MODERNIST VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 108, 9 May 1930, Page 7

MODERNIST VIEWS

LACK OF AUTHORITY

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

In addressing parishioners at the annual meeting on Tuesday evening, the vicar of Island Bay (Eev. G. 0. Blathivayt) said that he had been questioned by two or three parishioners in respect to some cabled statements made by a bishop in England concerning the resurrection of Christ.

"People arc often perplexed and sometimes grieved at statements that from time to time appeared in the newspapers —quotations from addresses, articles, or books of leading churchmen in Englandstatements which seemed to contravene, or deny, accepted doctrines of the church," he said. "Two things it is important- to remember: First, it has to be remembered that it is the mission of the public Press to • interest its public, and nothing so much interests the public as that which is new, novel, or sensational. Any statements of this nature, therefore, are readily seized upon by the Press Association at Home and cabled broadcast throughout the world, whereas the vast number of theologians who uphold the universally accepted doctrines are hardly ever quoted. And yet these men arc no less distinguished, no less learned, and write or speak no less ably and persuasively—and they form the great majority of theological exponents. It is the modernist school that attracts attention, just because it is modern, and unusual. . The extracts cabled are necessarily brief, and, divorced from their contest, very often convey an inadequate, not to say false, impression of the speaker's or -writer's ideas. On reading the whole speech, article, or book from- which such quotations have been made one finds the meaning very much qualified and modified. A CORPORATE CHURCH. "Secondly, it must bo remembered that no church dignitary, however eminent— not even the Primate of AU Englandcan authoritatively speak on behalf of the church—not even for our own branch of it. The church is not individualistic, .but corporate; its authority corporate vesting in no single individual or group of individuals. Not even any great branch of the Church Catholic, such as our own, can originate for the acceptance of the whole body of believers any new doctrine, nor vary in any vital way historic truth. No corporate body expresses its mind through' any single individual apart from its own authority. Still less the church. The church is a Divine society founded by Christ to be the medium of revealed truth. That society was promised, and at Pentecost was given the Holy Spirit to be its Guide into all truth. That spirit expresses His mind—not through, any individual person, however able, but through duly appointed representatives assembled in council. The whole society, and not any individual, a group of men, is the guardian of the church doctrine. In the whole body not in any one person rests its truth. . ■ "The great fundamental doctrines ot the church have been authorised and handed down embalmed in the creeds of the church. And attacked in all ages they have withstood and shall withstand any attack. New ' ideas of individual churchmen only serve in the end to elucidate and make clearer their truth and permanency. All the vital doctrines of the church were' decided by unanimous consent of the whole body of believers expressed through its great councils before the church was divided. To general councils of unanimous consent, and. therefore truly catholic, and as expressing the Voice of the Holy Spirit—the church s Guide unto all truth—the Anglican Church recognises the first four as of prim : ary authority—viz., Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.B. 381), Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431), and of Chalceda (A.D. 451). BASIS OF DOCTRINES. "It is upon the authority of these four councils our church bases its doctrines,, arid its own authority in respects/to .the Faith once delivered to the saints.' She refuses to take away: from the Faith anything accepted by these councils. She -will refuse to add thereto any unauthorised by them —or at any rate until such truly universally representative councils can again be held. Great as is our church, she does not arrogate to herself any authority which can only rest in the whole body catholic. . "But no future council representative ot Christendom could, or would, alter any doptrine already determined and universally accepted througli^'the ages by the church. "But it is to the advantage of the church that men should search for truth and give their views of what they think is true. It is all to the good, therefore, that the newspapers should startle us from time to time with new, and unusual, and even heretical views. Criticism is the life of truth, causing it to develop and to shine ever more and moro clearly unto the Perfect Day when truth shall for every member of the church be perfect. Meantime, let not' the irresponsible views of individual theologians disturb our faith, for, as St. Paul says: 'There must be heretics among you, that they which'are approved may be made manifest among you.' "