The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-25
EVERY HERETO A HERos
Must Clergymen Choose Between
Covert and Rampant A%postasy?

Covert and Rampant A~postssy?
10 rHE Epiron or TIE sus-sir: Some
one las sent ne two undated clippings
from THE SrN, one containing your @pio
editorial artiolo "Is There a Lie in tho
Burial Serv!ce7' tho other a
cation from "wfiham l.. Sullivan. aseo-
ciate minister OF All Souls Unitarian
| Church, New YoHs." THE Sun has dealt
adequately with tho perfervid REMARKS
Of tho Brooklyn divine: ! ain not aware
Of any comment on tho letter of inc
Unitarian clergyman.
Tho associate minister writes on the
ethics OF apostasy. discussing in par
! ticular the relative merits OF apostasy
latent md apostnsy operative. VIVA ~
n clergyman to do no inquiries, WHO
comes 10 disbeiievs In any OF the SOL
e;nn uttcrances which no ~ required ofi-
cialiy to mako? Shall no leave MS
church, or nj lcaSt declare publicly that
no rejects the statements thai offo!d
him? or shall no stay and keep silent7'
Tho Obvious answer does not seem to
have occurred to the Unitarian divine
but TO most people Of Judgment Il would
run Like this: Why not quietly leave
his church without any fuss or Sanrare'
The honest and honorable Clergyman
who fnds himself at Variance with his
position will, ] think. SEPARATE hirrlsel,
rom his position as uroh.-as!ve!y as
possible without boating any tattoo OF.
the high sounding drum os sccpticlsiiL
Aorording 70 Mr.. Sullivan's hypothesis
! the causc o. disagreement has not pro
gressed beyond the s.age of doubt or
disbelief" both OF wiich arc very FAR
removed from certainty. Honco thcre
can BIO no obligation either In honor or
conscience OF y-oclalnlns his detection
to tho world. Much less IL II his duty
70 assume superior Ara or lord It over
faith. or lecture religion. But this !s
not tho modern way. Your glorious
apostate Is not usually chat kind OF n
man. 10 ~ bounn TO got Some glory
out Of his a~postasy.
Indeed. t. show this seems 20 oc the
burden ~ the associate minister's mos
sage IN his letter 20 TIE SyN. lie
sulycly insinuatcs that uilless n Chris
tau Clergyman. or ,aynaU. for that
mater. s. -he victim Of either apost.Lsy
covert ~ Hpostasy rampant. no cannot
ie ~ honest or an honorable man. II
Is because OF this :nonstr,is insult to
all Christian believers that this letter
is written. After repeating all the stock
charges aga!ns. Christianity the INT
ttltan uI|.lt ASKS lTln'iI'iidnliE ti'N
br!lg men OF honor 10 IN" ministry or
the membership Of such Christianity. or
how. II they come. retain ;hv.n"" This
wholesale indictment OF all 'hrstian
clcrxJ men and ~layTnen - In hue with
his Lpoth. osis Of tho apostatc.
And yet II Is some-7hat Disappointing
- read NJ. S~ull!van's strongest: reason
for rejecting tie notion thai u u
iig clergyman should "Stay and keep
z ~ttS,,s . ~ ~. ,HF.~anaa ~ LOO 1trf, Gn..llt
for himself. This Solution" Of his prob
lem Il" rightly says "Ts caiamitous ul-
.imatelv to the integrity ~ the ind.-
viduiL.' But FOR what reason: Here,
indeed. - t!e grand surprise, When
we expect 20 hear him matchmaking
the hypocrisy which such a course In.
voiyes. Mr.. sullivan tells US hat such
a cours. is ultimately call,n!.ous %
the individual. 'fo- 4. destroys the pr.
mary quality Of n preacher, namely.
moral passion"
Tho Unitarian cle-gyrna, has adopted
all the stage thunder oc modern 'nfidel-
rs. I'll" Lofty serenity. INC calm. proud
seli-ronlplacency. -hc cant about honor
and honesty. liberty. REASON and truth
the 1~reposte!ous CLAIMS 10 Intellectual
superiority az the ma VINO doubts a.
o!soc!.cVes: tho e@'!usivc monopoly g.
reason and science ny The modern sccp-
tic, a., are there. There. too. is the
~grnundleSs assumption that all h"resy
~ high minded and every hereto - hero.
as We'll rs the exsltation OF Lpostasy as
the Supreme cardinal virtue. Hut that
is not all. Pau ami Jesus arc enrolled
among tho noble ranks ~ the apos,a.ts.
and heholdfrg this his grand work "
enrolment, the associate minister breaks
into a Rhapsody IN which lie tells Us that
| the world owe - progress toEar tAr
light % What he calls glorious apos-
tateS."
Now Il 10 true that men have ,er-
tho creed ~ their HoreTa'ncrs or Their
| childhood and have been led TO :ic
knowledge az truth under divine guild
arc": but Il "a also true that the road
Of apo.tasy Ia not always illuminated
10y tuo dag star %. truth. iirIAed. IN
reading NJ. Suil!van's Rhapsody apou;
LIS glorious apostates' ono is reminded
@: Mil'on's noble words about Satan
the great p~rotagor!St az apoyasy:
J High ;n the midst. exalted 40 r. god.
Tn. apos'Gto II Ms sun bright choro, sat
, Or arain:
Tho arah.. arctang.' had :orcrvarn-d
Adam. ny diro example 20 beware
Apostasy, ny who: befeM IN heaven
To those spos.Gte..
, Evon the infdel historian Gibbor nd.
mis- tlat the character OF APP rS'stt
has injured the reputation OF JuNan.'
; Other writer's. too. AXE MaoIulay, iegart
, aposts sy az II record % promises broker
and professions bel!ed. And why Mr.
sullivan should At his day undertake
not only its rehabilitation but even II,
TRANSPORTATION - incomprehenslhle.
In the haloed throrg II "slor.oi;
!. arostatcs" tho palm for honor, and para.
crN.cal rs II may sound, for honest!
! too. must hc assigned - 'hr prrtu
aYs,s,ate from Christianity. tlo s,urH.c
3 Judas. lie IT least was an apoStat'
% m false pr"t.Is.rnS, Win linn ther'
/ was 10 fait about honest doubt. II
I r,ver pleaded Intellectual difficulties y
the -Xact!rns of tho progress % science
, lie uttered no rant about supclSt;t!ons
/ lie was avarcious and h" iuIew IL, ant
I lie mad tho grace 10 MAKE lao .itt.up
n ~ pAlltttion ny talA,g refuge IN doc
i triU.tl ditticul,tes And Wl-u liz" op-ue,
Ills eyes 20 the awful nature - as cut,
ne st!ll faced = n frankly took IN,
consequences. HcN ~ least WAS al
honest aposta'e. NJ, 50 with otn"rs
AugI4to Cont" fell IN love with aro.he