New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25
THE PARSONS STUDY.
SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND INCIDENTS.

Up Massachusetts way they have been trSlhs 1t"
| oldtmc church chorma>ter for wllfllN, pers'sc'V
! L. and maCously singing of the key during ui'i"'
service. His name it is Gibbs, of North Elahuioru'
and he is a vertabe old timer Four years ago. III us
ungOdy laundering for new-fanged mlsc' th' '''"''"
/ dismissed the old man, who had Tor so many '
raised his Ebcnczcr i'm the good old way OF our lo'o
fathers before even Lowell Mason came on inc soo"'
It seemed rough to Gibbs and IL was rough. lhe Nci,
existence not to say stability OF Christianity scemeu
TO be involved in the issue. Were the fathers WHO
singled Tate and Brady's version of the PSnifn'
through their noses wronS' We're their l'c."ou
Of making a cheerful noise unto the Goa Oh 'a'o"
to be set aside by parcel OF trlndlebed trash "
or, while Gibbs alive and he was very m"o" .''N'
So the other sunday, while the people were rendering
Coronation in the modern " hfalutn' syie' "iDp'
Joined in Justify. and gave it in the way Oh u'c
fathers generously throwing in a number OF rests
and quavcls unrccOgnzed by the MODERN S'''ooi
and for that lie hailed before tobacco scen'c'
police court on the charge Of singing OIL the Key
Poor. picturesque. pathetic Gibbs from wa'-DacN'
fighting against the Irresistible march Vi ''' "oN
hail and farewell!
Nv friend the heretic-he is a hereto in the
Church. and therefore only hereto by courtesy
is feeling very happy these days; for he thinks every
thing i, going his way. You old foslcs' he sald 10
me the other day. as he lit Of my clerical per
fcctos "you old fogies are not in 1t. LOOK al VIC
movement in all the churches Clear away from al
inallile tradition. and in the direction OF atohai
and reasonable faith Look a; the English Churcl
and Lux Mundi look at the Scottish Church ana us
free thought Look at the Presbytellans IN 'ni'
country throwing overheard their confession OF fatl
and the EpiscOpalians, every man believing what !"
good In his eyes Why feel HE yclhg "ioo
pee and throwing mp my hat MY dear ST.
replied, "yOu ignore the fact that there Is a ire
mendous opposition TO the socallcd new theology
movement an opposition great that You Will nave
bor IN
replied airily Let me show you how little
all that amounts 10. The men who are most ac'lNo
in opposing the new theology movement are ~ the
WELT fed and well-tOdo Church members generally, "h'
look upon the Church big rcligio-'orlal corpora
ton that must be upheld. irrespective of the truth OF
It's creed because it stands for property ana Veated
rights and acts buwark against the mtelecfua'
and social unrest Of the times: ca the tladoHal'tS
I'm all the denominations, who honestly b'IeNe uif'
their views Of Christianity are in literal accord WIN
divine revelation and 81 the clergy. who d"uDt III
secret Themselves and who. therefore. are down on
the man who doubts out loud troubler OF Israel
and a dsurbcr of the peace. Now these classes nave
not the power to propagate Themselves The ne"
generation refuses to heed their arguments ana So III
very few wears. this opposition you speak OF VIII DO
all dead and buried
GLOW different was the Christianity Of Christ from
the Christianity Of today cXclaimS ms friend tho
socialist Yes. reply, It different but what oil II
The acorn which you hold in your hand Is very difef'
cnt from the stately oak into which it may grow MY
years hence: but don't think that gives IL right 10
sheer at the oak to cali in question its relation
10 the acorn Every effect lies latent in IL cause ana
all cause, find their full fruition in their effects. II
Christianity Ia, grown to be something different from
what it wa, first. it Is because it has adapted lt'ei
10 orr ideas orr wants. even our pre!udce> III every
aye il Ia, dropped features and appropriated
some features And that /, why it is 4 human religion
today az course truth +, the same Away but every
age hold, II differently Interpret, it differently, ana
see, it with different mental perspective. We're 1t
possible today to reproduce exactly tl" apostolic typo
Of Christianity with it, pet phrases and it~ pet doc
rincs and il, ruling ideas. and K, intellectual ohtoo"
and inook and it, little icaousic> and quar'el> and
IL, burning questions. which would DE the deade>t
Of dead questions and it. theories since proved To be
mistaken don't think Of us would feel the slight
est sympathy with IT, There is good deal OF cant
about This demand for return to the early Ideals CT
Christianity. 1t is like asking the oak to become an
acorn again.
Father Ignatius has called on Bishop Potte TO turn
ont Of hi, diocese all clcrgvnen who have listened to
the siren voice Of Biblical criticism but the Bishop
doesn't. seem inclined 10 acccdc to the demand some
people might think that the monk Is barely qualified
10 speak for The Protestant Episcopal Church. - lie IL
not only foreigner. but ha, no ecclesiastical standing
IN hi, own diocese aud has been inhibited from oici-
ating In three Episcopal doccS,S. In fact, Ia rs
majority Of Epi,copalianS would probably regard him
a. a good subject for ccclca>tcal discipline. on the
ground that he holds strange and erroneous doctrines
which he promised at hi> ordination 10 Danish and
drive away Even those who most opposed L Mr..
MacQucary would doubtless admit that. i'm spite OF his
dcctfinal errors. he i better representative OF
Protestant Ep>cOpalanlrm than this Welsh monk.
But il i interesting - ask what would happen IL
Bishop Potter should take the adyic" of Father X
Mathis and cNpel all Of his clergy who longer hold
the old traditional Views 81 the Bible with It's mo
chaucal theories Of Inspiration. First OF all. the
good Bishop would have T. discipline himself. for ha>
he not thi, last week written letter in which Pea
called Professor Briggs his brother IN Christ. and de
Clarcd that rejoice that . and honorcd in
,tution Of Christian learning" has hCuorcd itself IN
honorliic him by making hIn professor II Biblical
theology And has not Professor Briggs been held M
t0 IL by all strictly ort.udoN Chr, stan, a, a man
who j. trying to destroy ;he Bible Then after losing
II, bishop the great docc>e ~ Ncw. York woud have
to o.c come OF it, most devoted. brilliant and sic
c",,ul clergy. ~. for example Or. lluntiu -iou, ~
Craze. DR.. Sunald. ot the Ascension. Dl EaiuSfOrl.
of -. 6cnrgc'> lr. Nhipmdu. o Christ Dr. BrYok>
the incarnation. Dr. >tancrr of Holy Trinity Harlem
Dr. Mdc, of Rivcrdac; Dr. Rylancc. OF II. Mark
DR.. Van DE Water Of Il. Andrews, and Of course Dr.
Newton. OF MI souls. In fact. there hardly a
clergyman in tive diocese who n h.> beliefs hl, not
made some concessions q tlo demand, oC modern in
vr,tlgaon ana modern thuugit. Therefore. # the
monks suggestion should De- literally carried ont thc,.
would be- very little LEFT Of the Episcopal Church And
" ut l. of is fru. f ar