The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-12
THE QUESTION OF DOGMA.
A Lnym.n in Defence of Bishop Potter.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-.Sir: In your
editorial OF to-day you seem to me unfair to
Bishop Potter. l cannot find anything In his
utterances which justifles the assertion that in
his opinion the time for dogmatic religion has
gone by. What Is dogmatic rcligion2 It is Of
course. an accepted religious belief. Just as the
facts Of any science are Observation-Disclosures
chemical or geological doGmas. Most OF them
cannot be explained. and. subjected to the test
you apply to religious dogmas that :" the au-
thenticity and credibility Of the witnesses must
be attested by authority entitled to absolute
belief" would have to be rejected.
What authority entitled to absolute belief do
scientists rely upon for the theory or dogma Of
astronomy that the fixed stars are moving
Arcturus. and tho fugitive star OF Groom
bridge, for example. at speed exceeding two
hundred miles a second: that the dog star Is
leaving us and Arcturus approaching us. a fact
OF which the only witness Is the spectroscOpe.
showing the lines OF the spectrum OF tho one
shifting toward the blue and in the other
toward the red. Astronomers accept this as
evidence. and when Herschell stated that the
only known fixed point in the universe Is a
star. and all earthly boundaries must be de-
termined by It. he is not held to conflict with
the actual facts. but to be relatively correct.
aRe resmts in sa but Who SI Know Why
and who can eXpl ain II. and yet who would
doubt i SIMPLY because it . cannot be e sE:
geological dogma that certqi in fossils in;
dicato the tertiary period. but he who would
magnet attracts the iror. and scientists have
given magnetism name. but who can explain
dogmos except those Of Christianity. and re-
fuse TO apply the same reasoning processes to
religious Observation-Disclosures Bishop Potter
claims the spiritual intuitOns. the conscience
and the reason? The Christian dogma holds
prayer to he as necessary for spiritual vision as
persist in entering this realm Of investigation
without the proper appliance when science
recognizes aids as necessary for Investigations
Why regard the. miracles Of Christ as, neces-
sary evidences OF His divinity? He did not SO
regard them. There is no recorded instance
in which He wrought miracle to prove His
divinity It vas only , as reward Of taith.
miracles. 1t seems to my mind greater as an
evidence Of His divinity, than any miracles He
wise. the rich and the powerful TO tax G little
children in His arms and bless them; II He
had been 3 human teacher lie would never
The battle which you claim is ut hand be-
tween belief and unbelief has been going on
human heart, The blind negro in his hut
Il, as sure Of his, dogma as the scientist
all the scientists in the world: neither negro
nor scientist may with honesty, safety
ns rah
to the mystery q mnEn n fi; vas remi1deI
al men unto Me-" and from that day to this
wherever He has been held up to human con-
temptation He has drawn men unto Him. Why
should the scientist accent the dogma Of
served effect and reject tho dogma of the
Saviour's power when he can see its effects
Napoleon recognized this when he exclaimed.
IN | should die tomorrow not one Of these
devoted soldiers would make any sacrifice for
me. while. for the Nazarene. men are as ready
TO give up their lives today as when He was
on earth. eighteen centuries ago"
DoppIcr and HuGgns. with their spectre
scopes. aScertaininE confidently the proper
motions OF the stars. would. If doubling the
dogma 81 Christianity. BECOME as ridiculous as
Brother Jasper. who, finding his potato on the
stump in the morning, questions the dogma Of
the diurnal motion Of the earth. Why vi not
scientific critics amply the same tests to Chris
tianity and its forces Rs to the physical uni
verse and is forces? Bishop Potters sermon,
taken in its entirety. is. maintain undescry
ing the criticism you apply 70 portions of 1t
wrrsted from their context. II would he nm
ia r for m" to take your sweeping assertion ms
II the articles OF the Creed. where you say,
FOR non" Of these articles 81 faith is natural
evidence possible" and challenge your state
ment ns to the fact Of the crucihXion. which is
one of them. FRANCIS G. MOORE.
NEW YORK. July II.