The Irish standard., 1909-08-07
THE NEW JELLY FISH GOSPEL Of
DR.. CHARLES v, ELIOT PUNCTURED
The Rt Rev. James A. McFau Bishop Trenton N j. Dictates
Newspaper Reporter His Opinion Of the Eccentric Views
Expressed by the President Emeritus of Harvard Anent the
Religion of the Future.

After reading a newspaper summary
Of the address on the new religion"
recently delivered by DR.. Eliot. ex-
president Of Harvard. before the Sum-
mer School Of Theology held at that
institution. Bishop James A. McFaul,
of Trenton N. j., dictated the follow
ing statement to representative o:
the Trenton Evening Tires:
1T now appears that l:r. Eliot has
assumed the role Of prophet. I am
sorry for this, because l nave always
highly esteemed him and Rave observ-
ed that modern prophets ore not ve:v
successful in their representations.
In my comments upon reported as
sertions OF DR.. Eliot my point Of view
must be that of Christian and a
Catholic he said with earnestness.
"Dr. Eliot, am Informed is a Uni
tartan. and. therefore. denies the Trim
ity ana the Divinity Of christ. Con-
sequently he Is not a Christian. 1t is
easy. therefore, to draw the conclusion
that our ideas. upon religion must be
very different. =
1T has become fashionable in the
last few years to speak OF the church
In a very wide sense. as including the
doctrines Of various non Catholic de-
nominations some Of whicn are con-
Trajectory TO one another. Thus some,
In speaking of the church. would in
clude Christians and nom Christians, or
Catholics. Episcopalians, Baptists.
Mcthodists. etc. a I'd Unital ians under
the term Church. But when l speak
of the Church, j.. mean the Catholic
Church governed by the successor Of
St. Peter, the Vicar Of Christ at Rome
Church in the strict senre OF the
word j.
DR. Eliot says that the religion Of
the future will be bound by no dogma
or creed. In that case IL will be a,
sort Of jellyflsh religion. 1t will be
hard to find, hard to catch. and diff
ficult to retain. 1t Will be chartless.
rudderless.
II am amazed when near men Of
reputed learning taking CT religion
without dogma or creed. II is like talk
ing Of building a house without a
foundation. Where is the art or the
science that is not furnished with prin-
ciples? How can any region exist
unless 1t has fundamental doctrines?
"Dr. Eliot says the worl 'ngs Of the
religion Of the future will be simple.
Yes: I should say so, in more senses
than one It will attack all forms Of
evil So far. then, 1t will not differ
from the Christian Church. She has
been attacking all forms Of vice for
LIlc ldbI L"clIy CSIiIuIlcS anu SAlS
stands as the only Institution which
has offered an effective barrier during
the ages to evil Of every description.
It Is true she has not succeeded in ex-
tinguishing evil. nut she ras greatly
limited it's influence and its progress,
and she is still warning against It as
courageously as when she uprooted the
unspeakable vices Of fllthiness Of an
cient paganism.
Tho doctor adds that there will be
no sup.rna tural element in the new re-
ligion; that It will place no reliance
upon anything but the laws OF nature
Then 1t will certainly not be Chris
tianity. and 1t will not recognize a
supernatural God. It will simply be
a sort Of refined pagantsna. Dr. Eliot
has suostantiated my chor against
the infidel professors. am very thank.
full for his kindness. Prevention, he
declares, will be the watchword, and
the skilled surgeon. ono o: its mem
bers. -.
"One would ina gine that Christian
ity had had enough surgery during
the last four centuries among the Diff
f~ient denominations. including Uni.
ta,ianism. The blood letting has beer
so extensive. that the patierts are or
the point Of. expiring. No wonder
then. that Pr. Eiotty' looking ost 70,