatic does not hesitate to take i; and whenever man sets himself mp as a standard, he is reasonably suspected of be- ing ''crank." It is no excuse of mans murder of his child, for instance, that he feels that he is performing an act of sacri- flee demanded of him by God.
 To suffer and die for the truth is indeed a noble thing, and it is not always easy to distinguish in this matter. The biograph. IT of Miss Martineau assumes that because she was sincere she therefore had the truth on her side. It does not follow. Many persons sincerely believe lie. And although Mr. Newton is conscious of sln- ctritv in himself, he is not therefore war ranted in assuming that he has arrived at | he truth.
 Of course, we say, man must take the responsibility and speak according to his lights he must not go on and preach what he does not believe. No one would have any right to ob!ect if Mr. Newton stepped outside his church and preached what seems tO him the truth in regard to religious dogmas and the religious life. A man of great and clear mind would how ever hesitate to assume that he had found the sstruth ;' he would rather modestly say that he was compelled by conscience 1 10 state what it seemed to him to be the truth. But it seems that MT. Newton, by his remaining in the Episcopal commun- ion, is less anxlous to express to the world what seems to him truth than he Is to force a conflict between what he thinks and what hls church lays down. This IS not the spirit in which Emerson withdrew from his Boston congregation. He did not a+tempt to set up his ideas for truth to them. He simply said that t did not seem right to him, as he felt about it. to admin ister the sacrament of the Lords supper, and he withdrew.
 Bnt it looks very much as if MT. Newton conrted trial for ''heresy." We have no right to say that he courts this for the sake of notorietv; he may desire it as a means of vindicating what he regards as truth. Bnf he ought to gee that it ia useless trial. For his mind must be clear enough 10 perceive that his views are not ip accord- ance with the tenets of his eoumunion. And that is the only real point at issue. If he is tried. in this age of freedom of opinion, it will be, or shonld he, on the question of divergence of doctrine, net on the truth of his opinions. We do not inn agine that the Episcopal church is eoino +o try to prove that the doctrine of the +erlv erotesque." The only question is. if Mr. Newton so regards it, is his place in the Eniscopal church It is inexplicahle that MT. Newton, if his sentiments are cor rectlv reported. should wish to continne in the denomination in which he was ortlain- cd, for his denials % to destroy the fupda- mental basis of that denomlnation.
 There can be no cry of persecution. No one ia attempting to control MT. Newton's opinions or to punish him for entertaining them. He is at liberty to preach and prac. tice what he chooses And the church ie not presenting him if it savs that what he preaches ia no, the doctrine of the church of which he professes to be member. ----vzsx--.~----z---=~~~~
 YoUNG W1FE's GREATEST TRIAL. -Tht greatest trial of young wifes fife, is the birth of child which Is usually attended with many hours of hard labor and intens, main GrrIr hoolr h1