Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-05
DR PARKER'S CHURCH
Correspondent Critizes His De-
 sire 10 Change Its Name.

ant on Monday morning Rev Dr Park CT of the South Congregational church delivered himself of a few sapiential remarks that made his hearers sit up and take notice. He would change the name of his church
 to All Souls and would establish what he evidently thinks an All Souls church. To the change in nomencla-
 ture perhaps few might object, but the church that Dr Parker would establish is one of those mental fig ments that reminds one of ''the poets eye in fine frenzy rolling" but is
 hardly possible of a local habita-
 tion."
 It is theoretically beautiful to
 unite all christians in one religious society, but there must first be some
 thing fundamental, or at least per manent, on which they can not only
 unite, but stay thus united. With
 Dr Parker this would be impossible,
 for he does not believe in cast iron creeds and so the homogeneity of to- day would tomorrow be hopeless con- fusion even in the non-essentials and in case several from each of the many christian denominations came togeth- CT at the same time for religious ser vice, it looks as if Babel might be out-Babeled. Dr Parker is simply re- cognizing an existing evil without prescribing a remedy for the malady viz: private opinion in religion as op- posed to a teaching authority. His church would be a sort of go-as-you- please affair, very much as the de- nomlnational churches are now, at least in theory, and if it was to be anything more than social society there is no need for it's existence.
 Just what so many non-Catholic clergymen mean by creed when they assert that creeds are unnecessary is not too entirely evident. We cannot start with universal doubt in religion any more than in other things. They must believe something, at least the theories they are prepounding, unless they wish to write themselves knaves or imbeciles. But if there are to be no cast-iron creeds of. what use would Dr Parker's church be, unless as l have said above, it would be only a sort of eclectic social body. And even at that it would from the outset contain the elements of disintegra- tion.
 Some of the features of Dr Parker's church would be: A fellowship with all denominations, so far as they will permit. We have that already and the special reason why the fellowship is not closer is that they will not per. init, unless perhaps Dr Parker had in mind a more frequent uniting of the various religious societies in the works of charity and philanthropy Dr Parker would have a church free from all formal and rigid creed which, however, hardly measures LID to the standard of Christ, who sent His apostles to preach not eclecticism but whatever I have commanded you" a somewhat rigid Journalism it appears to me. Dr.. Parker would have a church in which all christians might stand together and a church comprising the elemental and essen- tial things. If Dr Parker can found such a church he will certainly be 9 theological thaumaturgus. Just at present the great obstacle to unity among christians is that they not only cannot agree in essential, but they are widely apart as to what the essentials are.
 Dr Parker would have a free church in respect to pews, etc. InI this respect if his theory could be re- duced to practice, have no doubt his fellow clergymen would side with him. The financial side of the church question is very necessary one. If all parishes had rich men who would shoulder the financial burden it would be well, but in congregations where all are poor the question takes anoth- ar aspect.
 Dr Parker's church would be one In which he would have the Lords Supper in honor of decent and rever- ent observance. But which Lords ! Supper would he have? Merely the l commemorative one of most the evan yelical sects. or the consubstantiation If Luther of the ransubstantiation | )f Catholics?
 Dr Parker would have only a sym 1 polio baptism that would not be Obli- yatory but optional But Christ evi- l lently disagrees with Dr Parker for | le makes baptism a condition of sal i 'atiOn. He who shall believe and he | baptized shall be saved" Besides in | his optional baptism how would the ,ssential of infant baptism of some he reconciled with the 1 baptism of others. 4 .hurch composed of such discordant
 dement's would hardly clarify the re- igious atmosphere.
 Dr Parker would have a church road enough to indulge many and vide diversitiCs of opinions and asks yhat good reason is there that it can lot he 90. For the simple reason that i ruth is of necessity intOlerant. ana f believe that this or that doctrine s true cannot believe the contra
 ictoTy tO be true also. As to services IturEical and unliturgical. he might have a working theory, al- hOugh l cannot understand how at imes he would avoid a dangling umble." Nor is such a church neces- lTy. All that is done nowadays and -ith greater satisfaction to the mem- CTS Of each denomination than il iscordant elements were to attempt