The Washington herald., 1909-10-25
ELIOT'S FAITH WEAK
Priest Refutes Defense Of
Rev. DR.. Shannon.
AMAZED AT PLIGHT OF SAGE
Rev. w. j. stanton, ;. j., Asserts
Religion Advocated by Harvard
Denies Dedication Of Christ and
RObs Us of High Type OF ManIIness.

Editor The Washington Herald;
On reading the synopsis OF Rev. John
Reid Shannon's defense Of President Eliot
as contained in a recent issue Of The
Washington Herald, l was amazed at the
plight in which the apology for Harvard S
president emeritus had really placed him.
II seems 10 me the man stands convicted
out Of his own mouth; for the two quota
lions that are given from the text OF his
address Of last summer plainly show that
he is guilty of glazing standardization.
In the first citation Mr.. Eliot is made
to say: THE religion OF the future Will
be in harmony, in essential agreement.
with direct and personal teachings Of
Jesus Christ as they are recorded in the
Gospels"
Later on the Cambridge prophet Of
the new religion is quoted as saying
that his religion will have mo element
Of mystery" mo dedication Of Jesus
Christ" That is. Mr.. Eliot nullihes and
stultffes what he first advances for his
new religion by what he boldly pro-
claims for II In the second part OF his
discourse. Surely he contradicts himself
when he refuses TO admit the dedication
OF Jesus Christ. and yet asserts ne Is in
agreement with tne Greet and personal
teachings OF that same Christ as they are
recorded in the Gospels. These Gospels
in any number 0f places insist on The
dedication Of Jesus Christ. and teach His
divinity; and Christ Himself directly and
personally claims this dedication
Rejects Divine Teaching.
How. then. can President Eliot and his
religion be in harmony in essential agree
mentwith the direct and personal teachings
OF Jesus when he explicitly rejects the
fundamental OF these teachings by deny
ing this same dedication OF our Saviour.
That is the contradiction in which he
involves himself; and he must either
admit the dedication of Christ so as 10
be I'm harmony with the Gospels. or deny
II and acknowledge he Is not I'm harmony
with these same records. He cannot
both deny II and be in harmony al one
and the same time without contending
that black is white and white IS black.
or that he is at one and the same time
a believer and an unbellever IN the
divinity OF Jesus Christ
I fancy he would raise a laugh or
put his sanity IN question II he were 10
say. for instance. Of his present successor
TO the presidency OF Harvard: 7 am In
harmony and essential agreement with
what Or. Lowell says about his being
president Of Harvard University. / ac-
cept all HIS teachings on that point and
on his position in the university. but /
deny that he Is president OF II. Just the
same" This looks Ike juggling with
words. or. TO use the parlance Of the
street, talking through his hat
May the literary editor Of The Wash
ington Herald and It's readers forgive
the slang. But in such a question as this
one cannot be Overwise IN measuring his
words or observing the proprieties OF
style. I will not seek here 20 prove that
Jesus Christ Is truly God as He is truly
man, but I am called on TO show briefly
that He is deiied IN the Gospels. and
also that He deifed Himself by admitting
He was God as well as man. lie Ger
tainly believed in His own divinity. and
urged II continually. and accepted cruel
fiXiOn rather than abandon HIS teachings
on this point, and He has drawn millions
to cheerfully lay down their lives in de-
tense Of II.
Credible witnesses at the time, nearly
1900 years ago. heard Him claim
divinity, and they saw Him do the
works that require the omnlpotence of
God alone. and His enemies put Him TO
death because, to use their language, He
made Himself the Son OF God in a literal
sense. that is, God, like the Father.
In common with other Unitarians. and
all besides who will not admit that Jesus
Christ is the true God. President Eliot
Will concede that Christ was az least a
good and wise man. II not the best and
wisest man that ever graced this earth
Of ours. Being such an unselfsh. intelH-
too wise and sagacious to be deceived