The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-03

The Pittsburg Presbytery has taken Q
new departure in the matter OF dealing
with heresy which Will commend itself
TO the intelligence OF the age. The gen.
eral assembly has taken up the case Of
Prof. McGIffer,. but. instead Of having
q sensational trial with all the acrimony
which usually attends such proceedings,
merely requests that he quietly leave
the ministry If he cannot conform his
views TO the standards OF our church"
That is no more than any self-respect-
ing man ard conscientious teacher
should do. man Of sufficient indie
pendence Of thought to be guilty Of her
esy knows prfec,ly well that he is not
performing the duty he assumed when
whose doctrines he subsequently finds
himself compelled to differ. 1t is neither
fair TO the church whose mission he is
doing nor 10 the people vino listen to his
teachings. to continue to occupy pull
pit and accept compensation for preach
ing the doctrines of that particular
church. II a Presbyterian minister
finds that his religious convictions have
undergone a change he should absolve
himself from the obligations he has as
sumed and il he desires to preach new
views to do 80 In some other place and
not under the guise Of the ministry to
which he was accredited by reason Of
bis orthodoxy
Neither confession nor conviction OF
heresy now entails the social or profess
sional ostracism Of few years ago, nor
does 1t result in those awful punish
ments which have brought shame upon
every Christian denomination at some
period OF its career,
Heresy has even lost the odium which
once attached To ii. and the success of
Prof Briggs and Prof Smith. who have
risen to distinction and gathered about
them large congregations, In spite Of
efforts to silence them by DEGREES Of &C.
ciesiastical courts, shows that there is
a movement which cannot be controlled
by arbitrary act on the part Of church
bodies. Henry Ward Beecher became a
hereto several years before his death;
but. although nominally a member of an
ecclesiastical organization, he had dis
tinct individuality. and his congregation
consisted OF people who had earnestly
belonged 10 him and 10 his teachings
and not TO a denomination. The famous
series OF sermons he delivered when he
knew that his life was drawing to a
close was almost sad In the pathos with
which he intellectually relinquished the
dogma OF sectarianism and became
Christian OF the broadest kind. Even
when he was gently breaking the
threads which bound his services to doc
trines which he had adopted In earlier
life. he did 1t sadly but with the pro-
found conviction that he was doing a
great work for religion When he pro-
claimed the truth as he saw II. Since
his death many departures have been
made by eminent preachers, They are
all tending In the same direction We
have not seen Prof Mctiiffert's book,
and we hesitate 10 use the language in
which IL Is described by ore who can
-
work. Yet some idea OF its scope may
he gathered from the criticism that II Is
the most daring and thorough going
attack on the New Testament that has
ever been made by an accredited teacher
OF the Presbyterian church in America"
and OF his work 1t Is said that he de
stroys experimentation altogether by
suhiecting the narratives - scientific
analysis. and he tests the unknown and
unknowable BY the known ard mate
rial"
Whatever may be the merit OF the
book. It Is apparent that no man hold
Ing such views. even in the more lnod!-
fed form in which they would probably
appear to more impartial critic. could
ooEsc!en,soGsiy continue 20 preside over
y FreSby terlan congregation. Il is net
a question whether THE doctrines az the
Presbyterian church are sound or not
Thy are well defined ana they are firm
Iy believed IN BY many good ana earnest
Christians, II shey or any @: them are
In sympathy wiee Pref. McGiTert they
hase the right. thanks to the religious
freedom ~',a vhkh this country IS
''ess'-''. to fellow h'i and 10 conform to
his vte~s Vs:aoa; IN HESITATION But his
place IS ~ the Presbyterian church.