New-York tribune., 1904-10-08
MANY WITH DR.. CARTER.
Presbyterian Clergymen Write to
Express Their Sympathy.

The Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Carter. who recently
sent to the Presbytery Of Nassau. Of which for
many years he has been a member. a letter at
tacking the whole scholastic theology and the
CaIvanistic system that is built upon it. returned
/ from trip to the Adirondacks yesterday to
his home. No. SO West Eighty -secOnd-st.
In talk with Tribune reporter Dr. Carter
said that he was accountable for his letter only
TO the Presbytery Of Nassau. which would meet
on tuesday morning at Northport Long ISL
and This presbytery covers the whole middle
| or Long Island, between Brooklyn and the east
! ehd- NO action could be taken on HIS letter be-
Iore the meeting Of the Nassau Presbytery, and
Dr' Carter was at loss to say what that body
would do Personally. he would urefer to re-
I man a member Of the Presbyterian deaorina-
tIon' 20 which he had belonged as preacher at
auntinete1' Long Island for thirty-three years
10 that Denomination his fathers had BELONGED
IoI centuries before him. II he could not remain
III Ihe denomination holding the views he did he
wished TO have a letter Of dismissfon to the
congregational Church
MANY SYMPATHIzE WITH HIM
DR.. Carter said. however, that he had manv
friends in the Presbytery Of Nassau who svm
pathlzed with him in his views and in the DO
sItion he had taken. He did not feel ar liberty
10 disclose the names Of Presbyterian cIerzv-
men who had written to him frankly and conf
e44OldIiy' expressing their sympathy.
DR.. Carter continued
,i,i I have long thought that should do what
pave pave cone n wriIlng my letter to the Pres
oyteIy Of Nassau. The Presbyterian Church
is my conviction that it has very much
worse creed than 1t thinks. 1t must be re-
still the creed Of the Presbyterian Church. 4 few
modlhcatlons have been made in it by the late
infants IN nell because the makers OF it believed
damned before
ooFA ny the unacceptable degree OF God because its
OF these dreadful teachings. and It did well. II
church were known To-Day to teach that there
by Gods decree before they were born, it would
., noth These dognaS were logical deductions from
he bissbe So a. SS loSSI, me ne. FSEISoH =
great Improvement. because IL Is better be ioEi
cal than TO be blasphemous.
am sure God wanted the Creed revised I think
with that Greed in the Church. God wanted some
one TO say that He did damn infants nor men
feelings S on Msfe he subject 3E ana 'ninA he haa
But the Westminster Confession stiH remains the
creed or the Presbyterian Church. II an ehOrt
were made 10 depOse it from its place there would
oe vigorous opposition The men who oppose the
The Confession remaining. with it remains this
the whole race of man-remembeT millions upon
millions. countess miliionS-was condemned by God
70 eternal torment. and that lie interviewed BY His
do not believe that ,his is a true statement OF
the facts I think that men In general do not be-
!eve that this is true statement OF the facts.
up to IL or down TO 1t By stiH theological train
THINKS IT MAKES ATHEISTS.
I have unbounded confidence in the greatness
and goodness OF God but II any man could per-
suade me that this is the true statement OF God s
ah In God OF hG thnk hls Such race ee aGna i05s as @
atheists. And how delightful II is that no word
II this be So it IS monstrous blunder put this
as the very foundation teaching OF Christianity.
object TO It seriously that feel 1 say So
aznce my letter 20 the Presbytery-
Inc limits or this brief statement viii not permit
ne 10 speak Of other items in my letter. but I
& snou,d Ike 20 say word OF the Doctrine OF end
the heather, and. in fact. by far the larger por-
a literal hell OF fire and brinstone and thai for
ever and ever. How any kindly disposed man could
ment fail to see II the consciousness that he had
escaped himself would be any consolation. then I
hear men say that they are glad 70 live to-day
schools, libraries, telegraphs and such ike. / am
glad 20 live to-day because children not
taught this fire and birthstone teaching The reuef
Is incaculable- Neither does any sensible man be-
leve that he can 90 wrong and escape the tnevtta-
bic consequence Whatsoever a man soweth. that
shall he also reap" is true forever Such truths
TINE has no erect upon thsy belong to eternity.
Church 20 the endless torment theory, though the
We are allowed in the Presbyterian church 10 hold
conditional immortality or any other reasonable
wish some one would say so No one has as Vet
and fear the man would ind himself in trouh,e
nv letter 10 the Presbytery to say II myself and
I know I have taken my ecclesiastical life IN my
hands in doing IT,
A PRESBYTERIAN minister told me that some one
put into the hands % the minister's little daughter
a catechlsrn To learn. She came running 10 her
father and flung the hook upon the hoor, crying,
II hate this wicked book Why, Susie, you don Z
hate the Catechism? Yes. do Hear what it
says" replied the child. What are you by nature?
I am an enemy OF God, a child of Satan and an heir
OF he'll and US a lie" declared the child
Fortunately. the minister was a man before he
was a minister. So he folded his daughter in his
arms. and said. No. my daughter. you are not
that"
right-that the great heart OF humanity spoke
through her lips. II l should be enthusiastically
condemned then I appeal to the plain common
sense of the plain common people To them the
doctrines l have controvertsd are Impossible; no
amount of authority could ever make them credi-
Bile because they really believe IN good God.