RIVAL DOCTRINES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 22 October 1927, Page 5

RIVAL DOCTRINES

DIVISION AMONG CLERGY.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION. h DR. BARNES’S SERMON. nV CABLE 1-M.M as-MJoIAIIU.V iu«iuum LONDON, Oct. 20. The Anglican Church is threatened with a crisis ot" some magnitude iollowing a. pro tes t against Bishop Barnes and his open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to which the latter is at present preparing his reply. There is a distinct division in the ranks of the clergy, though the Rev. Bullock Webster is finding support. A suggestion that Bishop Barnes be tried for herestv lias been made by the Rev. Mr. Douglas, proctor of the convocation of the Canterbury diocese. The Bishop of Southwark (Dr. C. F. Garbett) said either Bishop Barnes is tried for heresy has been made bv definitely cleared by a statement of the ease' by a competent tribunal. Canon Rogers, Rector of Birmingham Parish Church, in a vigorous defence of Bishop Barnes, said Dr. Barnes was like the captain of a ship clearing his decks for action. He was throwing overboard what he belieied to he cumbersome and worthless. “He does not want to .scuttle the ship, but to fight, and that is why he is throwing the furniture overboard.” The Prebendary of St. Paul’s, the Rev. Mr. Russell, says: “I do not know about a heresy trial, as ecclesiastical law is in such a state of confusion. I wish Bishop Barnes would resign. He should never have been there holding such views.” Moderate church opinion is more or less cry.stalised in a- statement by Bishop Well don that the “church must accept established doctrines of science, including the Darwinian theory of evolution. It is also true that certain doctrines of the Eucharist are opposed to th p spirituality of true religion, hut the Bishop of Birmingham is at fault in manner rather than matter. I sympathise with the bishop in his openmindedness. hut I wish he could Tonlic-e more the mystery- which underlies spiritual truth.” The Rev. Bullock Webster says he does not intend to reply to Bishon Barnes’s open letter. He does not wish to “drive Dr. Barnes to Tennessee He has got .himself there alren dv. ’ ’

Th-o Rev. Air. Russell, one of Dean Tnge’s own clergv. sympathises with AT-. Webster, and says: “Many of us felt it was an insult to invite Bishop Barnes to preach in St. Paul’s.” Air Russell expressed the opinion that Bhhop Barnes miorht resiern. as n man holding sneh views should never he a hishop.