The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-03
THE HEREsY HUNTING NUI-
 SANCR.


 It used to be a saying in the rural district, and it sometimes went without saying, that a single bumble-bee could break up a whole camp-meeting. Yet the camp-meeting was much greater than the bumble-bee and was engaged in a much higher mission. This an- eient figure is suggested by return of Rev. George A. Cooke to his old pur- suit of heresy hunting. When he last engaged in it he was nearer the center of events than he is now. The powers above him at the recent distribution seemed to think that his removal from Watertown to one of the hill towns might be conducive to his spiritual health, and Millbury, in Worcester county, was selected. For some months he has not been heard from; but his self-repression was too satisfac- tory to last. As he wandered in self contemplation by Rams Horn pond or climbed the steps of Mount Ararat, it was borne in upon him that he might sink beneath the waters of oblivion should he continue to confne himself solely to the duties of the post to which he was assigned.
 Having measured his tin sword against the lance of Professor Bowne, with results that held him for while, he has now trained his bean-gun on Professor Mitchell of the Boston uni. versity school of theology, and also upon Rev. pr. Parkhurst, editor of zion's Herald. He asks the fathers and Brothers of the church to visit the full penalty of excommunicationb.u .upon the former, and the Worcester county association to request the Wesleyan as- sociation to remove the latter from his editorial position. As Mrs. Aiummidge used to say, "Eyerything goes contra riwise with him
 There is la general impression, a healthy belief in this community, which we think largely prevails throughout the Methodist denomina- tion as well, that Professor Bowne, Professor Mitchell and Dr. Parkhurst are progressive men, who view truth in new phases of development and new forms of presentation, with open minds Because MT Cooke cannot re- conci1e their conclusions with his pi- geon -holed and carefully labeled doc trines, it does not follow that they are irreconcilable with that body of doc Urine of which he professes to be so jealous champion. But even were their writings a thousand times more heretical than they are. it would preju- dice justice and the success of the cause for him to project his colossal egotism into the proceedings. Cannot he trust the fathers and the brethren l of the Methodist church to guard it's interests and it's integrity2 His atti- ltude is rebuke of the highesN author lity in the denomination. He virtually says to them: Ye are faithless senti- nels, asleep on your watch towers" i" and so he blows his squash-vine trumpet and expects the walls of his visionary Jericho to tumble.
 When MT. Cooke started in on his se- ries of crusades, we thought him hon est, but mistaken. We are, not sure but we shall have to withdraw even l that charitable interpretation of his motives. When men measure faith by a foot rule and accept only so much ot truth as they can lock up in an escri- toire, their fatuity is too profound to make them desirable spiritual guides. MT. Cook is writing himself down sim ply q barrator. He has been such in his church for some time, an{ehe is rapidly becoming a public nuisance. When a man demonstrates repeatedly so absurd desire for uncalled-for martyrdom, the public first tires of him and then becomes disgusted with him. If his denomination thinks 1t needs purifying it should promptly begin in 1 his neighborhood. Boston Transcript.