DR. TUDOR JONES'S USE OF GREAT NAMES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 302, 15 September 1908, Page 4

DR. TUDOR JONES'S USE OF GREAT NAMES.

Sir,—Kindly permit mo to point out to "Anytkingariaii" tliat I did not assert that Dr. Jones had said in so many words that , Drs. llashdall, Clieyne, and Driver were ,Uni- ! tarians. 1 did say that lie quoted them, with i others, apparently (is being in agreement j with his own fundamental position. 1 shall ( say that his method of quoting names would give tho impression—has in fact given the impression—that all tho eminent theological scholars of our time are virtual Unitarians. Now, I hold thaHt is incumbcnt upon every public teacher, when quoting authorities, about whom the majority of tho people ho is * addressing know little or nothiag, to make it clear that lie is not claiming from those authorities larger agreement with himself than those authorities themselves would accord, and I hold that such scrupulous carefulness is more binding, if that were possible, upon one, who, liko Dr. Jones, has elected himself to tho offico of the only honest parson, than upon less ambitious men. With the immediate controversy between Dr. Jones and Mr. Jolly I have no concern. I am simply objecting to Dr. Jones's whole method of quoting a multitude of authorities without any qualification. Nor am, I concerned with "Anythingarian's" ninety-nine per cent, of timorous parsons. Vaguo charges' are difficult of refutation, and doubtless; there aro timorous parsons; possibly some such might be found in Unitarianism itself. It is as perilous for a church as for an individual to stand before the world and thank God that it is not liko other churches, cowardly, dishonest, etc. I liave confined myself to three specific names quoted by Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones knows quite ivoll that these three scholars every Sunday of their lives, in the most solemn act of Christian . worship,_ recite tho Niecno Creed. I have nsked him, whether ho thinks them honest in so doing. He has not seen fit to answer tho question. I bolievo that he cannot and dare not answer it. Should he-say that they are disboncst ; I should ask liiin what possible worth tho opinion of such men could have in any matter affecting the meaning and nature of so essentially ethical a religion as Christianity. Should he say that these scholars ore honest, as I certainly believe tliom to bo, then he must admit, and was bound to make clear, that however they may agrco with him, in subordinate points, thoy are, in the supremo _ question, fundamentally separated from him and from the causo lie represents;'' for he himself could not, and I am sure would not, recite the Nicono Creed when engaged in tho worship of the God of Truth. As other of your correspondents havu pointed out, Dr. Jones persistently, ignores the fact that a man may accept the ascertained facts of critical scholarship and yet hold unwaveringly the fundamental truths' of historic Christianity. I say ignores, for Dr. Jones can hardly.be ignorant of the fßct. Ho is aware that ono~such scholar is to bo found ovon in tho chief seaj; of ..Unitarian,, light, and •learning in England—Manchester New ;Col-, lege, Oxford.- Profesor W. E. Addis belongs to tho critical school, and is on the. staff of Manchester New Collerre. Ha closes Jiis preface to his book on "Hebrew Religion" with words, which,- with your permission, sir,'! will quote:—"lf wo deal honestly and fearlessly with tho facts we shall assuredly find • that all real investigation ministers to revealed truth by holpiug'us to understand how • the light, faint and dini in its beginning, grow more and moro till it reached tho perfect day in Him, who is 'Li<iht of Light, vc.j-7 God of very God.'" Will Dr. .Tones, will 1 "Anythingarian," deny that Addis is a eom- ' notent, scholar? Will thoy deny that he deals 1 honestly and fearlessly with facts? Vet' I this competent scholar and critic, who, like 1 Dr. Jones himself, lias known storm mid 1 stress, has found that, facts when reallv in- ; vestigated lead to Him whom the Nieene ' Creed calls' "Light of Light, very God of ! very God." Other eminent scholars have ' found tho same: and my complaint against ; Dr. .Tones is just this, that he. does not' seem 1 to me candidly to admit the fact.—l am, etc., • ' , INQUIRER, • September 7. F " ' —— r