The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-22
Mgr. BenSon's View
 Of ProteStantISnl
Late Primate's Son Who Re- nounced His Fa.her's Creed,
 Analyzes Various Beliefs
SEES DANGER IN SOCIALISM
Mystics, Headers, Christian SO- cialistS and MOtlerniStS.

New York, March 22-The Right Rev. Mgr. Robert Hugh Benson of England, delivered lecture on "Pro- testantism" last night in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Astor. The P floor and boxes were crowded with Catholic clergy and laity, who ap- plauded the young clergyman, whose renunciation of the Church of Eng land, of which his father, the late Archbishop Benson. as Archbishop of Canterbury, was spiritual head, caus- ed a sensation several years ago.
 This was the first of a series of two lectures. The second, on Catholic ism,'' will be given next Thursday ev> ening in the same place. Mgr. Ben son, wearing great purple sash. was introduced by the Rev. Joseph H. McMahon, rector of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. where he is giving a series of Lenten sermons.
 Among the patrons of the lectures are MT. and Mrs William F. Shee- han, Adrian Iselin, IT,, the Countess Iselin, Mrs. Robert L. Hoguet, MT. Coudert Breunig, John G. Agar, Ed. ward J. Dunphy, Mrs. Theodore F. Tone, MT. and Mrs. Schuyler Warren, Mrs. De Lancey Kane, and MT. and Mrs Thomas, Fitzsimons.
 Mgr. Benson, who looks like typi- cal young English collegian. said he had the highest respect for the de- vout and sincere adherents of the An glican communion which he had left. He said that he regarded religious controversy which concerned person. alities as likely to be offensive and unfruitfui, while that which concern ed principles was likely to be valu- able.
 After tracing the breaking up of Protestant Christianity into various sects in the centuries following the Reformation, a process which he deS> cribed as the logical consequence of the renunciation by Protestants of supranational authority, Mgr. Benson said that these sects had begun now to arrange themselves into four groups-mystics healers, Christian Socialists. and modernists
 Of the spiritualists and theosophists, he said that they divided humanity into two classes. those worthy to share in spiritual mysteries and re- itual world conceived as interpene- trating the material world. and those unworthy sto share in them For these others he Said the mystics con- ceived that the ordinary forms of re- ligion were sufficient. A division of the human race into two classes, ini- tiated and uninitiated. he said, was contrary to the Christian idea that all souls were equal before God.
 In the group of headers Mgr. Ben- son classed the mental headers of all kinds the leaders of the Emmanuel movement and the Christian Scien- lists. He said he had read Science and Health. with key to the Scrip tures'' ten times without mastering itS nh ho fn he conclusion that he was not an esoteric so far as it's philosophy was concern ed. He declared that the headers based their philosophy either on a de- nial of pain or a theory that it was evil, and that the remedy of bodily ills was a condition precedent to the achievepent of Spirituality. He add ed that NChristian philosophy did not deny pain, nor call it evil, but regard ed voluntary suffering as the great est instrument for sanctification.
 The Socialist, Mgr Benson declared to be the most dangerous enemy of the Church. He said that the posi- tion they held in regard to social life was identical with that taken by the healer group in regard to bodily ills Because of their denunciation of obvi- Ous evils and injustice he said. and the resemblance of their doctrine to Christianity in many points. except the vital point of relation to eternal, rather than to temporal justice the Socialists might be styled the apostles of Antichrist. He reminded his hear CTS that Antichrist might have many points of resemblance to Christ so that He might deceive. The worst as- pect of Socialism, even in it's loftiest conception, was it's placing the State above the family. as the unit. He said that the family began the human race and that a divine family saved it. To subordinate the family meant the end of freedom.
 Modernism Mgr. Benson denounced as the repudiation of all the ideals of Christianity In his next lecture he will point out indications of the revi- val of Catholicism as the bulwark of historical Christianity.