The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-23
rNITARIANISM ARBITER.
n HOLDS THE KEYS OF RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM, DIR. SAVLGE IRGUE6

tina church OF the Messiah yesterday morning
IN pr De Costa, Bishop Potter and THE
srv He said in part:
II have taken my theme as have because
Attn. present time DIR. DE Costa. Bishop Potter
and very able writer in THE Sun represent a
treat crisis in the religious thought and the
religious growth Of America. They are to me
only indces pointing out movements tenden-
elias. telling which way the winds OF God are
allowing: and 1t Is these great facts and ten
l.ncies Of religious life with which L
,ropose 10 deal. referring to these names
univ to save myself the trouble OF
prolonged description. because they indi.
,ss tho facts which | would present.
Dr De Costa I have not tho pleasure and
honor OF personally knowing. believe. how
AVER that he is noble. sincere. honest. con-
sscr,ted clergyman: and | believe further
mara that his position as indicated in his
famous letter to the Bishop 10 logically i'm
rrspnable Grant his premises and you must
follow him and accspt his conclusions. and
bailey. that no has followed his conscience in
,,lirV the step which has created so much
discussion,
Concerning the Bishop. | do know him. very
.uRhtly: coscerning him also would saw that
lhave NJ qucstion as to his honor. his SINGER
#, his dsvution to truth as he sees it. to the
,bur,h &C he believes in it, and to God as he
understands his duty to God. l canno: say.
however concerning his attitude as ! do con-
corning that Of Or DeCosta that | think it
logically detensible. II is an illogical position.
,,rant tho premises Of the Bishop and see no
roa.onabls way for stopping where lie stops.
shall indicate to you h"fore | am through
that think Dr DoCosta is right when he says
that the Logical "utrome OF the Bishops
POSITION is | nttarauisn. is liberty in
reliyjou. Is rationallsm in the noble uss
81, thu, term do not make any
charge against the Bishop as being conscious
o,this inconsistency do not believe that no
is Concerning the writer in THE sun, do
not know who he is. not even his name. l feel
certain that it il the same man who has been
writing religious editorials in THE SuN for the
last two or three years. They are brilliant edi-
torals they are very ahl". they are clear. they
are strong. And again | say concerning his
position. that it is logically impregnabe.
Given his principles his assumptons-Only
note Please. that they are assum ptions-and
there is no stcprinG until you come to his con-
customs.
Here is the charge Of Dr. neCosta against
thu Church. and the reason why he must leave
II: Ha saws II can no longer exercise an iniai-
he function as teaching Gol's truth and as
saving human souls. What ia the cause OF all
TINS; Preliminary In this. want to note
one two negative points. Is the Episcopal
Church worse IA Church than 1t was 100
years ago. or 2UO years ago; n Dr DeCosta's
charge he true that the Episcopal Church is
false to God, and is turning away from Gods
truth. why then. logically. the people in it
ought to be worse paorle than they used to he {:
the ministers ought to be worse ministers the
men and women worse. But "a a matter OF
fact-and cnalIene" the contradiction Of the
world 4 lpl D,y ar
hegah to be so fine. 20 high. so noble. SO sweet,
20 pure, -olntel-rrual. so clear headed. so con-
serrated t" tod ami His truth So ready to help
their fellow mon as they Ar" at this moment.
there - on" church her" in this city which |
stands alone. but because. crhaps on account
Of its exceptional Opportunities and the e.Xcer,
ipnni WrAi'h ~ ~ lI"pusal. it may hc allowed
10 stand ne tlrst among many brethren I
i"sdstshir - Dr. ur-er There did not exist a
rhurth within all thr,stendom until within tho
49, ~ hnndrHd Years. and nsrhaps may rightly
Logan 70 b" 40 mhCniN"ently equipped and 50
magnincenty c"nserrated to God aud His truth
and the service Of tho world, as is that rhurrh
Nthls hour, II is doing grand work for hui
manitv. but. say DR. DeCo'ta and the critic IN
divlnely APPOINTED work Of saving souls in the
next world from heI aud is only Engaged in
h.!ring people in this world now That is the
rhHlE" MADE over and over again.
what - 1t renlIy that has been hlnrnniDE
what IS the cause Of this condition in the frisco
Why what has happened. friends is simply
that great new revelation OF God has come to
TIE modern world. antqVating all the IDEAS
that have been cOnsccrat-d IN the creeds that
we're the produce Of the worlds childhood and
, SSn9rn a. th The vHr5d has he.ome wiser
out, that these things are. not true
We nave got new universe. new conception
nature O man we tnow T about t chu @rf tr sG
ton; We know about the origin OF the church:
Teknow what, its claims are worth, ON what
hu hay nra NOT hoo
on anything like infaibility based IN human
ambition; on the contests and conauests OF
these things We have found out. and these
tnIngt the people in the pews are learning.
mat thu Is nG reason snG Wy by ny are losing
church any more. possibly: havo that az n
,stugRestlon. The ministers ara learning these
1hhlnEs and whlsnering them one to another
n DeCosta SAYS thew are tai King about these
things among themselves; he knows this is
What does this mean. what is it to como to?
~ ~ " laee me ,act what Is to be tho resul, OF
ion the Authoritative claims S% OF tho any Sbnn Ic5S
tis going 10 destroy tho dogmatic scheme OF
STTtIcIsn-th is the. doctr!ue q, the Fall of
Elhle. the doctrine OF Miracles. the doctrine Of
% Tt Ia DeIpravty the yicarious Atonement the
limited incarnation in the me person son Of Jesus s Of
Nazareth. tho doctrine Of Eternal Damnaton
Or those who are bad, and Of Paradise only tor
, ,htse who accent this scheme. This scheme OF
IIrnlhSs why there's no question that it must go.
Inc worst that 10 happening is the death OF
These horf ble beliefs. and infinitely better than
rney Is no belle at all. That is my Judgment
Ih"se critics tina people are 80 afraid o.
are Simply removing the dust and Crime and
Nrt, the miScOnc"ptiOn Of thu ages that have
Covered up the Christ. and we are coming back
10 bee the glory OF God shining in his face as
we world never saw II before
Now am going to take advantage OF this
iI'.eht nrpnrtunttvtO saw word or two about
h'ar'sn'sm, Why has not Untaranism as
m organized body made greater advances?
NJ SIN tells US that it is not relatively so
nLohE w Boston. even, a. IL was q few years
MSo; lthnl that statement ought to he mod
,mta think II is stronger in Boston than it
va iew years ago. whom you regard the
naive population Of Boston. the only kind OF
,"'Ne there to whom Untaranism APP
nss"I. 1t hsppens that the great majority
g. the regulation OF Boston is foreign
snn catholic Relatively. then. to the
ropIr It is stronger in Boston
aE sun says It is weaker in New York than
= wa. while ago. do not care to discuss
inat question. wish to note the attitude OF
ahtdrlanism Qt the present time. not the rea-
sol ,I.r IT, This same editorial writer saws,
~ ~ lhtnk him for It that the great leaders
=. thIihranism have not cared to create a
TcI That Is the reason We have not more
rnWirhes, because the greatest Of our
,rralrr' have, all been against sectarianism.
,nIr" - another reason. which will APPEAR like
u llII"rHlrlnm when |