RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1842, 30 August 1913, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

NEW CANON OF WESTMINSTER. APPOINTMENT OF DR. CHARLES. Tho King approved of tlio appointment of the Rev. R. II: Charles, D.D., Speaker's Lecturer in Biblical Studies, Oxford, to bo a Canon of Westminster, in succession to the late Canon Barnelt. Tho now Canon, who was born in County Tyrone in 1855, has for somo, years been ono of our leading scholars in -that apocryphal and apocalyptic literature which has in recent years occupied so largo a place in Biblical study. Ho had an exceptionally, brilliant career at Queen's College, Belfast, whero he was a classical goid' medallist, graduating with first-class honours in classics, and later at Trinity College, Dublin, where ho was a scholar and took various prizes. Ho graduated at Trinity College in 1881, and for somo timo afterwards continued to read theology at/lie University. In 1883 he was ordained by Dr. Jackson, Bishop of London, with a licence to St. Mark, Whitechapel. After serving in this parish for two years, Dr. Charles worked for a timo at St. Philip, Kensington, and then at St. Mark, Kennington, with Bishop Montgomery, secretary of the S.P.G., but his literary work soon occupied all his efforts. From 1893, when ho published a translation of tho Book of Enoch, ho has written a series of important works which havo brought him a European reputation, and mado his namo familiar to all theological students in every part of tho world. From 189S to 1906 be was Professor of Biblical Greek at Trinity College, Dublin. Ho became Grinfield Lecturer in tho Septuagint, at Oxford, in 1905, and hold this office until 1911. lie was already known in the University, having bccome an M.A. at Exeter 1 College by incorporation in 1891. Ho took tho D.Litt. in 1907, and was made a Fellow of Morton College in 1910. Dr. Charles is also a Fellow of the British Academy. In May last he delivered a series-of four lectures addressed to advanced students in tho University of London at University College on "Somo Studios in the Apocalypse." Within the last few - weeks he has issued an important work in two large volumes on the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of tlio Old Testament ill English. Tho book contains contributions from many scholars who havo forked with him as editor. Dr. Charles's appointment to a canonry in Westminster Abbey brings a scholar to London who has won a wide circle of friends both in Dublin and Oxford l}y his sympathy and readiness to help fellow-students. Ho will have still further opportunities of contribut- ' .ing from 'his learning,. not only to tho instruction of the congregations who attend tho Abbey, but to those various centres of theological study in London of whoso welcome he is already assured. CHRISTIANITY V. RATIONALISM. AN 'INTERESTING CONTROVERSY. ! So intense was the interest evinced in i tho second session of tho Rationalism v. < Christianity controversy at St. Phi- i lip's,. Sydney (says the "Sydney Morn- : ing Herald") that long before the advertised tirno of starting the hall was < packod, and scores were vainly clamour- ' mg for admission. I Tiio debate was opened by Dr. Rad- 1 ford, Warden of St. Paul's, who dealt 1 with the Incarnation and human values. ' Ho said tjiat tho Incarnation meant that Jesus was not merely a man di- . vinely endowed with uniquo gifts of wisdom and holiness and power, but was God and Son incarnate in a human nature. Rationalists objected that the impression was a myth of tho early Chris- • tian mind. The objection was. unten- ; ablo. Myths required, timo to grow, i ITho synoptic gospels wcro admitted now by critics to be of an early date, lit-tlo more than ono generation after | the Crucifixion. What mado tho ] Apostles find room for a distinct person ( alongside God tho Father? What led , to this tremendous modification of their . idea of tho unity of God? Tho answer j could only be that something great had j happened, and that was tho Resurrec- ] tion of Christ. They faced the Roman , world with the assertion that Jesus was i God, and the Empire in three centuries | accepted Jesus as its Lord. To-day tho : nations that lead the world's progress I are the nations that own Christ tho < Son of God as their King. (Applause.) ] "What placcd woman in her rightful placo in tho world " demanded Dr. Rad- < ford. i "Not tho Church," answered a Ra- ! tionalist. "Tho Christian religion did," retorted Dr. Radford. "If you don't be- 1 lievo it, try Mohammedanism or Hindooism for your sisters." (Loud applause.) 1 Tho'Rot. S. M. Johnstone, of Parramatta, spoko of redemption by Divine self-sacrifice. Ho assumed first the 1 existence of a God, otherwise thero ' -could bo no sane philosophy of life. Also he assumed tho fact of sin, which was not inconsistent with tho doctrino 1 of evolution. Thoso who deny tho fact ' of sin were curiously anxious, about Di- ; vino injustice, and would not believe in the love of God. Guilt could not bo J transferred from tho wrongdoer to the welldoer, but it was possible for an innocent man to assume tho responsibility j .of the personal guilt of the guilty. Par- , ents often .did so to shield her chil- j dren. This was substitutionary rcconciliation, and was analagous to Christ's atcncmont. Without this Divine self- , sacrifice man woukl bo shut out from ; tho possibility of eternal life. (Ap- j plausc.) Dr. Xarus Sphynx, a Rationalist, ] from tho Paris University, said it was 1 very interesting to have faith,, and to ; believe in a God, but a far more im- ; portant thing was to ascertain if a i God Teally existed. Christianity was ! unscientific, for science only acknowledged one way of getting knowledge— i by the five senses, and not by a sixth, i revelation. Christianity asserts ;.scionco < ascertains. .Reason alono. and not re- < relation, counts. Science throws asido I into the rubbish-box all that is not true, 1 but Christianity did not. (Applause.) ; The Rev. J. V. Patton pitted his Ox- 1 ford Christianity against Dr. Sphynx's 1 Parisian rationalism. "I deny thorn tho right to tho namo of 'rational,' " 1 ho said. "They do not believe in tlio I God of Wisdom." (Interruption.) J "There you are. That shows thoy aro ' irrationals. They aro in tlio monkey stage, and want to speak altogether. ' Tho rational being speaks ono at a J time. (Laughter.) What is the good , of progress and striving if a man ends ( on the scrap-heap, and all progress ends ; in space. If thero is nothing beyond , this life, suicido would be welcome, j Man is continually striving for something above this earthly, life." A Rationalist: "And never finds it." (Hear, hear.) Dr. Radford: "That is what Heaven is for." Mr. G. T. Bill, after deprecating the . charge that Rationalists were intellect- j ual monkeys, said'it was a preposterous , notion that God had come into human form to allow his lovo to man. It was j the great superman that the world needed as saviours. One of tho greatest men that the world had seen , . Voiccs: "Who?" "Name?" Mr. "Bill" Ingersoll. (Laughter.) j Dr. La Touche: "Ingorsoll wrote in favour of suicide. His. authority on , revelation is worth nothing. (Applause.) But Dr. Sphynx does not know tlio authorities of his own university. (Applause.) Dr. .La Touche then proceeded to mention French and Gcrman and Scotch scientific authorities to support his contention, and maintained that Christianity was abeolutoly scien- . tiiio ia its deductions.' (Applause.) I.