The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
ANOTHER HEREsY TRIAL.

religious thought and the purpose of a few
TO impede It About twenty years ago DR..
Thomas. distinguished Methodist preacher
of Chicago. was put on trial for substantial
Iy the same offenses as are involved in the
trial that is to be held next April. and al
most twenty-five years ago an Indianapolis
minister, DIR. T. A. Goodwin, was arraigned
for heresy on account of views published in
his book, 1.-The Mode of Mans immortal
fly" but besides these the Journal does not
recall any heresy trials in that church for
half-century or more. The accused in the
forthcoming trial is DR.. Borden p. Bovine.
a professor in the Boston Theological
School. and the accuser is George - Cooke.
a Methodist pastor in Boston The specif-
cations in the complaint are:
First-He disseminates views concerning
the Deity contrary to the plain teachings of
the Holy Scriptures and the trinitarian
conception Of God, as set forth in the first
and fourth Articles of Religion or the Meth
odist Episcopal Church.
Second-He disseminates views concerning
the inspiration and authority of the Holy
Scriptures contrary 10 the teachings OF
those Scriptures and contrary to the recog-
nized standard doctrines Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
Third-He disseminateS views on the
atonement of Christ that are contrary to
the teachings Of the Holy Scriptures, con-
trary to the ritual of the Lords Supper in
the Discipline Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and contrary to the second and
twentieth Articles OF Religion or the Meth
odist Episcopal Church.
Fourth-He disseminates views on the
subject Of eschatology contrary to the es-
tabiished standards of the Methodist Epls-
copal Church.
FYfth-He disseminates views of Christian
experience that are contrary to the plain
teachings OF the Holy Scriptures, contrary
TO the traditions and well-established doc
trines OF the Methodist Episcopal Church.
1t will be noticed that the gravamen Of
these charges is. first, that the accused
misinterprets the Scriptures" and, second
ly, that he disregards "the recognized
standards OF doctrine" then of "the estab-
lished doctrines" then OF the traditional
and well-established doctrines OF the
church" These fine distinctions may be
perfectly clear to the accuser, and possibly
70 the accused, but at this distance the
Journal is free to confess that. to one who
is not an expert in ecclesiastical affairs,
they seem foggy, especially since there is
no provision in that church for an authori-
tative Interpretation Of the Scriptures, so
that whoever does not accept that interpre-
tation shall be counted a hereto. 1t is.
therefore. difficult to see why the accused
in this case has not as good right to his
views as the accuser has.
To one a thousand miles or so from Bos-
ton 1t appears wonderful that one Boston
Methodist preacher should be proposing to
ca
he does not adhere to the recognized stand
ard of doctrines of Methodism, when there
Is not now and never was any such stand
ard except that perhaps Wesley's sermons,
for the first half-century of Methodism, ap-
proximated a standard. 1t is historically
true that a hundred years ago, and in some
places much later, Mr.. Wesley's views on
theology were servilely followed by most if
not all his preachers. For instance, he de-
voted one sermon to hell. The one Thought
that permeates the whole sermon is that
hell Is a veritable lake of fire and brim-
stone, and that the wicked of all periods
are to be burning there, soul and
body, forever. His preachers every
where took this to be 'the plain
teachings of the Holy Scriptures and they
disseminated" it vehemently. Mr.. Cooke
does not now preach any such doctrine
to his Boston congregation. yet DR.. Bovine
has disseminated no views which are
more at variance with the opinion now
held by Mr.. Cooke than his (dr Cooke 81
present views at variance with what
was taught less than hundred years ago
| by the recognized standard of doctrine OF
| the Methodist Episcopal Church hundred
years ago. This acknowledged standard
Of doctrine teaches. also. the dogma o;
baptismal regeneration and the whole troop
/ of cognate views" but Mr.. Cooke breaches
not one Of them to his congregation
| though a relic Of Ii fingered in the ritual OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church for the
baptism of children long after it had beer
abandoned in Methodist pulpits Nothing
now remains in it about 1.-The old Adam in
| the child to be put to death by baptism
yet a hundred years ago this recognized
| standard of doctrine assumed that this
was Enthusiastically taught in the Holy
Scriptures. A hundred years ago this rec
/
sin Of wearing gold and costly apparel, anC
| so vital to a religious life was this ques.
ton that preachers were required to read
| the sermon to their congregations fire.
| quentIy, and they yet are by the discipline
| but Mr.. Cooke has never read the sermon
once to his people, If, indeed. he ever reaC
| ii in his study; and he and his family veal
just what suits them and no one can dis
tinguish them as Methodists by their ap
parel. while the Methodists of hundred
years ago believed that such rules wer,
plainly taught in the Holy Scriptures
Whatever may be the difference in tn,
views of the accused and the accuser as t
the Deity, the atonement or eschatology
the world will care but little, but when h,
pleads tradition and well-established doc
trine as a basis of orthodoxy, the worlC
will smile at his expense. for the Boston
pulpit was the first to defy the early usage
| of old-fashioned Methodism, creating n,
little CONSERVATION by its resistance o
usages for which the fathers claimed 9TH
| plain teachings OF the Holy Scriptures
But the browning inconsistency Of thi
attempt to put Methodist thought into al
iron bedstead and expand or contract II 4
suit the occasion is seen in the fact tina
the foundation stone OF that church is