Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-30
THE CRAPSEY CASE
Local Man Gives His Opinion of tho
 Muddb in tho Episcopal Church.

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 MuddA in the Episcopal Church.
 The recent conviction of Dr Crap sey has brought to light the tenden- cy of most religious denominations outside the Catholic church toward indifferentism. The various opin- ions expressed as to credal tests gives evidence of the truth of the above assertion. It is modern tendency that is doing much to divest Christi anity of its supernatural character. and, to the writer. 1t seems that to be consistent those who deny creeds and dogmas ought forthwith to deny Christianity as religion and toaban- don pulpits that are supposedly ded- icated to the preaching of Christian ity as definite doctrine, founded on fundamental principles, which prln- ciples are nothing more or less than dogmatio creed. Christ taught a definite doctrine, not only for those of his own day, but for men for all time. Now Christ is God or He is not. If He Is then his doctrine nec- essarily takes on the dogmatic and credal nature, that is to say, we must believe it unconditionally, and con seQuently we must have creed and a dogmatic creed at that. If Christ is not God, then Christianity. how ever sublime as system of morality loses all its supernatural nature and as religious cult is a sham and a fraud and Christ himself Is q say 1t in all reverence) fakir. Nay, more, he is an out and out liar worthy of no credence. for he has predicated his doctrine on the assumption that he is the Son of God. Time and again he suggests that he is one with the Father. 'I and the Father am one" (John X, 30). Whatsoever things the Father doeth, these the Son also doth in like manner" (John V, 19)). Before Abraham were made am" (John wifi, 2S). Surely the divinity of Christ is predicated here.
 Now it is on this fundamental principle of the divinity of Christ that Christianity rests. Take it away and the Christian system, as a religious cult, will crumble away, as. indeed, it Is crumbling gradually where Christ's divinity is denied. But here, right at the foundation of Christianity, we find dogmatic creed that may thus be formulated. T am Christ, the Son of God" When the nature and existence of Christianity postulate dogma and a creed, why deny them if we still pro- fess to be Christians. We, either ad- init the Christian relevation or we do not. If we do not then in the name of sincerity let us proclaim ourselves infidels and not gomasking before the world as Christions. If we do admit it, that very admission is in itself a creed, 1t is the admission of some- thing which must be believed, as an authority which cannot be ques- tioned nor impugned. The idea of Christian relevation necessarily in- wolves a creed. To say that no credal test is necessary is equivalent to say ing that it makes no difference what a man believes. This is, of course, indifferentism pure and simple and therefore an assertion that is self contradictory. for it implies that two contradictory truths can both be true, e. g., that Christ is the Son of God and that he is not. It is an as- sertion that no rational man who be- lieves in Christ can accept. Christ is essential. absolute and eternal truth and to assert that he does not care what men believe is to make him indifferent to truth and false hood. Now without some credal test how shall men know what Christ taught as truth. Did not Christ him. self teach the necessity of dog amtic creed when he bade his apos- ties Ito teach all things whatsoever l have commanded you" not what you yourselves may think, but what I have commanded you. Is not the credal test idea very forcibly incul- cated here? If there be no need of dOgmatic credal test, what does St Paul insist so much upon unity of ioieh, OHc LOlu ouC iditup OuC Udp- tism?" tEph iv. D. Why does he use such forcible language as we find in the first chapter of his epistle to the Galatians: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema"? Christianity is a sci- ence, and like all other sciences 1t postulates the existence of certain fundamental truths, and thence once admitted we have dogmatic creed.
 It will not answer the purpose to substitute an easy, vague, varying goodness for supernatural faith. Goodness is necessary, and it is un- deniably true that many men who attach themselves to no definite sect, lead lives that would make many pro- fessing Christians blush for shame. Yet mere goodness as a standard is shifting and varying and if applied outside of religion would not be toll erated. A man may be kind, generous, philanthropic and all that comes under the vague idea ex- pressed in goodness, but the United States demands of him that he con- form to civic credal test. viz, the constitution, which obligates him to certain definite beliefs and duties no matter what his personal notions of civic goodness may be.