New-York tribune., 1906-05-30
ASSAILS OLD CHURCH
SHARP HERESY DEBATE.
Bishop Coleman Says English
Branch Is Full of Treachery."

Inc Alumni Association of the General Theo-
logical Seminary at the annual dinner last
night at the New York Athletic Club listened to
some unusual addresses in which the recent
conviction OF the Rev Dr. Algernon Sydney
Crapsey. of Rochester. on charges of heresy
the keynote, although Dr. Crapsey's name was
not mentioned. Broad Church views liberalism
anu a more advanced thought were advocated
py some or the speakers. while heresy hunt
ing was condemned The most sensational ad-
oresss' however, was given by the Rev. DR..
William c. De Witt, Dean of the Western Theo-
logical Seminary at Chicago. in which he con-
demned the modern universities and colleges for
their lack Of the teaching of God for having
presidents and faculties who were not clergy
men and for preaching in the chapel sermons
which were not doctrinaI. His address was
quickly replied to by the Right Rev. Bishop
Leighton Coleman, Of Delaware. who presided.
and who. in plain language said he did not agree
with DR.. De Witt
Among the two hundred alumni present were
TWO of the oldest graduates, the Rev Mr Will
lam 8 Coffey of the class of so and the Rev.
Dr. Joseph Hicks Smith. of the class Of '46. The
Rev. DIR. Samuel Hart. dean Of the Berkeley
Divinity School. at MddIetown Conn., and sec
retary OF the House of Bishops was the first
speaker. There must be a restriction in the
fields of study" he said. Much must be left
Creeds must be studied, and church history must
be studied. The words of the doctrines of the
Mother Church worth more to us than the
teachings of the leaders of any schism- We
ought TO stand in the old ways and follow them
to the regions beyond"
The Rev. DR.. William c. De Witt dean Of the
Western Theological Seminary. followed. His
topic was Theological Education"
If there is one subject the American is almost
M l1I- 7crra1 -
AT first the presidents and faculties of our col
leges were clergymen. To-day through the length
and breadth Of America there is no God at the
basis of the teaching Colleges have various
forms of religions; brainy men get up at chapel
and tell funny stories and students then go out
and tell what is the funniest story. The brainy
man. with his intelligence and his advanced ideas
to whom the students look up, is an agnostic
nine times out of ten
DR.. De Witt told OF his daughter In a school
in Chicago, where he found she had been told
that Genesis had long been considered obsolete
In the grammar schools. the free schools, coll
leges and universities and everywhere we find
it the same way. In Europe God stands as the
maker Of the universities. In America He is
forgotten The tendency to-day is the tearing
away the lessening of resistance. tact liberalism
and the spirit of the creed. We are UP against
a condition that is serious as any that has
ever threatened this Church of ours. We are UP
against the belief that the Church has not sup
piled the demand"
DR.. De Witt then told Of TIA vacancies in the
Western diocese and only nineteen men gradu-
ating from Western seminaries to fill them. He
said that it would take nineteen years to supply
the positions at the present rate.
The cause" he continued, is that men want
to be certain of their positions. They hear so
much uncertain sound from uncertain trumpets
that young men fear they will not get Avel-
hood. There are only two classes of young men
who entering sennaries now; they. are
either fools or heroes. One class is there be-
cause they can find no other way to earn liv-
ing and the other because they are brave 1t
is not the time for Onward. Christian Soldiers
Marching to War it is the time for more
complicated tactics than just marching to war"
Bishop Coleman jumped up as DR.. De Witt
closed, and said:
I'm no pessimist. I don't believe in blowing
out a candle to see how dark it is" (The Bishop
suited the action to his words) THE whole
thing is, we cannot depend on the Mother
Church of England we did. I say it with all
reverence for the Mother Church. 1t is filed
with cowardice and treachery in many of it's
clergyuen. The Church of England is giving
itself over to the hands of. will not say IRE
lgious people, but of people whose ideas are
very questionable The cowardice there makes
1t all the more necessary for US to be strong
and brave and to fight
The Rev. DR.. George Hodges, dean of the
Episcopal Theological School at Cambridge,
Mass, also replied to Dr.. De Witt.
Dean De Witt has IN mind think, only the
state universities. where there is chapel
chaplain" he said That is not true in this
part Of the country. 1t is remarkable the
amount Of clerical knowledge in the East"
The Rev. DR.. W. l.. Robbins, dean OF the
General Theological Seminary the last speaker,
spoke OF the recent heTesy charges. and defended
liberalism and broad church men.
Liberalism has fulfilled a great and blessed
mission for the Church." he said "I wish to
pay my tribute to the broad church men. We
ing TO such focus that IL is we'll to bear in
mind that truthseeking does not mean ire
sponsibility. We need just little plain clear
logic IN the situation. The General Theological
Seminary stands for honest and humble accept
ance Of the faith of the Church once and for all
l believe that faith and fearlessness go together
At this crisis there is a grave danger.
Il think that heresy hunting is one of the most
despicabe pursuits in which human mind can
engage. 1t isn't for TO fear liberalism Cath
olicity and enlightenment are compatible"
At the meeting OF the board OF trustees of the
seminary IN the afternoon. the Rev. Dr. Charles
c. Edmunds. rector Of Grace Church OF Newark
was elected professor of New Testament utera-
ture, TO succeed the Rev. DR.. Beckwith retired
The Rev DR.. Charles n. Shepard was elected
professor Of Hebrew and cognate languages
since the resignation of the Rev Dr. r. c. Hall
Among those present were Bishops Doane, of
Albany who presided Hall. of Vermont; Fran
els. of Indianapolis; Burgess, of Long Island;
Satterlee. Of Washington: Grafton, of Fond du
Lac; Coleman. of Delaware. and Lines. of New