New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-20
WORK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY PAGES

fundamental principles of Christianity. Behind
all the puzzlng details Of the present contro
versy in the Presby terian Church lies that ISSUE
though 1t is frequently Jeff unstated, ana Is
often Obscured by subsidiary questions. Not
only do the so-callcd liberals maintain the right
OF resating the religious deliverances or the
past in the light Of what they deem clearer
knowledge of the facts. but they go further ana
say that the very dogmas which the conserva-
tves now regard as eternal and hcaven-descend
ed truths had once TO fight their way TO recog-
milton and belief They say. for instance, That
the view of Biblical inspiration which was
promulgated by the last General Assembly was
unknown in the primitive Church and as
matter Of fact, grew into its present shape III
the seventeenth or eighteenth century.
We have no intention of discussing the merits
Of this question; the Church in which 1t Is
raised is the only body which can give an au
thoritatlve answer to it, We desire merely 10
state it in terms which plain people can under
stand. On the one side Is the assertion that
in regard to a multitude Of complex speculative
dogmas the Church has spoken once for all III
the past and that therefore, the sole duty or
IT'S members to-day Is to accept It's decisions
On the other side il Is contcnded that there Is
no divincly true deposit of faith, but that every
age has the right to interpret the archives OF
past ages In such way as TO make them more
acceptable TO the religious consciousness or the
present Diyested Of all cXtraneouS issues that
IS the meaning OF the Briggs case and the Smith
case in the Presbyterian Church today. 1t is
the meaning also Of all similar cases hat come
M from time TO time In other Christian de-
nominations
T,,is ouostion 10 thp most imDOrtant Of all the
questions which are today engaging the atten-
ton Of Christendom; for upon the answer TO IL
hangs the fate Of Christianity as n working
force in modern civilization. And the indlca-
tons are that unless the pendulum Of religious
thinking shall soon swing in the opposite d.
rectlon. the conservatives will ere long be
forced to Weld their point The history or re-
liclo,,s thought since the Reformation has been
n continuous record of rational victories. Ihe
mon in all the Churches who today are re-
garlcl as pillars OF orthodoxy hold views on
various points that would have been regarded
as hcrctcal fifty or n hundred years ago IL
WIS not more than forty years ago, we be-
love that Professor Park, Of Andoycr was
bitterly arraignel for holding heretical opll-
ions. and vet without at all changing his views
Professor Park has In recent years become Ihe
chompion OF Orth JdOX COngregailonallSn
against the so-callel heretical beliefs OF Fro
fcssor Smith. Every Christian denomination
could tell the same story of theological advance
or dccadencc- which word will be used VIII de
pend upon the point Of view OF the narrator
And the fact suggests that after all, perhaps, no
CATEGORICAL answers will ever be given TO the
bnrning Questions that are always coming up
for an answer In the Christian Church'