THE MODERNIST

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 10, 11 May 1929, Page 7

THE MODERNIST

CANJfOT BE EXCLUDED EltOM CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Speaking at Holy Trinity Church last night Bishop Cherrington sa'd the Church of England opened 'ts arms to those men, thought by some to he mistaken and dangerous persons, who believed that nothing should stop the pursuit of truth. That pursuit might lead them God knows where, hut they had to follow wherever it might lead. Not yet could the modernist be excluded from the Church of England. The modernist .might put the truth before us in clothes to which we are not accustomed. He might appear to be playing with the mysteries of the Cross. Time alone could provide the proof. There was a lesson in this connection from the Bishop of Gloucester, Avho refused to excluse Dr. Major from the Church Congress on the ground of heresy. Those who read what the Bishop said would be convinced that wisdom had not departed from the Church of England. There were those who feared the damage that science might do to the Word of God. There were those who feared that the search for truth might destroy the Bible. There was no reason to fear. Criticism of the Old Testament would only show up its beauty. Only a humble follr.-w----ing by the less instructed of those who had devoted their lives to the study of every verse and word of the sacred Scriptures could '•ealibe what a valuable book the Old Testament was. They of the Cfiurcn f of England knew enough io be unafraid of criticism of the Word of, God, because such criticism wo aid only result in showing the Word of God to advantage.