Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-11
ATTACK ON TIE BIBLE
Anglican World Amazed at On
s|aught of Canon Henson of
Westminster Abbey
DEMANDS A NEW CHRISTIANITY
Noted English Scientist Also Declares
That Credit Of the Scriptures is Ser
ie'usiy Shaken In the Public Mind
Hostility to Christian Tradition
The Atonement Condemned.

London, April 11.-Canon Henson, o
Westminster Abbey. in the Contempt
Iary Review, attacks the Bible, ant
especially the Old Testament, declar
ing tits Incredible, puerle or democrat
izing narratives" are "a pack OF lies
too gross for toleration.
The Anglican world is amazed at th'
question with which Canon Henson
concludes his remarkable article. III
asks
is the faith of the church in The
divine Christ. living, present and act.
i've, really built on an empty tomb
The canon's onslaught on the scrip.
lures has amazed England. Anglican as
we'll as non conformist A grea, cry
has gone up from tho established
church, and the archbishop of Canter-
bury has been overwhelmed with pun
lie and private appeals for the canon.s
punishment.
simultaneously with Canon Henson's
attack comes demand from Sir OH
yer Lodge, principal of the University
of Birmingham, and one of England
noted scientists, for "reinterpretation
of Christian doctrine" or, In other
words. revised Christianity.
/ Sir Oliver Lodge shocks the believing
/ people of England by declaring that
the doctrine of atonement in its con-
crete form is survival from barDar-
Gus times He repudiates the belief
in IAN angry God appeased by the vio-
lent death of Christ
Seldom has Englands religious feel
ling been so profoundly stirred as by
1.-The articles of these two men.
| Canon Henson declares that "inspir-
| alton" is now not allowed to certify to
the truth of any statement in the bible
which cannot be substantiated at the
bar of reason and evidence" In the
New Testament he finds little to offend
reason or conscience, but whether
much or little. it will have to go the
way of the Old Testament prodieies."
FIe recommends experimenting tn !,
reading of the bible in church With
christian compositions which have
secured the approval of general ac-
ceptance." declaring that "indiscrimi-
nate reading OF the Bible in public IS
an extremely perilous proceeding" and
adding that the rigidity which re-
stricts the modern English church to
canonical scriptures Is as intrnsically
tindefensible as 1t is practically mis-
chiavous."
Despite its misuse, however Canon
Henson holds that the bible will con-
| tinue for all time to be the best man
ual of fundamental morality and tho
best corrective OF ecclesiastical cor
ruption'' besides being .'the most eff
fectual check on the materialistic ten
denotes of modern life
In a striking analysis of the present
social condition Canon Henson attrib-
utes the spread of anarchy, the ulcer
that is eating the vitals of society"
to the disappearance over large areas
OF civilized life of the religious bases
OF morality.
Yet he finds an excuse for these non
moral multitudes," who from the Grad
lie to the grave have faced the severe
pressure of competition. the squalor of
poverty. and the miserable exigencies
OF unmerited want" and who "inevit-
ably compare their condition with the
ostentation of unearned wealth, the
profusion of unchecked luxury and the
insolence of an unchastened power
The canon says that when ii is re-
membered that these Cruel, shocking
contracts are no longer regarded with
the dull stare OF fatalistic ignorance.
bur in the full light of those doctrines
of equality which are the common
places of democratic politics." 1t is no
wonder that "the minds of thousands
are apredisposed towards the sophistries
of anarchy"
at would be idle to deny" he con-
Guided that the credit of the scriptures |
is seriously shaken In the public mind |
nor can it reasonably be doubted that |
the tendencies of popular life as at pre-
sent prevailing are in the main hostile
to Christian tradition"
In another and similar article Canon |
Henson, dealing with Christ's resurrec-
ton, asks:
rs the faith of the church in the d. |
vine Christ, living. present and active. |
really built on an empty tomb? For t
myself 1 prefer to believe that no such
vital connection exists be- /
tween the truth of Christianity and the |
notions of Its historical ORR
gins
Sir Oliver Lodge asks, now that re-
|igon is becoming so much more real
whether the formal statement of some
Of the doctrines we have inherited from
medieval and still earlier times cannot
wisely and inoffensively be modified"
Sir oliver at this point shocks his
20 religonists by declaring that he re-
CARDS the doctrine of atonement In its
form as survival from bar
barous tines repudiating the belief
lin an angry God appeased by the vlo
lent death of Christ"
Mr. Lodge in declaring the doctrine
IF the atonement in it's concrete form
as a survival of barbaroms times says:
81 would not be dogmatic in sucn a
natter, but surely 1t generally Is recog
lized that altho the suffenings and vio-
ent death of Christ We're the nalurai
of his birth and so far In
ADVANCE of his age, and altho the pity
md horror of such a CHASTITY tragedy
las purifying and sacramento inffu
ance yet we now are unable to detect
n it anything of the nature OF pun
nor do we imagine for a mo-
nent that an angry God was appeaseG
~ 1t and is consequently disposed to
reat more lightly the sins OF men here
low or any otherwise than they have
,een treated by constant, steadfast
md persevering universe.
I'VE now are beginning to realize a
urther stage In the process of the