The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-20
THE QUESTION or DoGMl.


To THE EDITOR OF The SuH-ISir: when once
the authority OF religion Is regarded as sub
Jective and not objective, the private judgment
assuming the right, not only to criticise. but
also to interpret, both the claims OF the Church
and Holy Scripture to any authority In religious
matters are repudiRted. Such seems to he the
teaching of the Broad Church party Of the
Episcopal Church prevalent at the present
time. According to these views. the Bible Is
taken as 1t were. with grain OF salt. and the
result Is that many explicit statements Of the
Bible are either doubted or denied altogether.
The advocates 81 such views. instead Of rcceiv-
ing with childlike dociliy the words Of the
inspired authors Of Holy Scripture, make them
selves the Judges. not only of what the Word
OF God really Is. but also of the crediblty OF
what the Bible teaches
1t is true that such NAV regard Holy Scrip
ture as useful aid to devotion. a valuable
moral guide To human action. above all. pre-
scnting rctur" OF the historic Christ, the di-
vine excmnIar. teacher and martyr. but they
regard tho Bible mainly as n human literary
production. and deny its claim tn he the SUI
prcme authority in matters OF filth, and declare
tue rights of the reason TO be cOequa or rather
superior. Neither do they admit nor recognize
the authority Of the Church, but make the hui
man consciousness and tho human reason the
sole Judge. Is not such teaching in It's very
scnce the purcst ratiuua'ism2
The issue has at length come. especially In
the Protestant Episcopal Church. as Is shown
ly the words and writings Of men high in posi-
tion. who either affirm or imply that the Bible
is no longer supreme. They claim that now
reformation is needed. for the Bible. as We have
It, is in error. These modern apostles CO.
ing to evolve or r"surrcct a new Bible from the
mass Of myth. fable or legend by which we
Ln L,4nn al Thnir oh
iehcd ideal Is to restore the Christianity
Of Jesus Christ without later dogmatic
additions and to present to view the
humanity OF Jesus. His matchless teaching.
stripped ~ all dogma. is made. 1t is true. the
central figure of religious history. but every
from Ignorance and superstition toward
clearer apprehension Of the light They prom
myst"rs. til" I'd "hid4h fancies Of the past,
shall b" dissolved in the coming Of n new and
t ns1s @ Tns Rry Is ns nsw t 2SS
say. H"t dogma. not Il systcm. not q ritual;
They approach so near the Son of Mary that
eternal power and Golhcad They ar" unwin-
Ing To accept Apostol 10 testimony. except after
cross.."xnminati9n by the enemies of the
p'ls ar" di2c"umtrd Ivy hygothcF"s which are
to 6"oS the WIFI " tn sy Gars {" the GnhS
attach higher value to non Christian or anti
Christian thought 1t is true that the religion
the rnEnn world are held up to admiration and
gIorincd For instance 1r. Briggs. in his
book. SAYS that Christianity Is more indebted
L" buddhism than buddhism is to Christ ity.
This tendency il the most subtle and dan
g"rous foe to Christianity. and IL the true
spirit of anti-t 'hrist. II there he n religion at
all. it must he founded on authority. an au-
thOritv which IL objective and infallihlo for
otherwise there is no religion that Is worthy OF
the name.
Again our attention is directed to the mar
vel'OuS scholarship that has disrclei the old
ideas of inspiration and Of the truthfulness OF
Gods revelation to man. Like a child that has
knocked down is playmate's house OF cards.
these higher critics laugh and crow at the de-
struction they suppose they have accom- plished.
What Is taught in some pu pits and some sem
inaries can hardly hn distinguished from the
vulgar rhetoric Of the inhdel orator. They
blow trumpet before them when they revive
contribution to religious truth. Their Joy and
eNultation are like that Of
LITTLE Jack Horner. who sat In a corner
Eating u Christmas pie,
He stuck in his humb and pulled out a plum
And said, What u big boy am l."
We leave II to the Christian conscience OF
which must ho made before the Judgment seat
of Christ. Perhaps the sensation of naughti-
ness Mt having done mischief Of having vio-
lated their solemn vows at ordination. may
recomrrnse them somewhat for having denied
the faith and for having aroused hascless
doubts In the minds NJ those who have to meet
the responsibilities OF lie and the final issues
of death. Glorious
New YORK. July ~.