The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
TRIALS FOR HERESY.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sr: You
were commenting the other day on a trial
for heresy which ended in ~extrusion. These
trials turning on questions OF dogma always
remind me OF an incident in one OF them
held before the British Privy Council. The
counsel for the prosecution, having read the
incriminated passage and given his own
Interpretation of il, said to the court. Either
the passage. my Lords. has that meaning
or it has no meaning lis it moi possible
that it may nave no meaning?' wa the
reply OF Lord Justice knight Bruce.
The issue In that case was the reality OF
the Virgin birth. q subject which Ia evil
IDENTIFY troubling the clerical conscience.
In England Dean Fremantle was impeached
nbou it,. Is belief in it a necessary part OF
Christianity? II it were. surely no room
would ave been left for controversy. The
historic evidence would nave been decisive.
The absence Of UGH evidence seems to be
decisive the other way. at least for all who
do not think it right to make up for lack
Of evidence by faith. How does the case
stand with regard TO this particular doc
trine! Tn one person whose evidence
would have been conclusive as to the fact
is silent. 1t may almost be said that her
evidence Is given the other way. for she is
represented as treating her offspring in a
manner which implies that she is unoon-
scious OF the existence Of a divine charac-
ter or mission. However. i am dealing not
with the credibility. Of the fact but with the
necessity OF the dogma as a title to Chris
tan communion.
In all these heresy trials turning on dogma
moral and vital Christianity seems to be
struggling against the bonds Of dogmatic
profession by which it has for centuries
been bound. If belief in the Athanasian
Creed and dogma in general is essential to
the life Of Christianity, Christianity is APP
parently dying. On the opposite SUPPOSE
ton, 10 may be allying itself anew with pure
truth and opening an era Of fresh life.
Christianity when it went forth TO con-
vert the world encountered besides
ism and psganism, with which it came into
open conflict. adverse influences Of diff
ferent kinds: imperialism. which made 1t
political and prosecuting; eastern asceti-
cism. which perverted it, ideal Of character,
and dogmatism. the offspring Of Alexan-
drian theosophy. which set profession OF
belief in ecclesiastical creeds as a test OF
Christian brotherhood above Christian
character and works. Later OF was added
Hildebrandic theocracy. with the Jesuit
afterward FORTS pioneer, and its p~ortentous
history. To some the sccretions. dogma
tism especially. appear to he vital, 80 that
Christianity as a moral rule and ideal can
not throw them of and live. To others they
appear to be SPECIFICATIONS, from which
vital Christianity is struggling TO emerge,
and liberation from which. with frank
acceptance Of all truth. will be really a re-
newal Of life.
/ get communications based upon the
idea hat I have been putting forth a theory.
| have not presumed TO do anything Of the
kind. | nave merely been pleading for two
things as conditions Of our arrival al light.
One of those things is the hearty acceptance
Of all proved truth. dogma and tradition.
however venerable, Notwithstanding. The
other is recognition Of all the constituents
Of human nature with their apparent indi-
cations, not only of those with which evolu-
ton has dealt and upon which materialism
10 founded. GOODWIN SMITH.