New-York tribune., 1908-06-03

:, os religious thought in England in the
"-.eanrb century Mr. George puts forward
.hese nsres the men he deems worthy of
." .-.rce for their breadth and tolerance in
when eraceless hgotry had the upper
prominence beyond desert has too
been accorded those fiery advocates Of on
and iI1iheral views who kept the England
-, c+,,srts in q turmoil. a need Of recogn-
>. due class of mon whose moderate tion
,,,au, in comparative obscurity, catholic
--ba maintained largeness OF temper and
- of Judgment ia a disordered time. Tn
...s1,- something can he said 10 excuse the
Tolerance Of the age. often the intolerance
-, the instructive energy Of self -preserva-
What added To the difficulty Of the long
-. between Roundhead and Cavalier in the
80 and between Puritan and Ceremonialist in
-. church vas the fact that neither side could
.,o o-har 70 he free. The Puritan. Mr
-. assures rs. WAS not much unwilling
=. - ,-orcraouislist should exist as unwilling
.+s ceremonial should annihilatc him. and
~s,1v T~-, intolerance had seemingly tho
ella merit of ardent devotion public in
-. and The desire To continue in life. Thus.
- =, -aliriorS controversy II came 10 pass that
= alternative offered II the point Of the sword
&c an ecclesiastical tyranny allowing a Ger
=. 1,,a-rv of belief. or = doctrinal tyranny al
,.n+rr ? certain liberty Of worship
~. ,-iorart doenatisms Of the period serve
.,;1 for setting of the temperance and hos
-.slit,- Of mind which marked the men some
ss called Tstitudinarians. That the name
..,l5 ev-- have been applied is witness TO
>. constructed theological outlook and also a
--a,-io, ~ ove-n1uch ire in heavenly minds
..-a were types Of pietism in fashion Of which
4. ,,rl5 scz~a-ly he said that they contributed
,,be- - the social charm Of the individual or
. -, amenities Of public life. For example.
sore was the CONSCIENTIOUS Francis Cheynen
--,5lv orthodox and VERY unwilling that any
.ho,,,6 fe suffered 10 go to heaven but in the
-4+ nav When one Of the scholarly men Of
,..:-,5e mas 2 prisoner with the Parliamentary
-,,v and bout - die CheyneIl set himself to
--sct what ne considered the heresies of the
sr4nr r7sn Attending the scholars funeral, he
s,urbr 70 bury the heretical book with the au-
-bo-,s body ia the following words:
syce5 - -rauv precious souls. Get thee gone;
-hou corrupt. rotten book, karth TO earn; ana
s-- n Sr=, f5e- thee gone into tho place OF rot
-s--ssy thar thou msyest rot with thy author and
sse corruption
This rather frank literary critic belonged TO
.,s p-s,t,re-ian party. The book disapprovel
q. u-ss The Religion of Protestants. Safe
Tsy of ssIva-ion.'- and its author was William
rb;ringvorth OF the Church Of England.
os the eight men Of latitude whose careers
s-s stetched all bur Richard Baxter were uni
rersity men and all but Sir Thomas Browne
rook orders. Jeremy Taylor Was contemporary
with Milton at Cambridge. John Hales and
William ChiIingworth. great spirits in little
bodies IS Matthew Arnold called them. were
friends Of Lord Falkland. The three were Of
rhs company hat used TO foregather with Ben
ling -Fa Taofl la
Beniamin Whichcote. John Smith and Henry
Vore were Carnhridge Platonists. AS il is the
}-ee-hea-ted tolerance and cultured breadth OF
view Or these men that Mr.. George wishes %
t-ng into relic-. he contents himself with de-
svfbing their task as determined by cirrur-
stances. and showing the high-mindedness Of
their pleas Tor true piety and charity as the only
cu-p for the evils of civil and ecclesiastical dis
sslsion. Tho unhappy plight Of churchnen
Is thus accounted Tor by Jeremy Taylor:
Al thsse mscHiefs proceed rot from this. that all
2 M are noI ~ one IT-Ia. TOT tlat IS nelrhef ht,
sTy nor possible. but that every opinion Is mace
n artce o. faith. .Eery article Is ground Of d
iseton IS zealous and I'll zes pretends for God
md vtsrsoe-e- is for God cannot be too much.
Es by his tine are come 10 that pass. We think
Tf have nor the virtue of religion unless We Perse-
e'e e. religions but our own
The csthoiicity for which Taylor and his col
leagues pleaded is one which would always
maintain freedom Of personal inquiry They be
ieTed that Cod had authorized no one to force
sI men to unity Of opinion In taking account
q the sources # religious authority one must
reverence antiquity as a fount Of knowledge. but
not fesr II IS an arbiter. for what is antiquity
but mans authority born some ages before US?
he true Church * greater than any institutional
life called ry that name Not that the visible
Church is without any credentials: bur at best
II is only an approximation 10 the vast spiritual
reality. the Civitas Del The Church, SAID
John Hales. hath no other note but 10 he. The
Church IS thing that can he pointed out
Consequently the fury Of debate 10 the correct
fo-a q church organization is a futile thing
and he VIII best serve the interests OF the king
oom of God who viii see that His definition OF
ihe Church is one which could never exclude a
soul whom the Lord Of the Church would ac-
sept In keeping with such standpoint We
md Richard Baxter toiling over plans whereby
Presbyterian, E9iscopalian and Independent
night JON forces. and. in his own town ar least
schlsT1rg hrs purpose The Bible as source OF
suthority Is unhesitatingly accepted. though IN
no spirit of b oliolatrv. Chillingworth. VINO hea
written ri '-he Bible and the Bible only, the
felgon n Protestants," declared that the
o17ptures are not so much the objects OF our
--94lh as the Instruments Of conveying IL Io ""4
understanding with such organizing principles
tas men of latitude could consistently protest
sgslnst The prosecuting madness and could urge
upon their fellow countrZ-men that IN the last
resource heresv is not a matter Of the intellect
f1' moral and of the viii.
lhe special contribution ~ the Canorlose
r's'oflsts, IS M George points out was 10
.s'Ne the spirit of the Greek as against me
roman theology. Bringing their Plafonlsrh
INTO the service Of tlleism, they dared TO SPEAK
" Gods iHmanent presence in the world. In
we mysticism Of Henry More and Sir THOMAS