Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-20
UNRELENTING CONsRRVATIsM.

UNRELENTING CONSERVATISM.
The Naugatuek Valley Conference of
Congregational Churches has said Its say
concerning the American Board. And that
say, while entirely temperate in language,
is strong in criticism. The conference
recognizes with full oordiality and graft
tude the ability, the prolonged devotion
and the consoientiousness of those who
constitute the prudential oommittse. "But
1t is notorious that It's attitude is seriously
obstructive and that this is due to the ex-
treme and unrelenting conservation of two
of three of It's members, and we cannot
suppress the conviction that these men
the purity of whose motives We do not for
q moment question-should be quietly re-
msnded to place where their influence
would cease to make itself officially felt"
And a resolution asking the Board to make
such changes in its seoretaryships and pru-
dental committee as will tend to re-estab-
lish it in the affections and the confidence
Of the churches was adopted.
"Unrelenting conservatism" is q good
phrase The question is whether the
thing described by 1t Is right. If it is
those members of the American Board who
are charged with it are right, and can
glory in the opposition or even persecution
which their unrelenting conservatism may
bring upon them. At present the tide in the
churches is apparently rather against them.
Unrelenting conservatism will also be on
trial in the General Assembly of the Pres
byterians at Washington. twin be asked
there, is DR.. Briggs a hereto, and
is the Bible what 1t was once,
and with unrelenting conservatism,
thought to be by the Presbyterian Church'
A few years ago it would have seemed
hardly conceivable that the question of the
infsilibility and inerrancy of Scripture
could possibly be raised or regarded as an
open question in the very stronghold and
citadel of conservative orthodoxy. Yet
that question, which concerns every Prot
estant Church not less than 1t concerns the
Presbyterian denomination, is the ques-
ton which confronts the General Assembly
to-day The bold challenge of Professor
Charles A. Briggs has met with defense
and vindieation at the hands of the Pres
bytery of New York, and now it rests
with the ministers and elders of the Church
to say whether the Presbyterian Church as
a whole shall declare its unrelenting con-
| servatism concerning the Bible, which ID
| It's foundation.
The unrelenting conservatism of some
| members of the American Board, the
equally unrelenting opposition to thai
| conservatism. the "higher criticism" o.
DR.. Briggs. the criticism of him, and the
general atir in all the churches are inter
esting. The real meaning of it all Is, vi
suppose, that Protestantism cannot yer,
we'll be unrelentingly conservative and b
Protestantism. The Catholic Church ha
been wont to claim that the natural out
come of Professionalism is infdelity. I
remains to be seen whether the truth o
this claim will finally be apparent, O.
whether progress in Protestantism will b
found to be compatible with the mainten
anoe of living and an inspiring faith
At present the question with many seem
to be how to be as heretioal as they fee
without feeling or being irreHgious.