The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-13

and loan associations Of the country
are reported for last year as exceeding
$500, COCOON A considerable part Of this
is represented by the earnings Of men
whose income, directly or indirectly,
depends to a large extent upon Industries
which would be affected by a reduction
in the cost Of iron, wood and stone. II
these can find some way by which they
can eat their cake and have 1t at the
same time waiting world will rejoice
to learn the details Of the process.
Mr.. Goodwin Smith and tho Church.
A very earnest correspondent asks
to-day, "Why is not Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH
a ohurchman?" He answers his own
question by saying that that distinguished
gentleman has every qualification OF
character and in the conduct Of his life
for admission to the church, and that
prominent Episcopal clergymen whom
he names and many others would not
! SAY no to his application for church
membership
That is undoubtedly true; but Mr..
GOODWIN SMITH, it may be assumed,
is already q nominal member OF the
Church Of England. or, at least, was
baptized and confirmed in that Church.
He is Fellow Of Oxford, where, as a
student, he won extraordinary honors
in scholarship. From 1858 to 1865 he
was Regius Professor OF Modern History
there, and before had served on two
commissions on the state Of the uni
versity. The religious tone Of Oxford
is pronounced, and. more especially at
that time, 1t has been passionate, and
it is distinctively Anglican.
The Oxford or Tractarian movement
for the revival Of early doctrines and
practises OF the Anglican Church, the
movement which gave impetus to Rit-
ualism, as 1t is now described, was in
full sweep In the youth Of Mr.. GOODWIN
SMITH, and he was associated with It's
leaders, though he seems himself to have
taken no direct part in 1t. A man Of q
character 30 profoundly religious as his,
however, could not have lived In the
midst of that heated religious discussion
without being affected byit Two years
before Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH was elected
q Fellow OF University College JOHN
HRNBY NEWMAN, who had been leader
In the Oxford movement, went over to the
Church Of Rome, In which he became q
Cardinal in 1879.
1t will be seen, therefore, that Mr.
GOODWIN SMITH needs no instruction
concerning the tone, the doctrine or the
practise Of the Anglican Church--no
moro than he needed to be informed
as to the character Of the dogma Of the
Immaculate Conception, proclaimed In
1854, as some OF our Roman Catholic
/ correspondents assumed not long ago.
He Is Q student Of modern history and
distinguished authority on it, and no re-
ngious movement OF importance could
take place in his time without his un-
Outstanding 1t thoroughly and regarding
it with deep philosophio interest.
Our correspondent who 30 kindly and
literally invites Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH to
membership In the Episcopal Church
really begs the question which that gen.
tleman has raised In his letters to The
SUN on religious matters. .Churchman
says that practically his 'unbelief
would not keep him out Of the Church
because most churches have safely
outlived the period Of medievalism' and
1have advanced much further in reason
ableness than those who stand outside
are AWARE Tho question which seems
to trouble Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH, how
over, is whether loyalty to the truth IL
compatible with the formal profession
Of a faith In dogmas which conflict with
truth as he sees 1t. Probably, as our
correspondent asserts, many Of the
clergy would readily admit him to
church fellowship with them; but could
they do 1t consistently when he rejects
the faith Of their church?
That is, the church does not exclude
Mr.. GOODWIN SAITH, but his own con-
science, his devotion to the truth az 1t
appears to him, performs that function.
Undoubtedly there are many Of the
clergy who are in substantial agree
ment with him in refusing belief in the
miracles on which Christianity Is founded.
Like him they believe that, instead Of
there having been q Fall Of Man, man
kind has risen from savagery to civil
cation, and that consequently, as Mr..
GOODWIN SMITH said in THE SUN last
Sunday, there could have been no
room for the Incarnation and the Atone
ment." The clergy, however, as he
said further, unfortunately for us all.
are fs...2red by ordination tests The
creed to which they subscribed makes
belief in those dogmas the very pivot
Of their eligibility to be Christian
teachers. Either they must accept them
without reservations or they are in a
false position.
That, as we understand It, is substan-
TALLY the argument Of Mr.. GOODWIN
SMITH. His self-respect compel' him
to sail under his true colors, and he re-
grets that the clergy who agree with
him in bis dpubt ars restrained b. thar