THE ESSENCE OF PROTESTANTISM

Evening Star, Issue 19800, 25 February 1928, Page 16

THE ESSENCE OF PROTESTANTISM

DEAN INGE OK BISHOP BARNES I have now read the volume of collected sermons and addresses by tho Bishop of Birmingham, published a few days ago, under tho title ‘ Should Such a Faith Offend?’ I still think that tho verdict of the public will bo that he has been very unfairly attacked. But I must in honesty confess that tho value of his defence of the Liberal Protestant position would, in my opinion, have been increased if ho had tried to understand, in a moredetached spirit, the causes which make Neo-Catholicism so attractive to many in our day. The doctrine of Transubstantiation is far more subtle and plausible than wo might suppose from tho Bishop’s strictures upon it. Those who wish to know how it is defended may bo referred to Father Rickaby’s chapter on ‘Substance and Accidents’ in his ‘General Metaphysics,’ pp. 221-278. “ SACRAMENTAL MAGIC.” Tho theory is not to be disposed of by any “toots,” physical or “psychological.” Am! ihe appeal to the “spiritual” tc.-; :■ r.: tlicr disastrous, fc; it is on this that tho Catholics largely rely. I have known two quite intelligent persons who were “ converted ” from Protestantism solely by this experience. They had looked for the presence of Christ in our Anglican serj vices, and “Ho was not there.” They | then sought for Him in tho Mass, id !“ Ho was there.” This means, no | doubt, that they are natural idolaters, |if we like to put it in that way. But 1 in spite of the ancient Hebrews, who 1 according to Houston Stewart Chamberlain were too materialistic to appreciate the beauty of idolatry, it and sacramental magic are for many people' tho natural vehicles of religious experience. This kind of religion has certainly no support in the Gospels, ami its affinities to the lower religions are obvious. It is even possible to make out a strong case lor trying to eradicate it, since, as Cranmer said in words quoted by tho Bishop : The very body of the tree, or rather the roots of the weeds, is the popish doctrine of transubstantiation, of the real presence of Christ’s flesh and blood in Ihe sacrament of the altar (as they call it), and of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ made by fho priest for tho salvation of the quick and the dead. Which roots 4 if they be suffered to grow in the Lord’s vineyard, they will overspread all the ground again with the old errors and superstitions. Cranmer was too true a prophet; the old errors and superstitions have returned, and threaten to choke tho Lord’s vineyard. Nevertheless, not only is this policy impracticable, but there are some people who need this kind of bridge to carry them across tho gulf between the seen and the unseen. We have all met admirable persons whose devotional life is centred on the Eucharist, tho efficacy of which jr --y interpret to themselves in a very materialistic manner. Wo should all feel as lam sure tho Bishop himself would in dealing with individuals, that the language of disdain is out of place in speaking of such persons. There are a few sentences in this book, referring in general terras to this typo of worship, in which the tone seems to me, if I may venture to say so, a little too unsympathetic for a Bishop. THE EXTREMISTS. I do not wish to criticise, but it would not be candid to conceal tho fact that the challenges thrown to the Angle-Catholics are more frequent and more uncompromising than I knew. But we may surely bo grateful to the Bishop for showing courage when most l of his colleagues are showing cowardice. He has realised that our extremists are no longer on the defensive, but are actively endeavoring to deprotestantiso the Church of England. Tho time is past for soft words and graceful concessions. Wo have to protect, against a foe who gives no quarter, all that the Reformers of fho sixteenth century won for ns. In those | days men were ready to die for what ! they believed to be ‘fundamental prin- 1 ciples. They did not discuss “terras of reunion ” with Rome, or think that the whole system of Latin religion could safely be given a home within the Anglican Church. It may bo that the Bishop is right in thinking that severe fighting is unavoidable. If so, it is a good thing that we have one Bishop who is without qualification a Protestant, and not ashamed to proclaim it. EVOLUTION AND FAITH. The other main topic of this volume is the relation of evolution to tho Christian faith. Here, again, tho Bishop is very uncompromising in his language, but he may reasonably think that the time has come to speak plainly. Every new discovery passes through three stages. At first it is declared to be absurd; then to be contrary to Christianity; thirdly, wo are told that everyone knew it before. The Archbishop in his letter to Dr Barnes indicated that the doctrine of evolution has .reached this last and final stage—for theologians never show gratitude, or own that they wore wrong. _ This attitude justifies tho Bishop in trying to popularise a new orientation of belief, which the custodians of orthodoxy no longer dare to _ condemn as heretical. It "is something that we shall no longer hear tho taunt that no bishop dares to say quite plainly what all educated men know to he true. PURPOSE IN NATURE. It may fairly bo said that since special creation and natural selection are only two alternative methods of bringing into being the living world which we know, there is no loss to religion in accepting tho latter rather than tho former as tho plan which the Creator actually chose. But there is an apparent want of purposiveness in Nature’s methods, so that many, though not Darwin himself, have thought that theology is incompatible with Darwinism. Tho Bishop seems to have felt this objection, and (e.g., on page 7 of his book) ho has taken what seems to mo a rather dangerous line in emphasising tho upward movement of the evolutionary process as an argument for theism. WHAT IS PROGRESS?

What wo call progress is mainly greater complexity of organisation; that the more complex is necessarily the “higher” is not so obvious to us as it seems to have been to Herbert Spencer. And this kind of “progress,” so far as we know, is at present confined to one species on a single planet, during what may be a brief episode in the Jo‘ng_ life of that one species. To erect this isolated phenomenon into a law of the universe seems to me a very rash proceeding. We may hope, if we will, that the human race may in the future reach heights undreamed of; it is quite possible,. though not certain. But, to be quite frank, there is no evidence whatever that there is “one faroff divine event to which the whole creation moves.” The Christian hope, however we may interpret it, is supranmndane. No vision of a good time coming can take the place of the blessed hope of everlasting life. This the Bishop fully acknowledges at the end of the same paragraph. A FAIR STATEMENT. The Bishop’s book is a perfectly fair presentation of the teaching which has raised so much disturbance. A more diplomatic and conciliatory tone would have saved him a great deal of trouble: but at least this volume has exposed the injustice of the violent and unscrupulous invectives which have been

launched upon him, and we may hop© that some of the prominent men who have added to his difficulties will feel that their action was not quit© fair nr generous.—' Church of England Newspaper.’ "So our engagement is at an end,” said the man. “It is,” replied the girl.. "I suppose, you will return the engagement ring?” " Certainly j if yon wish it. Call round some evening and pick it out.” She: "Will you be able to come to my party?” He: “Yes, indeed, but I’m wondering if I’ll be able to leave.” Head Waiter: “The manager wants you to play a couplo of sea songs.” ’Conductor: "What for?” Head Waiter: “ Well, nobody’s ordering fish, and ha wants to remind ’em of it.‘t