New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-27
CRITICISM OF CRITIC
FLEA FOR FAIR PLAY IN THE TREATMENT
OF DR. sAvAGE'S VIEWS
To tho Editor OF The Tribune.

To tho Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: As n constant reader OF your valued paper
wish to protest against an amazing piece or crltl-
olsm contained in the letter signed H" and pub
lished on the 18th inst This critic. after denunci-
alton Unsupported by any argument OF DR.. Saw
AGES objections TO creeds as uncrlcal and illogical
SAYS that Or. Savages unsntsfactoriness OF treat
men, is most apparent when he comes TO the
setting forth Of his positive Views or re-
ugioa H then Identifies quotation from
Matthew Arnold (of which Or. Savage had said.
IT, YOU cannot say moro than this here is all
that Is absolutely necessary 20 the nob'st h'"'p
with Or savages own positive Views OF religion"
and proceeds to launch forth into a passionate
attack on the materialism that has mo faith in
second lie for man or In A Judge that sits on
high" and whose only creed is let US eat and
drink for tomorrow
Crafty insinuatlng throughout this attack on
tho ma,erlallsrn OF Omar Khayyam and tho Blond
Beast that this f. substantially DR.. Savage's creed
and thai Dr. Savage has no belief in either God
or the future life q the SOUL this curious critic
sums Up his argument with this conclusion: IT
strikes me that II we are to preserve our moral
sanity and escape out OF the nightmare Of pessi-
mlsrn We must accept the Ncene Creed boih as
philosophy and a religious guide
l. It ignorance or dsingcnuousness that nus
seeks 70 fasten on DR. Savage disbelief In the
doctrines Of theism and the immortal NE FOR
which he has been known for thirty years as the
shameless: OF champions7 III" states at the outset
Of his letter tina; Dr. Savage may fairly be regard
ed as the abest pulpit representative OF the Uni
tarans" How IS f. then. that he does not know.
or purposeiy ignores. tho able books on BELIEF In
God" -Four Great Questions" Psychic Facts
and Theories" Religion Of Evolution. etc. IN
which Dr Savage champions these two great prin-
cples Of Christian faith. or the twenty-odd vol
umes ana nearly one thousand sermons which Or
Savage has published. which are imbued with his
strong and positive faith In the Divine Being and
the heavenly life? Nay. is II ignorance or dis!n-
genousness that leads III" in the same letter
In which he tells OF his interest IN the reports OF
DR. Savage's sermons on creed" 10 tnsinuate
that Or. Savage doubts these Christian doctrines
which DR.. Savage plainly affirmed In the report OF
his sermon for the Sunday only week earlier?
This saplent critic argues that the only escape
from the nightmare OF pcssimism and materiaIism
l. TO acccp; the Nicene Creed with all its incredi
billties Is IL on, OF ignorance or dsingcnuousness
that he ignores the fact that in the Unitarian
Church for over three hundred years since its
foundation in Hungary. In lJGS. the faith In God
and I'm she future life has been steadily maintained.
and that Unitarian writer's. such as James Mar
,ineau. William Ellery Claiming. Or Hedge.
Henry LOngtcliOw, Dhver Wendell holmes John
hsske and Professor William Il Carpenter. have
been among the stronges' defenders OF these prin-
grnuousness that he ignores the fact that among
the Parsees the Hindoos. the Egyptians ana inc
Chinese from 40 to 700 before Christ peef IN a
future llfe for man and a Divine Judge in heaven
is internationally found. and admitted TO be found
Inv All Oriental scholars? our sapient critic says.
If there be no second life no Judge In heaven.
then Christs lie is TO me horror and a terror
and n Pity and the wise mans motto will he. eat
and drink for tomorrow we die
is moi this moral and religious scepticsm' IA, far
more corrupting than that OF Dr. Savage? For
what else does our critic thereby say than that
virtue has no intrinsic authority or reward; that
reiieion and worship have no natural and inherent
worth or proprety. and that faith Is slmply a
Ionror- headed solfishncss and other worldliness
which serves The Lord only because IL expects 10
ect a bigger personal reward later on? II II can.
moi expect to get this personal reward for lis heller
or virtue later on. then this ''Niccnc Creed-re-
llplon' will abure love and purity. Righteousness
AID Christlke nobleness OF soul as horror and
n terror and go and wallow in the inire OF sensn-
atty, 49,, l., ., ., a..
natural claims and prcciousness OF Christian lie.
rather than any doubt OF the authority OF creeds.
mat Is to-day doing most harm and alternating
thinking people from the popular churches
Nou,-york De-, 1897