The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-30
HERESY TRIALS.
An Outsider Think They Spread, Ratheb
Than Check, Unbelief.

hhUh NhCCne ShpNiiVts
To THE EDIToR,oF THE SUN-Sir; Heresp
tribunals, like courts-martial, are organized
to convict. They deal exclusively with mate
tiers of belief. and are institutions exclusively
of Christian origin and use. Law and penalty
at first related purely to conduct. and at tho
beginning of Christianity 1t was conduct
that was emphasized and made essential to
its profession. Gradually. as 1t took on a
theological aspect and became associated
with and largely asslmilated TO the Oriental
PHILOSOPHERS, fixed statements OF belief wer9
adopted, which became creeds, were emJ
bodied in the ritual and made tests of discipleS
ship. As time passed these creeds were given
authoritative Interpretation by Popes and
councils, and little by little the claim td
dictate and control belief was extended to
pretty much everything In regard to which,
a man was capable of forming an opinione
and failure TO conform to the prescribed
belief was regarded as a more heinous offence
than infraction Of the moral law. Calico
was silenoed and Bruno burned for holdlnl
opinions In regard 10 astronomy and philoso-.
ply contrary to Scriptural views as interS
! preted by the ecclesiastical authorities, and
thousands were tortured and burned at tho
stake for n~on-acceptanoe of orthodox docL'
trine5.
Liberty OF thought was destroyed, the
human mind shaCkled and intellectual progl
IGbo DlouBh Nv w u II Aui n = bfT
followed necessa rily, and it was not until the
Reformation that anything like freedom Of
thought be gan TO be once more tolerated,
| Even then It was held that it was not per-.
missible for it to go outside the teachings OF
a single book, the gain being that, in regard.
to those te.chiass the right Of private JUDI
right numerous scots sprang up, each one
of which adopted peculiar rites or tenets as
ship, and any variation from these on the
part of adherents was followed by trials for
heresy and expuls ion. Although with the
establishment of religious liberty and freedom
of investigation and thought brought about
by the scientific spirit, and the teaChin gs Of
science heresy trials hayS grown more and
be regarded from two different standpoints.
A man voluntarily becomes a priest or minis
creeds and regulations, which it Is its purpose
TO defend and propagate, In order to aSsums
his 91ise he e Is rTeaui RED t to pdlG shG oh himself
time, he CONES to Change his views for any
reason, It y said by a majority Of c%hurchmen
ganizatlon, and that If he fails to do so hs
should be tried and put out This is a per-
the difficulty being to determine whether the
attitude he assumes Is in reality outside q
To determine that must ultimately be left TO
the constituted authorities of the organiza-
ton. and they also must determine whether
under all the circumstances it is wise and best
The view is held by. many, excellent and
conscientious ministers inside different church
organizations that the real SIGNIFICANCE of the
obligation assumed by them is that they will
teach nothing, contrary to Scripture, and that
the. right to interpret the creeds and the
Scriptures in {, broad and liberal spirit, con-
which has been gained. and to endeavor 70
change the church attitude from within and
STi pE it tr to their IF E tSe En i6ls i t the r22si hS@
on trial for %heresy., He is a man Of the high;
est character and of marked intellectual
cause, He has. openly proclaimed his dis
belief in miracles and in the virgin birth
and bodily, resurrection of Jesps;. and he
upon and warranted by the New Testament
itself. The prosecution maintains that such
the Church, and the only inquiry permitted
has been whether he has gone outside that.
He cannot be permitted to- raise the question
tion ls not in issue. and he must retract or be
This attitude will appeal to many as logical.
take; but 1t might be we'll to consider what
It's consequenees are likely ia, be- We live
Is rife and Is certain to be applied to every
subject when i IS felt. that NOTHING, which
and Of ali possible light is worth holding on
TO and when there has come to be no, fear of
the truth. whatever it may be found to be.
the Churches on maintaining the old formulas
in their literal sense that the best thought Of
the time is outside the Churches. 1t is con-
tended by liberal churchmen that it is due to
the tact that men of ability know they cannot
think and speak freely if they become clergy
men that the standard of clerical ability has
become So confessedly low and that preach
ing has become uninteresting.
nent tF E PfS Church I'M N New IeSy0 York. said adm IN
an address: The leadership of science and
art is already almost entirely In the hands
of men who have broken with organized
Christianity, They are the guides and pio-
neers in political and social reforms. They
are a large minority. promising soon to be a
majority. In the mana cement Of charitable
professors in colleges and the teachers in
normal schools. They are kind husbands,
faithful wives, good sons, daughters, friends"
This is unimpeachable testimony, end the
question 1t would be well for the brethren to
consider who are forcing heresy trials is
whether It Is not for the good of everybody
TO let the creeds stand as interesting historical
statements, and allow, men the freedom Of
going to take anyhow. To an outsider that
would seem the rational thing to do, and one
thing is certain, nothing spreads heresy, so
called, in these days of freedom like an at
tempt to stamp 1t out.
a--t