The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-13
Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH A CHRya
TAN.
HIS nightful Placo IN . Church Wh,m
Really Expre saes ChriatianltY.


TO THE EDITOR OF The sUN-sir, Why.
not Mr.. Goodwin Smith Q churohman1 IN.
answer 10 easy. Because no does not 70 I.
church. Or. II he does. because no select.
church whore theology Is preached instead
Of Christianity.
Not believing In the Mosaic story Of creatio,
and tho blood atone ment. Mr.. Gold win Smith
thinks he does not belong among church
people. But he does. He Is just as much a
Christian 40 many OF the ministers who A.
worrying about his latitude toward ChYi,.
tIanlty." and. whether he knows it or not, b
belongs In Q pow every Sunday.
have no acquaintance with Mr.. Goldvh
Smith beyond that conveyed through IN
ENTHUSIASTICALLY and Justly held to be
pretty sound basis for estimating mar
position. I repeat. therefore. that Mr. oola.
win Smith IL, In the widest sense OF tho word
(not the ftilest), q Christian and ought to b.
a ohurchmsn. Most churches. having safely
outlived the period OF medlevalism through
which they all had necessarily to pass, would
admit him. Some would not. SO much the
worse for them. He is a Christian because:
ID He accepts the Sermon on the Mount;
the crux Of Christis law mot Pauls theology
nor Dean Farrar's apologetics, but the Law
OF kindness. patience. Justice. mercy and
self rlice-- therefore Christianity
that L., az we'll as most OF US do who pay
pew remit.
And that IL all there is to it. No church
has any right to go further. That much
granted, the GROSS Of baptism and the hand
Of fellowship should follow. II demanded.
And In most cases they would. We advise
Mr.. Smith to try the experiment. Let him
take to any broadminded minister hii
conduct OF life. his belief in the moral law,
his reverence for his reason. his respect for
right doing and thinking as stimulated by
the words Of the Founder OF Christianity,
and plainly state his case. Let him rehearss
the articles Of his unbelIef and see II they
will keep him out. Let him say: Il do not
believe In any once-for-all inspired revela-
ton; do not believe In the fall of man myth
do not believe the world was created out
Of nothing In six days. do not believe in the
tnfalllbility Of a church or book; do not
believe in the survival from paganism known
a. the blood was-shed-for-nle doctrine; do
not believe In the miracles"
This much stated. let him pre- sent the ar.
ticles Of his faith. Il believe. with Herbert
Spencer, In an eternal energy from whom
all things proceed: believe in human re-
sponsibility; I believe reverently In the dis
coveries Of science and that through them
and through the human heart we may reach
God; I believe in a divine plan known as
natural law; believe In the brotherhood OF
man; believe In the church chiefly because
she has outlasted the men whohave preached
and the people who have practised: believe
In the pursuit Q! truth. Justice. love and
mercy, and believe In Jesus Christ as the
greatest exponent Of those virtues that the
world has ever known.
Let MIR. Goodwin Smith take these state
ments, II they represent in general way his
- On nr ".
Jefferson, or q dozen other. ministers IN New
York. and see II they would say. no TO his
application for church membership. There
tions as presented by the writer to a clergy
that Christianity consists in being and dong
ssts the shs sprt 81 e and
Of service to man. rather than strict inter-
probation Of dogma. as basis for ieIlo wshlp;
t sfts II D shss Ss' writer. ,hsm
ardent dlsputants) have. said about Him.
It was e1plained further that What the e6uTr I'd,
a a0d the 0 rscepsive sprs THAT very often
gets neither in it's members had no bearing
on that occasion. nor has i In this sI1o,o. ,.,.
ad yaaeed i'1 much further t in geasonablsnes
than. those who stand outside are a,waIc.
ss.S.s mad. y tSs s .sssft
Completely reorsanized in lifetime; go hs,
astronomy, mechanics, SOCIOLOGY. Mherta,
SsnsaE s se fss ie the bao
Il the scientist. the philosopher, who think;
55s Lnovvs what T. t n church man thinks and
In 1850 tho churchrnan scarcely knew what
evolution meant: now he not only ik Know
but sppe: Il to 70 wheFs It
read only one side Of the, question and keep
s aeo wSsn 'q nesion and seience We're indeed
ct war as they never will be again. lnRer-
sou would have nothing, but. q straw man
70 sod Rss' f PSu :prt ~ M
parson, Of analysis. is just as much In our
best theological schools as 1t is IN our best
a receptacle that holds once for all the faith
delivered to the saints" TO souls who have
nothing to do but take, what is given them.
days to the reyerent lover Of God and man.
an ntuitive and ever DEVELOPING haht 2. R.
Sy sts a. ~s sSdrsn
and f. Seey OF the shsrSsttSer' personality
times Just as the eyes are about to close on
hs world But liars ss e b kHpt 9 smth
or any who are iikeminded try. >.
There VII BE- a lot Of answers-msntai' u i
OF CHURCHES and hundreds Of ministers who
as have asee snbmtted There S viii BE- other.
who quote from sermons to show that the
blood atone mont and the fall Of man are
preached from hundreds Of pplpits al over
viii be rI;5t These sermons and these sss
church in its advanced thinking. and as such
do not CONT for discerning minds, any more
than the schools count that teach that the
earth Ia nat, and prove 1t too. According
to the Outlook there are such In some OF tho
States.
and shsy are areas Sep the
forces Of, evil In the world are well enoge h
organized to need concentrated opposition
from those who believe In goodness. Az long
a. the churches offer O. system Of theology as a
battle front they won't make much bead way.
What they need Il more thinkers and workers
III 3 NY M Scldv n.s Smith o.sH. ::
g much Does he smile, and nv - Yes,
my dear SRI Not because the former are
not TO be found In the church. but because
you dom belong With them: The fellowshlp
you would flnd would be that Of the finest
minds OF. the century-strong. truth loving,
:upremsy honest II both thought and en-
who commanded) Unto the least Of thesc.
Such men the church holds. and 1t IA her
salvation. The church needs not 20 much
. set OF people who hold accepted doctrines
and pay. pew rent. as men who love Goo