The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-09-06
MUST FREE
ITSELF Of DOGMA,
SAYS Dr. WATSON
Else, Tied to the Dying Body OF
Belief Without Reason, 1t
Must Share Same Doom.
VIEWS ON APOSTOLIC
SUCCESSION NO WORRY
Rector Declares if His Opinion
Sayored of Heresy He Would
Have Heard OF it.

In. st. Stephens Episcopal Church
%. A. WATSON, just returned from his
Vacation, preached a stirring sermon
on "Reason Against Authority" DIR.
laWasson was heartily welcomed by a
barge congregation. He said in part:
Reason needs no defining. BY au-
thority we mean the testimony to a
T fact beyond mans natural powers of
ascertainment, or at least of e%xplana-
ton, by a human being or an institution
flor whom supernatural Illumination is
sclaimed. Authority covered a wide area
once. 1t included the heavens and the
EARTH. 1t has been spoiled of much of
its domain. 1t old us once how the
universe was made. 1t told us once
how man was made, n woman. 1t
told us how the earth came to be over
spread and how diversity of languages
arose. 1t told us how an ass spake,
how ian iron ak rose to the surface at
the command of a prophet. how the
sun stood still Ono great task. how
tnenr lived unscorched in burning flames,
lard much else. And when it told of
lthese things everybody believed.
To-day the Intelligence of the world,
flor the most part, no longer believes,
nor even listens to these wonder
stories. 1t looks on them as myths and
fables. It takes this attitude because
the evidence for these marvels is in
sufficient. The fact that the church,
that, Tradition, that the fathers, that
the pope certify to them is nothing.
What is wanted Is evidence. How do
pope. church, tradition and fathers
know? How did the Hebrew writer's
know Even If they did know, how
shall we know that they knew?
These announcements or authority
are. some of them, dogmas. The dogma
Split OF one and all is contrary to the
Reaching of Jesus. He was rejected be-
cause He was the enemy of dogma.
He shattered the sabbath dogma. He
shattered the sacrifcial dogma. He
shattered the priesthood dogma. He
Shattered the chosen people dogma. He
Shattered the Moses dogma. He shat
tered the Scripture dogma. He appealed
Directly to the conscience and intel
iligence of men. He demonstrated His
lwcrds by his deeds. G~ewgaws-like. gor-
geous robes and swelling titles and
pomp and circumstance were rubbish
in His eyes--a plain man among men.
* ho4 laeked on al men as brothers,
thatsis, equals.
Dogma did well enough for the
thousand years without a bath, when
people were ignorant and superstitious.
I'm fact. dogma then was reason, for
their unframed reason found credible
.Mhat is now incredible. But ut last
lthey learned t. think. Then they found
sihey. had nothing to- think about. SO
they went back to Greece and Rome
ard thought over again those ancient
thoughts. Hence the Renaissance.
Z They went back to the Hebrew Scrip
4 lures md thought over again those
nucleNt thoughts. Hence the Reforma-
zion. Then. firing Of secondhand
thouEhte, they opened thoir eyes. They
looked up. and hence astronomy. They
s looked about. and honcc geography.
+ They looked below. and heHce miner
s alcgy uad geology. They looked at liv-
Ing Creatures. hcnce biology ard 20
oioEy. They looked within. and hence
rsyaiioiosy. 9hoy asked why. and
hence evolution. And day tci!e;h day
tho splendid achievements OF reason.
''ghe church is tied to the dying body
81 dogma OF na,1iority. II tlc church
does not loose Itself Il Will share its
doom. Human reason marches on. con-
\ queying ard TO conqucr.'
When asked after the sermon for a
statement In regard 10 the issue be-
tween himself and the REV. George
Ernest Maglll, OF l~ioboken. concerning
81 tkc ifffarenpp. of thnir NinVG nm the