The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-09-19

should not be difficult to drive
coach and fouTi
The book seeks to deal with a live
social problem more keenly felt by
the residents OF cities than by body
social snch as ours. But in so doing
1t confuses with this quite other is
sues, viz. those of modern thought
of Science versus Religion. The Soc
al sinners, the dishonest financiers
are by no means necessarily identi-
cal with the orthodox believers;
nor, on the other hand, are the dis
tuPbed in faith of necessity the UNI
selfish lovers Of their neighbor.
This is no attempt to review this
able and earnest book. Still less do
undertake TO analyze it's glaring
mis-statements both of history and
theology. But | would like 20 stril>
strongly the note of warning to such
readers as seek to follow its pages
with care and intelligence. | can do
this best by asking you to reprint
certain passages following, from the
Living Church.
Lei nue., however, first call atten-
ton to two points: III the unex-
ampled rapidity with which lin three
or four hot summer monthsi the
hero reads and assimilates hitherto
unstudied material. in twenty or
thirty volumes embodying the life
labors of notable scholarsi GU
John Holders differences from those
writings are crude. The writings
themselves have been countered, ac-
cepted, modified, applied. as the case
may be, by many stannch Catholic
Churchmen and Protestant Divines.
From letter addressed to the Liv-
ing Church, above named
with Mr. Churchills contention
that we need a spiritual awakening
in the Church, all priests must agree.
But that such an awakening can only
come by denying the very faith which
alone can produce it. by accepting
the finite reason as a criterion of the
infinite, by RELOCATING the whole sac
ramental system to museum OF
wornout antiquities. is position dan
gerously near denial of the Incar-
nation and AtOnement. We do need
greater spiritual power in our lives.
we do need the faith OF the saints and
the triumphant march of the Church
OF God over unbelief, and we need too
a greater social conscious ness. a hat
red OF all social evil that makes for
injustice to Gods children. The wit
ness of the martyrs and saints. the
witness OF the holy men and women
OF all times to the truth as it is in
Jesus cries aloud against all at
tempts thoweyer futilel TO destroy
what they lived and died 10 preserve.
1t is no time TO halt between two OPP
inions. IF the Lord is God, follow
him.' IL not, there are plenty of
ethical culture societies, and the
company is excellent
On page 2S2. John Holder the
hero is made to say. The Creeds
We're derived from Seripture-not the
Scripture from the Creeds" Neither
side of this antithesis is correct.
Statements of the Christian Faith
came into existence from the start
in different portions Of the Church;
in substance the same. while develop
ing in fulness of detail The form of
Creed which ultimately became uni
versal after the Council of Nicaea in
325 A. ID. unite preceded the general
ly accepted independent collection of
Apostolic writings which constitute
our New Testament Scriptures.
"one of the Chicago clergy has en-.
gagged Mr.. Churchill in personal cor
respondence during the summer. es-
pecislly requesting the names of the
novellst's authorities for the follow.
ing statement about the Nicene Creed
This creed is said to have been
scandal0usly forced through the
Council OF Nicea by an emperor.
against majority OF Bishops. who
would If they had dared Constantine's
displeasure, have given the consci-
ence freer play
MT. Churchill very courteously
stated in this correspondence that
his authority was primarily Mr..
Chamberlain's book. The Foundations
of the Nineteenth Century. Investi.
cation disclosed the further facts
that this Mr.. Chamberlain is not
mentioned in the Who's Who OF
either American or English authors.
and that this particular book. which
was published dozen years ago and
rc-published three years ago. was
very untavorably reviewed by nearly
all of the great periodicals, weekly
and monthly, published in this coun.
try and in England. the chief objec.
tion heing the whimsicalness and
preJudices vitiating its erudition.
This is surely an interesting point.
that Mr.. Churchill should have quot.
ed so obscure and unreliable an au-
thority for his attacks upon the dig.
nifty and credentials of Christendom'
grandest and best attested creed"
This being the case in so import
ant a field as the Creed. how far can
we trust the sources of his appeal in
other departments?
On page PA we are told that the
Christian Sacramento were the devel.
opments of the mysteries of Eleusis
OF Attis. Mithras. Magma Mater. and
Isis; that Baptism was derived from
these cults; and the repellant. ma.
terialistic belief that to eat of the
hesh and drink OF the blood OF a god
was TO gain Immortality. Why
should any man publish such a shock.
ing afiront to the faith and intelh-
gence Of millions OF bis fellowmen
throughout the Christian centuries
more especially in book whic,.
claims TO base its religion upon the
theory OF absolute brotherhood and
confidence in humanity" Il has long
since been recognized that the hints