The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25
SOFT ANSWER
TO HOWlSON
Professors Allegations Re-
garding Belief in I'M
mortality Are Denied
DEFENSE FOR LIBERALS
Berkeley Pastor Declares
That Unitarians General
ly Hold the Doctrine
Berkeley Office San Francisco Call,
2l4S Center Street, Dec "a

214S Center Street, Dec. "a
Professor G. H. Howison's remarks
Of last Sunday concerning the so-called
liberal" churches attitude toward the
doctrine Of immortality has been an
swered by Rev. Earl Morse Wilbur,
minister OF the Unitarian church Of
Berkeley.
In an open letter issued to-day Rev
Mr.. Wilbur quotes from the report or
Professor Howison's address in The
Call Of last Monday. as follows: "One
whole group Of Christians-the So
called liberal group-has ceased to be-
'lieve ii. They do not object, I under
stand. 10 any member Of their body
cherishing the belief, but it is not of
their formal tenets of faith"
With this as a text, the Unitarian
minister. who also is dean of the Uni
tartan Theological Seminary, discussed
the allegation as follows:
Il intend no newspaper controversy
with one for whom 1 have so high re-
gard as Professor HowisOn, and, in
deed. I trust that the report does not
represent the speakers deliberate opin-
ion; but / should be untrue to my own
faith, and unworthy Of the cause that
I represent in this community, if I suf-
fered such a report credited to such a
source to pass without notice. And I
wish here simply to say that it is
far from representing the. real state of
belief among Unitarians as L have
known them during some fifteen years
in the ministry, and with a tolerably
wide acquaintance among their leaders.
The Unitarian Church has no formal
creed that one must assent to before
joining il. While it appreciates the
Importance TO the individual of clear
theological opinions. it holds that no
person or church should impose them
upon him as a condition Of Christian
fellowship. No Unitarian Church would
dream Of asking a candidate what he
believed as TO immortality or any other
doctrine before admitting him to mem
bership. 1t would ask no more than
TO be assured Of his sincere desire to
lead a Christian life.
But il would be a grave mistake to
conclude from this attitude that the
Unitarian Church. as a whole, or that
any considerable proportion Of il, has
ceased TO hold the faith in immortal
ity. Numerous statements Of what
Unitarisns believe are published, and
they are often said q believe with
truth 10 come nearer TO representing
the average level Of Unitarian belief
than the standard orthodox creeds to
representing that Of those that pro-
fess them have just examined near
" a score Of these, and have found
that without exception they express
faith in immortality in unequivocal
terms: and they represent, 1 am sure,
the consenting opinion Of the leaders
Of Unitarian thought, the radical as
well as the conservative.
Most modern Unitarians, ii is true,
are as far from believing that the
q. body OF Jesus ever rose from the
dead as they are from believing that
his spirit ever died at all. Their con-
hdence in a future life is based rather
on the inherent nature Of the human
soul, its kinship with God, and the
reasOna.bleness of His universe.
EARL MORSE WILBUR,
''Dean OF the Unitarian Theological
= School"