CHURCH DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 12, 16 January 1933, Page 9

CHURCH DISPUTE

Move to oust professor

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 29th December. Intense.interest has.been aroused in church circles-in Sydney by the move just initiated to force Professor Angus to resign, from his professorship, at St. Andrew's College; University of. Sydney. Action has been taken on the ground "that his teachings and utterances are not in harmony with the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church. At the last meeting of the Presbytery of Sydney the Eev. J. G. Fulton gave notice of a motion in the following terms: "That .the. teachings and utterances of the Eev. Professor Angus are not in harmony with the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church as regards (a) The doctrine "of the Trinity; (b).the inspirations and authority of Holy Scripture; (c) the traditional teachings and beliefs of the Church Catholic; and that the general assembly, as employing Professor, be asked in the" proper and legal way: tp notify Professor.1 Angusthat he.is not satisfactorily discharging the work he should do as a Professor of our Church, and that he be asked to resign his ■ chair at the earliest possible moment."

Mr. Fulton said that his motion was based on reports of addresses given by Professor Angus in various parts of New South. Wales and "Victoria, and on the.report of an address given by the Professor to the Methodist Ministers.' Association.. Mr. Fulton said that the Eev. J...H, MacGowan, a former Moderator, was prepared to move a somewhat similar motion, .and had attempted to give notice of his motion at the December meeting of the Presbytery, but the letter containing his notice was not opened in time.

A newspaper report of an address given by Professor Angus at Lithgow stated that he condemned Christianity in its present form, because, he said, it differed greatly from the original teachings of Christ. Jesus founded no church. According to the report, Professor Angus said that Christ and His Apostles believed the world was about to come to an end. They did not contemplate a twentieth century Australian Christianity. They thought there would be set up in the earth a heavenly kingdom. But God's ways with men Had been wiser and more patient than was foreseen by His Son. To-day Christians looked for no closing of the human story, but • expected the world to go on indefinitely, and were doing what they could for those who were to follow them. Christ's idea of God's dealings with man was very different from that of the Church. He believed there was direct intercourse between the Father and every son and daughter of humanity. Christianity thought that God would have dealings with man and woman only through a mediator. Contrary to all His teachings, the Christian Church had made Christ tlie person to act in that capacity.. To identify Christianity with church membership was rather difficult, mainly because of the arguments among the churches. There were > churches that did not recognise each other. Because of this he wanted the people to be something more than church members.. .

The controversy which" is bound to follow ■ the tabliiig of the motion, in the General Assembly is bound to be a heated one, for the Professor has supporters as well as opponents inside and outside the Presbyterian Church. Professor Angus has refused to make any comment*, and says that his statement will "come in good time. The Rev. R. J. MaeGowan said that if V Minister could not believe ,in the Divinity of Christ lie should get out .of the' Church, and another Presbyterian, -the Eev. lErnest Cameron, said that all messages of: goodwill^ at Christmas time would fall to the ground if full belief was not. given to the Divinity of Christ. The Eev. A: E. Ebbs (Church of England) and several other ministers, declared that the, whole story of 'the Incarnation of Christ had to be accepted without any reservations whatever.

Full support for the opinions of Professor Angus were given by two Presbyterian clergy, the Key. George Cowie and the Rev. N. C. Goss. Mr! Cowie said he thought the Professor was doing the right thing. "The Church had to give the man freedom to think and present his ideas to the world. Mr. Goss said that the critics of Professor Angus said he did.not believe in the Divinity of Jesus. Actually he did, but his conception of Divinity was far broader and deeper than theirs. If the attack succeeded it would be a victory for • medievalism over progressive thought.