THE NEW THEOLOGY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13391, 21 January 1907, Page 5

THE NEW THEOLOGY.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

London, January 18. The Rev. R. .J. Campbell, of the City Temple, supported by some Nonconformist and Anglican clergy and laymen, lias forced a Mew Theology League.

SERMON BY THE REV. W. .1 ELL lE. B.A. At the Unitarian Church, I'on.-.onby Road, 1 ast evening, the Rev. \V. .lellie, 8.A., delivered an interesting sermon 011 the Rev. It. ,1. Campbell's theology, which lias been attracting much attention in London. In the course of his remarks, the preacher said that never was the outlooic over the religious world more interesting to an observant mind, and never more hopeful and cheering to the believer in progress. Not a civilised country, not. a Christian denomination, but felt the breath of a new life, the stirrings of a modern reformation. Everywhere wa> visible tin" evidence of a wave flowing fast anil far in the direction of Unitarianism. Mr. Campbell was on the crest of that wave, He had always boon one. to wrestle bravely with the difficulties and doubts n.p-t active in our time, and was frank, fearless, and outspoken. Step by step he could lately bo seen freeing himself from ho ancient creeds. At a meeting of his congregation some months ago he admitted that lie mostly took the unorthodox view of the Bible, and that, he did not believe in the historic fall of man. In September last he published the main points of an address, called "The (.'hanging Sanction's of Popular Theology"— a thundorlxflt in the Churches. "The position lie there unfolded," continued Mr. Jellie,

"was in every point, my own, and the position of Unitarianism."' For this lie was attacked from pulpit, pies'-, and platform, and in November he replied to his assailants. Unco again fie stated his position, which covered the main Unitarian doctrines—the divinity of man, tho unity of all life; the divine appointment of struggle and pain as educators of the race: ovary labourer and sufferer for humanity a saviour, and ©very sinner a possible Christ. This. Mr. Camphell ,aid, was the real gospel of Jesus, -elfevident even if it had never been inscribe in the Bible. The few received it gladly, bin ignorance on the one side and wickedness on the other were seeking to destroy it ; wickedness in the shaue of those who would rather please the unthinking most, or those who provided them with their daily bread, than speak as the prophet of truth, in the shape also of those who employed the weapons of slander and persecution' to destroy, if they could, an unpopular doctrine. But they might as well forbid the waves of the ocean to advance. Thus he had taken the step which definitely divided Unitarian ism from orthodoxy. This was certain that, whatever he called himself. Mr Campbell was now a Unitarian; and whatever his new league might call itself, its doctrines would lie nothing but Unitarianism, as they understood that term.