MODERNISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 143, 11 March 1908, Page 7

MODERNISM.

THE GREATER EXCOMMUNICATION. -: 1 ' " 'i&PE'S SENTENCE, nv telegram—mess association—corrniGHj : Rome, March 9. At the express command of tho Popo, th« Congregation of tho Index bas sentenced the Abbo Loisy, who i\'as prominently identified njvitli the, movement jntho church, .j '> t to the-groater-cxcommunication/';;

M, LOISY ON THE FOURTH GOSPEL, ' TWO RIVAL THEORIES. ; -The. Popo is. certa*iiUy takjng a. very strong" 6tand.-■ against Modernism .in -' the; ■ Homan Catholic Church. A few months ago the iicws ,namo "thatj. father "Tyryelhyone of. the most:. v.EnglistL;'. /cKpl'nTs'iof : the .Liberal ■ school, had .been placed under lesser excommunication; and sentence of greater excomjnu--.nipaiion,. has. been issued, in the case'of ;tha Afcbe LoisjV ivho'has a world-wide reputation as a',.New TJestamept critic.'.. A year. ago a bSpk the Gospel of St. John created'."a great 'stir. It was receiyed- 'i?ith| ; .marked disapproval by the authorities of 'the - Roman Catholic Chrirch, . and the' Pope, has, jio^-taken,;furtheri measures to. let„the world . knew; that .of this distinguished-. French scholar are not to be accepted by tha faithful. •- ..'HISTORY OR SPIRITUAL ROMANCE. In. ' a .'recent'-' article I >on'..'"The' : Historical - Character of tho, Fourth Gospel," Dr." Lock, U>o Ireland Jrofcßspr of Exegesis at Oxford, states' tl}rit : infcluded , ! i in the general scope of. the belief ,that' the Gospel ; gives us a ;true . portrait of Christ, there is room for many varieties :of 'opinion on the question of its literary! character, and theso varieties group themselves mainly under two; heads'. Either . ',(a) 'the-book'is a; recprd "of y jncidchts, ro3ting:.oA: the, ovidence, at.-any rate;in part, of :tho. ApoEt!e: St. John, or |b) the book is a , spiritual.' romanco,' illustrating ;,the: great lines of Christian teaching; as' it' had .evolved itselfin'tho course'"of; the;'fi,rst century;inhibiting . "tho - Christ : of-. Experience' rather' than tho • Christ- of<rHi«tory.(f.." ■ to the .first . theorv, " the -book is-. essentially 'n- hifitory, a. record- of events, tliat happened. 'This does, 'riot "mean' that'it ■is a' 'complete; biography, or evon a 1 complete account of. tha-Ministry; but •that 'it -is' a collection tot- scenes* phoSen by i tho writer-, with:-a very deliberate, aim of a? spiritual nature, recalled after many years, commented 'upon! in ' th'o; light,, of: the experienco of tho writer: and: of two -generations of' 'Christians,' yet" .alwjiys i restingi on seal incidents,' on ovcntsi which are guaranteed by eyewitnesses. -LQjgy.g OPINIONS.' '' . theory Is,that, hold by M. Loisy, ..by'-such^a l spiritual "writer ns.Di. Abbott, and b^'many Rationalist critics;' Ori ; this' theory, ,'asJi. outlined by Dr." Lock, tho Gospel. of, St. John is a. Spiritual romance, tho work of. » >s seer, °f a ,poct;-of.' some'';. yy'ritor—-possibly John, isomo' later; writer of : the end of : tho'first century, Jewish • by,.;birth,-, but in contact with Greek thought, acquainted < perhaps," with' .'the teaching 'of V Philo r -and. of * Eplctetus— who, partly, with, the ; help .01. tho Synoptists,- ; partly having ,-access ' to.. some< St;' John, has writtcrt'ft:6tory;. t'o'^illustrate-' the ; results' -'of Christ,s. teaching,, • ; as it hod/'w6rlt«yl' out of , tho Church -with'' 'Judaieini.ahd ' its ': contact wjtn , . : •thp .Qeiitile<\wor]d;.; and,: ; whp,;/ where ■ his materials ?;vrcM - inadequate,!, Has -invented incidents, to 'illustrate thfcse 'truths. we are told Christ foffthe> Ifourth Gosrfel is.-not-" tliri.tCicis't jf;i.ni6tory;;>' j tat' ■.'the. Christ lof Christian Experience (Uurtitt; such a writer "might conceivably '.throw somo of' - his ideas ', into the form ■> of ah 'allegory,' ! and . represent ass spoken .by, Christ ou earth, what in reality His spirit. %ad been 6aying to; the world sinco He- was hidden from tho eyes 'of men" / (Drummond). Tho .'Gospel is "a history ; interpreted, througli, i spiritual insight or - poetic yision' (Abbott),a book that mingles words of the Lord With words of tho evangelist,:.facts and...yisionß,, histories and; prophecies, metaphors that may :W, misunderstood, and poems'• that "niav. 'b® ;.takeh' as literal : prose;" may. .apply .-.to •■it'.two (descriptions-,applied by: their 'authors ;to other; tliings f• it; is. :"<t "fancy • P.ictuto, cast mi to - an historical" form" :l< (Bprkitt); it ia "'morally truthful, ;but ihistoncally untrue s :('Abbott). On this theory tho_ water was'never turned .'into' wine; \but"-the - incident : was ;in> vented' to'. symbolise Christ's power"' -to. turn 'Judaism-;into/sometbinß.-richer and;better;the (interview iwithi,.the. -Samaritan: never ttbok'p]ac^, ! teach!ing.; thei.spiritualising' etr'. true: worship,, anditKo"*..universality,Xof. 'Christ's:, salvation,''- lndh; 'ding Samaritans "as ' Vell' as ' Jews; women ;aa I well ts men; the Five "Thousand never vpwi !fod,. but thSs.nUuStrKtei;-: Christ's power 'td'satisfy the spiritual -.needs "of • masses.; •'! Ana in all this,' there was on this.. theory viio ill-. tcntion to deceive; theso stories Sy-erp/on the ffiame; levol as Nathan's story'of the owe-lamb,' io'f. lika tha'symbolicactions with,:which.Jewishi. Iprophpts*,wero wont tp 'illustrate'their ing. .-Dr; -Lock-*a"cecpts *tho. ; view that: tl)8 jGosppl.^is;,histopipil. v -, v -

- WHAT. EXCOMMUNICATION MEANS. ' : ■ Excommunication, as practised ,in tho . CatKolio and- related churches,may ;b<j:.. i either"'partial.,- or"-' total, . tfemrfbrary or; per■petual. : Bj'.- the ; partial, l (sailed- tho 1 minor-iir. i lesser ' excommunications, • tho a offender, is suspended from th,o use and pep. ihaps from tho .privilege*- of cliurch; worship; ,v iby;;th<5totaliifor .thc/major.'ot'.grentor,qxcohv;; also' cut -off from' the! wjsijtj;.!. ,and fellowship of tho clmrcli,,' «nd. it may .hoi ;from, all intercourse with, its mcmhers. . Frouda" liii-'his "History 1 ; of England," "says 'munication -seems but a light-thing'-when' there .are many communions. It, was no; light'tiling when.-it'."was 'equivnleht' to' outlawry!,-; I when the person excommunicated might bo I seized and imprisoned ,at the will' of tho. ; | ordinary j when Jio ; was. cut oil from' all Holy [offices; when no -'ono micht ■ speak to him, trade with him, or show hnn tho most trivial 'courtesy; and when his friends, if tlicy dared ;to assist him, were subject to tho sama ■ 1 penalties" ;-l , * i. • <, J . t v--.'