The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20
The DeXil.

WceurpoSc mat Dellet III tne personality
OF the devil cannot now be regarded ms m
essential point in the faith Of Anglo-Epis-
copalian orthodoxy.
One JENKINS, IA layman of Bristol, Eng
land. within the pale Of the Episcopal
Church became convinced that the Scrip
tn Is did not mean TO represent SATAN as
the actual personal monarch of the infer
nal regions, or rs an individual being, who,
after originating sin and evil, waged war
in heaven against the Almighty, and then
entered the Garden Of Eden in the form Of
n serpent TO tempt Eve to tempt ADAM to
eat the forbidden fruit of the tree OF
knowledge. In the mind OF this investi-
gator, the devil of the Scriptures repre-
scented an abstract impersonal power, the
evil principle Of the universe.
The notion was not ut all a novel one;
but, on the contrary. his been held by not
few theological doctors and Biblical crit
les III all ages Of the Church. Mr.. JENKINS
got up an edition of the Bible which diff
fered from the authorized version In sew
eral particulars, but more especially IN re
gard 10 those passages which refer to the
devil and hell. He made the devil appear
in il according to the notions he had
formed in the course of his critical studies
This raised "A great hubbub in the Church
and in the press, and many OF the Bristol
people thought that JENKINS himself was
possessed Of the devil, or was special ennis
sary OF the great temptcr and deceiver
OF the human race, who would be very
willing TO have his own personality denied,
II thereby he might more easily clutch the
souls OF which he is constantly in pursuit.
Finally, the parson OF his parish, the Rev
Mr. Cook. denounced the heresy from the
pulpit III severe terms, and warned his
heteTodoX parishloneT of the consequences
of his apostasy.
But Mr.. JENKINS, instead OF reuounc ng
his heretical notions about the devil, re-
affirmed them, publicly criticised the SER
mon which his clergyman had delivered
| against him, and claimed that he could not
be excluded from the church or its privi-
leges on account Of his views. Upon this
| the Rev. Mr.. Cook determined TO try
| conclusions with him, and not only de-
| nounced him ms an "evil liver but de-
| barred him from the sacraments OF the
church. Further argument from Mr..
JENKINS on the question could be OF no
avail In reiustating MIN in his ecclesiastical
rights as parishioner, and so he carried
| his grievances to the Court Of Arches,
| which IL chiefly n court Of appeal from
| inferior Jurisdictions within the province
| of Canterbury. In due time the Court OF
Arches rendered its decision, which sus-
tanned the clergyman against his recalci-
tTant parishioner, who was thus once more
debarred from the sacrnments by reason
of his views of the devil.
But Mr.. JENKINS had not yet exhausted
his resources; for the statute of 1882 ena-
bled him to take an appeal from the
ancient Court of Arches TO the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council. There
he carried his case, on appeal, some tim,
ago, and 1t was the decision of this body
which reached us by cable on Thursday
Mr.. JENKINS has triumphed. The Judicial
Committee has not, Of course, upheld hi!
ideas of the devil, but IL has decided thai
those ideas do not deprive him of his mem
! bershipiG the Established Church, or Of tn,
/ e,-lnymcnt Of his church privileges. Til,
| Nv Mr. ,~ooR was condemned to pay al
the costs incurred IN ,''@ S"I'' anu was uu
monished not TO persist in his II. NN' 10
administer the sacraments to Mr.. JENKINS,
though JENKINS had altered the authorized
version of the Scriptures, and transformed
INTO Il mere evil abstraction the ancien
personality of the devil.
The decision is a surprising one, full o
| significance, and will be MS much wei
coined by the party which desires thu
liberalization " of the church rs 1t mus
be dsrelished by the party which seeks t.
uphold the standards and rigorous de
mands of orthodoxy. 1t is more thar
likely that we shall soon see that the enc
of the dispute has not yet been reached
and if the clergyman refuses to conform
to the admonition of the Judicial Commit
tee Of the Privy Council in regard to tn
administration OF the sacraments to Mr.
JENKINS, there may be further proceed
ings which will carry the matter into Par
lament.
Within recent years the Establishe
Church of England has gone far in toleI
ating divcrsities of belief among its clerg
and members, respecting the creed and tn
dogmas upon which it is founded. We be
hold in II such Evangelical or Low Church
men as Archbishop TAFT, such Broa
Churchmen as Dean STANLEY, and sucl
High Ritualists rs the Rev. Mr.. MAcKoNC
CHE; and though the Rev. Mr.. VoYsE
had to go outside of 1t when he adopte
Deistical views. there are yet many Of i