The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
An .aEnostIc ON ChurchEe,ng.

To II EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: I cannot
agree with the writer of the letter in your issue
Of the 23d inst. signed "A Once Churchgoine
Skeptic." and do not quito grasp tho reasons no
advances for the attendance of the masses at
church. His talk OF moral tonic" and mental
rest seems rather vague. Doubtless there arc
churches in New York where mental recreation
can be had; those like st. Georges, on the ono
hand. where Irish eloauencc thunders forth
beautiful ethics. sound morals. and. in many
cases. sound PHILOSOPHERS. and interwcaves
them with the Scriptural legends Of q
broad, manly. and intensely human Christ,
or, on the other hand. churches like
St Ignatius's, where just as sound philoso-
pixies. ethics, and morals arc taught, bus
woven in tho fabric of an ethereal, aesthetic,
and supernatural Christ In both of these
churches (which. 1 think i may fairly say, typify
the two sides of Episoopalianismp. oil the love.
Hest OF virtues are constantly taught, and every
temporal work of mercy is practiced. But will
the opinion OF honest agnostics be changed there
byi Will that be sufficient for them to believe
the supernatural earthly beginning and end Of
Jesus as set forth In the Bible. and believed and
taught By the orthodox Christian Church Any
intelligent agnostic knows that the question 10
simply. being. begged when such I" arguments"
churches before mentioned differ, the position
OF the one Is as illogical. irrational. and as UNI
bClentlnc as the other.
The letter to which I am replying inquired
OF the Apostles Creed. Skeptics reject them Tor
the same reason that a rational man rejects any
statement u~naccompanied by evidence or un-
paralleled In what he believes to be human ex.
perioncc. The writer also infer RS, as such writ
ers usually do, that the moral teachings Of tho
Bible are a supernatural revelation, bearing the
stamp OF infallibility. which anything super
natural Tor out of the known order OF naturej has
always been supposed to bear.
Perhaps / should qualify this last statements
by saying that 1t has always been the suppo-
sition of the Christian Church. Agnostics, how.
ever. believe moral ethics to BIO the result OF hui
man experience merely, filtered TO US through
long ages. and as yet, perchance, in o state OF
embryo.
The writer also speaks of tho strongest eyi.
dences against skepticism." but evidently thinks
1t q waste of time to say what they are,
and possibly there is still an unreyealed right
manner" for presenting TO skeptics the idea OF
demonology and miracles as set forth in thu
New Testament, to which Christianity Is COM
United and with which 1t Is bound, all its apollo
gists TO the contrary Notwithstanding. Cntil
such manner" or proof is forthcoming skep-
tics must remain In their present position.
agnostics against the advice OF that letter. and
recommend them to let alone the Life OF
Christ" by the apologetic Canon Farrar, q
bucket of whitewash" verify: n mass OF fno
rhetoric and verbiage. in which the miraculous
and paradoxical are CLOSED over or ignored.
Let them rather improve time by studying tho
works of Hume, Strauss. Renan, Spencer. and
last named with Gladstone, IN which the doughty
champion Of Christianity was "downed " every
time. JULIAN.
New YORK., Jan. 81.