The Washington herald., 1913-09-07
THE TREND OF THINGS .
IN RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

LAN ALAAN4AOOO 1ALOS014A
The series of lectures which Henr
Bergson, Of the University Of Paris, will
deliver next winter will be awaited with
cagerness by all who are interested II
his philosophy, whether as adherents OF
opponents. II there has been any ten
dency toward lack OF interest in him and
his work, 1t Will he reawakened by the
condemnation of his philosophy by Pope
Plus Y. who has made BergsOn's Gre
ative Evolution" the occasion for the
criticism that the philosophy contains
the poisonous error of modernism and
is subtle. seductive IN nature" When
Bergson leCtured last winer in Columbia
and Harvard Universities he attracted
large audiences, as also he did in Eng
land.
Cable advices from Paris state that the
condemnation OF the philosophy of Prof.
Bergson. author of Evolution Crea-
trice." is making, as misht have been
expected. considerable stir in phllosOph-
Ical circles. The condemnation took the
form of letter written in the name
of the Holy Father by the Papal Sec
retary. Cardinal Merry del Val, to Mgr.
Farges, a French pTelate, who recently
published a volume denouncing Berg
sonism as dangerous to Christian faith.
The letter in full is as follows:
In the presence of the false theories
Of this new system Of thought, which
attempts 10 shake great principles and
truths, an authoritative voice should he
raised to unmask and refute the errors
and combat the venom Of philosOphic
modernism. which is more dangerous and
deadly because SO subtle and carefully
veiled
The Holy Father Congratulates you
or having produced work destined TO do
good 10 souls especially young ones,
10y preserving them from the dangers OF
these erroneous doctrines, leading them
back 10 truth and aiding them to turn
again to the certain light of traditional
thought
Prot. Bergson has replied that he de-
velopeI his philosophy without touching
on the question Of the existence of God.
He has. however, he continues, watched
with sympathetic interest the endeavors
of sorne of his pupils to utilize his phil
osophy 10 support Christianity, and is
much panied at the rigor shown by the
Roman Church toward doctrines which
can thus be put TO religious interpreta-
ton. He declares that his clerical op-
ponents have utterly misunderstood his
ideas, and that their claim that he set
intuition in place of reason is quite un-
founded. This question, it is announced,
will form the subject OF his course Of
lectures the coming winter.
The Watchman, Of Boston, which is to
be consolidation with the Examiner, of
New York. both Baptist journals, is the
oldest surviving periodical of that de-
nomination, having been started in 1919.
II IL could continue five years more It
would celebrate its centennial. But in
the interest Of the work Of Saptists it is
believed that the combined publication
will serve both New England and the
Middle States by its special edition plan.
In the earlier DAYS OF stricter denomina-
tional divisions both journals were strong
champions of the views of their churches.
The Woman's Home Missionary So
cieues of the Evangelical Protestant
churches, united in the Interdenomina-
tional Council Of Women, are calling on
church people to oppose Mofmonism as 4
political factor, especially urging that
Il be seen to that no Mormon exhibit be
permitted at the Panama Exposition in
1915 to be held in a government building
Il is pointed out that at the Alaska
Yukon Pacific Exposition at Seattle. in
1909. the only religious body to have its
exhibits ''in the government building, un-
der government sanction, and to all ap
pearances at government expense" was
the Mormon Church. Other denomina-
tions financed and managed their own
exhibits.
In Germany ministers have as a mini
mum salary usually $500 and a parson-
age. This salary is increased every few