Morning journal and courier., 1894-01-24
rr1r ooUNrx coN,yoCArIoN.

winter Meeting OF the New Haven
County C0nvocation ut Trinity
church Yesterday = An Interesting
Paper By Rev. Mr. Woodcock of
Ansonia-ssDosma,N Tot Dogmatism''
The Evangelical Paper Not Pre-
scented - Interesting Discussiens by
Many Clerxymen.
The winter meeting of the New Haven
county convocation was held ut Trinity
church and parish house yesterday. At
1880 O'Clock there was q celebration of the
holy communion, and an excellent sermon
was preached by Rev. A. Douglass Miller
of Grace Episcopal church, Fair Haven.
At 1:30 O'Clock the ladies of the church
served dinner. At 2:30 O'Clock short
business meeting was held at which Rev.
Mr.. wildman of Wsllingford and Rev.
William A. Beardsley, rector Of st. Thomas
church. this city, were appointed COM
mittee on Sunday school work and methods
to confer with committees appointed by
the other eonvocations of the diocese.
Rev. Charles E. Woodcock of Ansonia
followed with q most thoughtful, earnest
and instructive essay entitled ''Dogmss Va.
Liberalism and Unfaith" He took the
conservative side of the argument and
strongly contrasted dogma and dogma.
tism, the first of which he de-
fined as q settled opinion, q max
i'm or tenet, and the latter
positive or arrogant assertions of doctrines
or opinions. Thus 1t would be about "a
impossible for religion to exist without
dogma % the science of mathematics with
out the essential axioms and postulstes.
You must have something to start from
and build on. But this should not be
carried to the extreme of dogmattsm. The
truth does not fetter the thought or the
intellect. The truth makes fres. Thus
the dogma should act aa preventive check
to any dangerous liberalism of thought
which would lead in the end to unfsith OF
cynical pessimism. The church must have
dogma. There are certain laws of thought
and msxims of truth which are most es
ssntial in the pursuits Of truth. We should
make the proper U.S. of the dogma, sub.
hitting ourselves to it's dictates where they
are in accordance with logical methods Of
thought and reasoning. and rejecting II
where 1t is in danger of becoming errone
GUS and herstical.
1t IL the fault of modern liberalism that
1t has become almost cloak and q disguist
to unfaith. Its tendency Is ever to bresl
away from dogma and set aside all the re
quits of historical thought and branch GU
on new and oftenhmes dangerous paths
In deeeiving others it is deceived itself
The only liberalism which 1t is at all esf,
| to sccept is that which can discover ne q
and important truths, which are accept
able to the dictates of God and righteous
ness.
A somewhat lengthy discussion followed
which was particir ated in by Rev. Mr.
McOracken Of Waterbury, Rev. Mr.. An
| drews of Guilford, Rev. Mr.. Scoville, az
sistant at Trinity church, this city; Rev
Mr. Lines, rector of St. Psurs parish, thi
| city; Rev. Mr.. Macbeth, assistant at Trinit,
church, this city; Rev. Mr.. Jessup Q
Cheshire, Rev. Mr.. Cornwall of Strstford
and Rev. M. Beardsley, of st. Thomss
church, this city.
The views of the clergymsn concurre'
with Mr.. Woodcock's essay. Some en-
phasized one phase of his thought NOR
than he had. Some thought that the scop
of the dogma was necessarily limited an
that should serve only as = foundation an
that modern religion thinkers had for tn,
most part agreed in not attaching that IN
due Importance to 1t which had made
such a source of evil to the religionists @
the middle ages.
The exegesis of Galations lille 20 who
was to have been presented by Rev. Wi
liam Lusk of North Haven, was not read
owing to the absence of Mr.. Lusk. Re,
Mr.. Lines, however, led a rather inform,
discussion, which WAS participated In b
the greater part of the clergy present.
i At 6 O'Clock supper was served at tt
parish house by the ladies of the church
the visiting clergy, and at 1880 o'elool
after q short service, Rev. Frederick v
Bailey, rector of the Church of the Ascel
sion, Rev. W. 81. Hutchinson, rector .
} the Milford Episcopal church. and Rev. T
i L. Everest of Hamden made short az
dresses on the subject, "The Lold's Day
Its Sanction, its Observance, its Blessings
There were large attendsnces at all Il
services, and was one of the most success
full and enjoyable conversations ever hel
here. Rev. Mr.. Jssaup of Cheshire vi
dean of the convocation.