The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-01-15
The Harasv Trial.

We give on our first page a statement
of the grounds Oh which Rev. Mr.. Mac
Queary, of Canton, Ohio. was tried last
week at Cleveland, Ohio, for heresy. 1t
presents an interesting statement of the
case, and will attract unusual attention
throughout religious circles. 1t is very
evident that inquiring minds in the min
istry are addressing themselves to a
philosophical investigation of church
creeds and canons, as well as the inter
pretations of the Scriptures, which have
been handed down to us from the earlier
commentators and writers. Under the
lights of an advanced civilization and
the research OF profound scholars and
theologians, it is not surprising that
what are called heresies are being pro-
mulgated, and radical departures from
the lines accepted by the fathers made
known. Whether or not it is better for
the church and for genuine religion that
the grounds of the common faith of
Christians should be shaken and creeds
formulated by good men unsettled, is a
question that we do not care to discuss.
There is no doubt of the heterodoXical
announcements of Mr. MacQueary,
viewed from the standpoint of the canons
of his church, as we'll as the faith in
which we have all been educated. But
a generation hence, if agnosticism shall
progress as it has in the past generation,
it may be discovered that what is now
cassed as heterodoXy will be regarded
as orthodoxy, and new creeds and new
canons and new disciplines become ap-
propriate and proper.
Our view is, that it would be better to
rest upon the great cardinal and accept
ed truth that the Jesus is the Son OF
God; that He suffered death on the cross
as Precipitation for the sins of the world
and by faith in the efficacy of that death
eternal salvation may be obtained. Fl
mite minds cannot fathom the mys
teries of the Scriptures-cannot re
| concile the source of original sin with
human reason, and satisfactorily explain
the fall of man and the consequent de-
DfaNlUN lIlstt 1ildIC Vic otOl VI viz VI zoe
essential for his reclamation. Learned
divines may argue and refine and philoS-
ophize ever so eloquently and forcefully
on this subject, yet none OF them YET
have ever been able to satisfy our under
standing with their explanations and
dogmas, or sound the depths of the
mystery which enshrouds the events OF
Eden and made essential the tragic
see mes of cavalry. Nothing but blind
! faith can meet the emergency, and it is
this faith that forms the bed rock of the
Christian Church.
The trial of Mr. MacQueary was closed
on the '11'h, and he returned to Can
| ton, Ohio, to await the verdict of the
ecclesiastical court. He expressed him
self as satisfied with the status of the
ease and signified his willingness to sub
NIT to the decision, insomuch as he
would retire from the Episcopal church
But he will not give up his convictions
no matter what the verdict, and it is
more than likely that he will find an
of the Unitarian church. A dispatch
from Canton says: He is receiving the
compliments of his friends on the splen-
did defense he made before the court
but the prevalent opinion is that his
conviction is probable, as the question
at stake was not as to the soundness OF
his views, but whether they were in har
mony with the established doctrine OF
| the Protestant Episcopal church of the
United States. Mr.. MacQueary will re-
main in Canton for some time, but such
is the division in st. Paul's church that il
is hardly probable that he will remain its
rector. He will devote himself to lite
rary work for the time being. He will
not take to the lecture field.