THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11252, 3 July 1922, Page 6

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

WHAT OF ITS FUTURE? Preaching in the Wellington Unitarian Church yesterday (Sunday) morning the Rev. Wyndham S. Heathcote, 8.A., referred to what he described as the tendency in the Anglican Church to abandon those beliefs and formularies which came into direct conflict with the teachings of science. After quoting Dr Hastings R-ashdall (Dean of Carlisle) as 6aying: “A critical study of the gospels makes it certain that Jesus never did claim to be God,” and that the doctrine of the Deity of Christ was due to the reflective consciousness of the Church and not to any teaching of Jesus himself,the preacher concluded his address l>y saying:— “The prevalence of such teaching in the Anglican Church at Home the fact than those who so teach dr* notwithstanding retain high preferment—makes it clear that there s quickly being accomplished in England and the world a reformation religious thought more powerful and far-reach-ing than the Reformation of the 16th century associated with the came of Luther.

“It justifies us in speculating as to the future of the Christian Church in the world. It seems to me that at some date in the future the Unitarian Church will he represented not as now by many—but by two distinctive bodies —on the one hand by the Catholic Church, always and everywhere the same, but gradually becoming less and with much loss of prestige, and on the other hand a church based on liberal principles continually receiving its adherents partly from the intellectuals of tlio Catholic Church, but mainly from the Protestant Churches which will gradually disappear. “In any case it is satisfactory to know that even if wo cannot yet get the people of Australia and New Zealand to listen to the appeal of Unitarianism and sober reason, yet in England the principles are being taught from many Anglican pulpits by the most learned clergv of the day.” Next Sunday evening Mr Heathcote’s address will take the form of an inquiry: “Is Man a Monkey?”