New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-22
THE LIMITS or RELIGIOUS ISCtNHio''

! II i, not strange that the conservatives III
| Abe churches arc alarmed at the present ton
dency to regard nearly overy tenet Of Chr>-
,;onitv rs an orcn question. In their oplnlcn,
! no, ONLY the fundamentals of Christianity but
sbo vast accrction of tradition, dogma and
practicc. which has grown up around these
| fundamentals, arc, OF at least Ouen' W oc' III
violate. 70 doubts should assail them no IN
ycs,igation should be made in regard ID men,
They should BE- accepted for all time ana ny
nil men as a divine deposit OF eternai 'futh'
In other spheres Of human lie there may DC
nrocress. or at any rate change ti1lcr KNOW
edro and a wider generalization OF 1acts may
, lead to the rejection of ancient errors. bot
within the sacred domain of theology all must
remain as it is and has been from the begin
,;nc TO touch with the pitess Scalpcl Oh
criticism even the least Of the ancient tradi-
tions is to as>a;l the very foundations OF the
faith.
An article in the current issue OF Tho North
American Review" by DR.. Coleman, the
Protestant Episcopal Bishop OF Delaware Is
= fair statement of this view. Dr. Cole
mans object is to prove that there arc limit'
to lcgiimatc religious discussion. If he meant;
simply that each sect has the right to set s'Th
limit, for it's own members. no one would qucs-
ton the propricty Of his contention. FOR Such
right is necessary to the existence "l any
examination But he goes great deai llll-
;hcr than this lie contents that Christian
,tv is the National religion of America ana
therefore any one who doubts or denies the
fundamentals Of Christianity among which nc
succiiies n belief in the Divinity of Chlist IN
BAPTISM. and the Lords Supper, Is guilty OF
hiph treason. and is also to be claSsed as an
immoral man. Tho syllogsm on which he
rests this amazing assertion is thus stated by
him: The public opinion Of this country Is
Christian opinion From this il follows that
our National morality is virtually but another
name for Christianity. Therefore a man who
is NOT a Christian cannot be accounted moral
man.
II is not perhaps necessary to say much IN
rcbutta Of this argument for few people. cx-
cept the Bishop Of Delaware, will take 1t scri-
ously Indeed, those who have the best title
10 speak for Christianity will regret to see such
an untcnablc proposition put forth by dignl-
tary of a most respectable and worthy de-
nomination. Christianity, even a. to its funda-
mcntas, is not the National religion OF this
country. A refusal ~ 9ccpt IFS essential doc
trneS is not high treason Tnitarians, jews,
acnosticS and iniidclS can be. and are. every
whit a. loyal Ia the State ~ the most hide
bound conservative: and not even Christian
bishop has the right 10 put any stigma upon
thcm Bishop Coleman says that such mon
should not be allowed 10 express their dsbe-
lief. But there il no law in this country to
proycnt anv man from expressing his honest
convictions in a respectful way and IT is pretty
certain that no such law will ever be enacted.
Perhaps. however tho most offensive thing
in the Bishops article is his assertion that men
who do not hold his views n T. the Divinity
If Christ and the import Of the two Sacra-
mcnts. are immoral. They may be "cailed
moral Nv tho world" he says; but if they are
hetcrcdox n 10 ;hc SacramontS he feels " con
strained 20 withhold from them the appca-
ton" Therefore, according 10 Dr.. Coleman
counties, number OF men like Abraham Lin
coin. or Dr.. Bellows. or DR.. Chaplin, or that
sanity man. Dr. Mar;incau are immoral. 50
also are a largo proportion Of tho noblcSt mon
and women in the world to-day such
proro,tion is too absurd. not 70 say monstrouS
for serious di ScIsSion. IL is scctarianiSm gone
10 seed. We believe tho Bishop OF Delaware
i. personally, a most amiablc gentleman. But
if he has any regard for his future fame he
sill refrain from giving utterance TO crude
opinions that are not only discreditable t. him,
but u caricaturc of the true principles OF