Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-02
DEAN FARRAR ON REFORM.

Rev Farrar. dean Of Canterbury, who
Is looked upon as one OF the most In
tellectual churchmen in England, re-
Gently startled the religious word by
stating In public that the Church OF
England must institute essential re-
forms, II 1t desires TO retain the masses
OF the people within its folds. He said
that ceremonials. rituals and theolosi-
cal subtleties must be abandoned, and a
living spirit infused into the forms OF
the state. religion The working people,
he declared, are drifting away from the
church THE prayer book no longer
attracts the people. The poor OF the
cities complain that the services are
tiresome and too long. The saloon and
the gambling den are more valued than
the sanctuary" II this state OF things
Is TO be changed. the church, in Dean
Farrar's opinion, must rouse Itself to
action, and quickly. Ministers must
look TO their enthusiasm and their Of
fee as reformers,
The facts, as stated, cannot be sue
cessfuny contradicted They are com
mon everywhere In Christendom. and
perhaps more so in the Protestant than
the Catholic world. But 1t may be doubt
edthatrefovms.n matter how essential.
will suffice. In the language of holy
writ. no man can successfully mend an
old garment with new patches,
The trouble is that people have had
the very foundations Of all religious
faith shaken They were driven from
their belief in the authority Of popes
and councils, to take a stand on the
infallIbility OF the Bible. And for a
time. the change Of position
seemed to be rather beneii-
cial, in 40 far as II stimulated IN
iiyidual thought and awakened indiyid-
ual responsibility. But today the most
tremendous efforts are being made
to show that the Bible too is mostly
myth: that its inspired writer's were
mistaken, and that the human element
In II Is preponderating. What IL there
left to rest faith upon, when God is
argued out Of human history, and d.
vine inspiration pronounced an Illusion?
With no God manifested, no revelation,
no divine authority. no authentic record
OF revelations, how can there be true
religion? No wonder, II Christ fades
out OF view among the heroes OF the
past. that Mammon is enthroned in His
stead The god OF Mammon remains
a terrible reality Higher criticism
has not endeavored to reduce him TO a
myth.
I, does not better the condition TO
say that modern criticism aims at up
lifting mankind from the contem-
plation OF The teachings OF prophets
and apostles 10 the admiration OF the
ideal Christ For the Master Himself
has condemned that proceeding by the
'NfEAAtAAAN wv ifNA NINANAl AANA nv WIZ Mt-
spises His messengers desplses Him.
There Is no escape from this.
There Is but one remedy for the con-
dltions about which Dean Farrar COM
plains. This is for the world to accept
the Gospel OF Jesus Christ as again
given to it through the instruments
which lie selected 10 be His messen-
gers in this age and generation 1t
should be self.ovident that no one can.
from mere human level. raise the
world from its fallen condition, no mat
ter how much enthusiasm is put into
the effort or how much money is spent
on g. II Is Gods work to be done in
His way, and in accordance with His
instructions But this presuppcsas al.
vine revelations diylnely organized
Church. That and not reform. IL what
the condition Of the religious world calls
for.