THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13614, 24 December 1909, Page 13

THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

WHAT THE CHURCHES ARE DOING.

NEWS AND NOTES FOR PULPIT AND PEW.

ANGLICANS AND THE ATIIANASIAN CREED. LAMBLTII COMMITTEE'S NEW TRANSLATION. The bishops attending tne Lambeth Conference of WK'S passed the following resolution m-.pectiiv_; tho "Quicuuque Vult" :—"(_*.).> Without in any sense precluding the further consideration by the several churches of our communion of tho mode of dt«lin_. with the 'Quiounciue Vult,' it is desirable that a new translation be made, based upon the best Latin text; and the Archbishop of Canterbury is requested to take such steps as aro necessary for providing such a translation."

In accordance with this resolution, the Archbishop of Canterbury invited certain leading scholars and theologians to revise the existing l_ngli_h version as it appears in the Book of Common Prayer. Seven eminent scholars and theologians accepted the Archbishop's invitation, namely:—- The Bishop of Salisbury (Dr. Wordsworth), Chairman; tlie Dean of Ely (Dr. Kirkpatrick); the Roy. tho Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge (Dr. Mason), Vice-Chancel-lor of tlie University; the Rev. the Warden of Keble College, Oxford (Dr. Lock); tlie Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge (Dr. Swete); tho Regius Profess/or of .Ecclesiastical History, Oxford (Canon Watson); C. H. Turner, Esq., Magdulen College, Oxford. The following is th© text of the new translation:— TEXT OF NEW TRANSLATION. 1. WHOSOEVER would be saved (or desircth to be saved): before all things it is needful that he hold fast the Catholic Faith. _. Which Faith except a man havo kept whole and undehled (or uncorrupted): without doubt ho ■will perish eternally. 3. NOW tho Catholic Faith is this: that wo worship the ono God as a Trinity, and the Trinity as an Unity. 4. Neither confusing the Person.: nor dividing the Substance. 5. For thoro is a Person of the Father, another of the iSon: another of the Holy Ghost; G. But the Godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost is one: their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.

7. Such as the Father is, such is tho Son: and such is the Holy Ghost; 8. Tlie Father uncreated, the Son uncreated: the Holy Ghost uncreated.

9. The Father infinite, the Son infinite : the Holy Ghost infinite; 10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal : the Holy Ghost eternal; 11. And yet they are not three eternals: hut one eternal ; 12; As also they are not three uncreated, nor -three infinites: but one infinite, and one uncreated. 13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty; the Holy Ghost almighty; 14. And yet they are not three rilmicrhties: but one almighty. 10. So the Father ii God, the Son God, the Holy Ghost-God; IG. And yet tliey are not three Gods, but ono God. 17. So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord : the Holy Ghost Lord; , 18. And yet they aro not three Lords: but one Lord. 19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity (or by Christian truth): to confess each" of the Persons by himself (or severally) to be both God and Lord; 20. So are wo forbidden by \,h_ Catholic religion: to speak of three Gods or three Lords. 21. The Father is of none: not made, nor created, nor begotten. 22. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but beorottcn. ' 23. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son: not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. 24. There is therefore one Father, not three Fathers: one Son, not three Sons; ono Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. 25. And in this Trinity none is before or after: none is greater or less; 2G. But all three Persons are coeternal one with another: and co-equal. 27. So that in all ways, as is aforesaid: both the Trinity is to be worshipped as an Unity, and tho Unity as a Trinity. 28. Let him therefore that would bo saved (or de.sireth to be saved): think thus of the Trinity (or concerning tho Trinity). 29. FURTHERMORE it is necessary to eternal salvation: that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 30. The right Faith therefore is that wj believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at once both God and Man; 31. He is God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds (or before all time): and He is Man, ol the Substance of his Mother, born in the world (or in time); 32. Perfect God: perfect Man, of reasoning (or rational) soul and human flesh consisting; 33. Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead; less than the Father a» touching his Manhood. - 31. Who, although he be God and Man: yet he is no. two, but is one Christ f ' ' __. One however, not by change of Godhead into fiesh: hut by taking of manhood into God; '_ 3G. One altogether; not by confusion (or One: not by any confusion) of substance, but by unity of person. 37. For as reasoning (or rational) soul and flesh is one man: so God and man is one Christ; 33. Who -suffered for our salvation: descended to the world below (or into Hades), rose again from tho dead: 3') Vsccnded into heaven, sat down at the" ripht hand of the Father: to come from thence to judge tho quick and the dead. ... , „ 40 At who*e coming all men shall rise (or must rise again) with their bodies; and shall give account for their own deeds. 41 And they that have done good will "o into life eternal: that they have done evil into eternal fire 4-' THIS is the Catholic Faith: which except a man have faithfully and steadfastly believed, he cannot be saved.

THE"GUARDIANS COMMENT. The ,: Guardian," from which-we reprint the above, comments.-upon the new translation as.follows: "It is neither m t>et nor P° ssiD ' e to <?^P rt ~ n the comr>ass of v. paragraph a definite and detailed opinion upon such an effort; hut, speaking broadly and with all resp-ct for the learned and brilliant Churchmen and scholars who have given themselves to this difficult and delicate task we may say that it seems to offer little it al reiief to those who think that the 'Quicumque Vult' at present occupies the wrong place in tho Prayer Book. Here end there we find a felicitous phrase, or a shade of meaning more exactly rendered, but the critical cmcn r dations of scholars, valuable and interesting " s tne y nre - d° not touch the real difficnlt-v—a difficulty which can only be removed by the cessation of the present method of using the Creed."

A THEOLOGICAL PROFESSOR.

THE REV. JOHN DICKIE, -M.A. A DISTINGUISHED CAREER. (FROM OCR OWN correspondent.) LONDON, November 1-. The Rev. John Dickie, M.A, who has been appointed _'roie__or ot C-yste-mauc Theoiuuy, Apologetics, and New Testament Language and lr.xo_.e-su> at Knox College, Dunedin, expects to leave for the Dominion with Lis who not later tmin the beginning ot April. Air Dickie, who is only tlnriy-10111 years 01 agt. is one ot the most. Uistniguuslied ot tho voungor scholars 111 the Umrcli. of Scotland. De entered Aberdeen Lmversitv m October, 18D1, »<> -V-.uiki Arts BursaV. He was a Prizeman in nearly all tlie classes and graduated 111 April, 1.i).., with honours m ohu'_ic_ and the JenUvns University Prize in Classical FhiIolo"v. In October, 1897, he became it student of divinity nt Edinburgh Uni-crsitv, gaining an Ettlcs R» r « r . v of £100. He was a Prizeman in all the elates (twice medallist in Hebrew), and Ihe earned in 185)0 tho Hepburn Prize ' of £_o for «m essay on Christian '1 heism and the JefTroy Scholarship of f.Oin divinity. During the summer of IbiU he studied at tho University of Jena. The following year he again gained the Jeffrey Scholarship of £70 in Church History—the first student to be twice Jeffrey Scholar. Licensed by the Presbvtcrv of Edinburgh in May. 1000, Dickie acted os assistant minister at Fraserburgh, Burntisland, and North Lcith. He was ordained on July 4th, 1006, and became colleague and afterwards successor to the Rev. William Skinner, Tarland, and Migiri, a beautiful Decsido parish. In 1003 he entered the open competition for the Chair of Divinity at Aberdeen University, and took the third place, tho second being taken by tho Rev. Dr. Reid, who in a few weeks was elected to the Glasgow Chair. Mr Dickie became a candidate for the Glasgow Chair at .the suggestion of Emeritus Professor Flint, D.D., LL.D. An assistantship having been instituted in Divinity at the University of Edinburgh in 190-5, Mr DicKie was invited by Dr. Flint's successor, Professor W. P. Paterson, D.D., to occupy that position, and he accepted it, with the cordial consent of tne Minister and Kirk Session of North L-ith, acting also as Assistant-Minister in North Leith. Ho lectured two hours a week on the History of Apologetics, and the religion, of tho Old Testament, and delivered also certain unofficial lectures on modern German theologians. In the spring of 1908 he gained a second prize of £50 for an essay on Gillespie's Argument a priori. This essay was largely _a review of the state of Theis- ' tic and Antitheistic thought in Great Britain, in tho first third of last century. There were seventy-one competitors, thirteen being classed as excellent. In their official report the examiners add that they "desir© to express tho opinion that the response evoked by the Monyman Gillespie comr petition has been remarkable in quality, and that it has manifestly engaged the irterest and stimulated the intellectual activity of a large body of gifted apd learned men. ' In the summer of 1908, Mr Dickie was a candidate for the Chair of Ecclesiastical History in Edinburgh University, and submitted testimonials from a number of distinguished theologians. Ho has contribiited signed reviews in various departments of Theology to tho "Review of Theology and Philosophy" since its commencement in 1905, including "A Survey 01 Recent Works on the History of Christian Doctrine." Be also wrote a series of panors on "Modern Positive Theology"" for tho "Expository Times," and he has reviewed Theology and Church-history for the daily papers. Since 1907 Mr Dickio has been engaged ou a translation of the Dogmatik or Professor Theodor' yon Haering, to be published by Messrs Hodder and Stoughton. Tho new Professor was married in 1006. *

JOTTINGS.

At the Ashbnrton Bib! 1 © Class Summer Conference (December 28th-Janu-ory 3rd) three meetings for Sundnyschcol teachers and euperintendents have been arranged. These will be held, on Thursday, Friday, and Monday mornings at 11.15. Tha subjeota to be discussed aro Blackboard Work, Sand Tray Work, and liecision Day. The -_._akers will be the Revs. J. Mackenzie, W. T. Todd, and G. H. Jupp. The annual report of "the Australian Cathoac Truth Society ' for 1908-9, shows that, notwithstanding that the society has had to oontond with its full share of the initial difficulties incidental to new movements, an astonishing amount of work has been accomplished during the live years that have elapsed since the organisation was called into existence (remarks the "New Zealand Tablet"). "Notwithstanding apathy, monetary and other difficulties," cays the report, "five hundred and ninety-two thousand pamphlets have been issued' and circulated throughout Australasia. In addition, two thousand copies of tlie 'Lectures and Replies'—a volume of 795 pages — by liis Grace the Archbishop of -Melbourne, and thirty-six thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven copies of the society's Prayer Hook have been published, and as each cf these publications has been read, net by one, but by many persons, it must be admitted that tho Australian Catholic Truth Society has not worded in vain." Unfortunately, the report discloses the fact that the necessity for practical support of the society lias been very inadequately realised. A summary table included in the report shows that for the year 1909 the society had only three hundred and ninety-eight annual subscribers, of five shillings each, rpread over Australia, New Zealand, and wme of tho adjacent islands.

A Family Altar League has been formed in the Vnited States. All that is necessary to join is to subscribe ils pledge, and to enroll at the headquarters, Chicago. The pledge is:—

"Believing myself to be largely »e----spnnsiWe for the eternal salvation and reli-ious training of my children, and realising the need of fiod's grace .'.>r mv own Christian life. I covenant with God to make it the rule of my life to gather together, each, day so fur as possible, the members ©f my family, and together read some portion of Hi« Word and pray for His blessing upon my home.—Husband . . . Wife .

. . ." A wall-card, hearincr the words of tho covenant, is supplied to each house, and a certificate is given to the nn^tor.

The following Methodist ministers have been elected by their respeeti7o Synods to accompany the district chair, men as representatives to the Stationing Committee and Conference at Di'Ttedin:—Auckland district, the Rev. William Ready; Wart«ranui district, tbe Rev. F. T.Rftad: Wellington district, the Rev. W. J. Williams; Nel.«on district, the Rev. T. W. Xewbold; Canterbury district, the Rev. H. E. Bellbou<e; and the Otago district, the Rev. T. J. Wallis.

Writing on Novomhyr 12th. onr London corrvsrKmtlcnt s:uil:-Thp .«»«"_» meeting of tho Melnrwvuan ilissioni wm held on Friday at the Church House, Westminster, tbo : Bwhop o^ 1 pri'SMliim. Referring to. the Solomon lsamls tho chairman said the Arcii-<i.-a.on-:Hwiciiate was a nMv •PP? 1 "*; ment. ami it was necessary to T J "£? K.rao head for tho work there. There «:,., reasou to believe that tho nppc«ntnirnt of an Arcluleacon would »«* ««f ahumlunt rosponso among tho The Hislm,, ..f Melanesia told them«»t the increased spiritual hfo among of tho converts implied a feator res,»on.ihilitv on the part- ot those at Home, and it the work was to go on and flevelon iliey would want on Motional ir.«-omo of £301X1 a year for carwinii on that work. Dr. Rivers, *;"•»•» who _p.nt some time last .year with-tlie Hishop of .Melanesia on the South* >m Cross, sjwke of the work from amedical and anthnuwlopeal asp(<t. U© n«i l-.vn Mron-ly impressed, he said, by the very ur-ent nee<l of men. A RK»t .chance-had come over the SoWn Islands i„ recent year* owing to the new settlement of Europeans. Inero was a need for ™°™ civilisation i ] n the Islands. Speaking of the --<^ ,c + al _™ Mun-work. he said that the prc»* ▼ajje of this had been seen in other mis sions.