Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-31
BOSTON PASTOR
VOICES MODERNIST
BILL OF RIGHTS

Boston, Dec 30.-~Forseeing now
, denominatlonal alignment which may
: result "in a great blessing to man
, kind, though not to the Episcopal
J Church." the Rev. Or. Elwood Wor-
| ceSter, rector of Emmanuel Church,
, today dcfied the authority Of the
! house of bishops in matters of doc
trine and promulgated a modernist
, bill of rights,
, "In reading the bishops pastoral
y, letter and III commenting on it,
am following Bishop LaWrcnce's ad-
! vice to his clergy DR.. Worcester
J said. "PcrSonally | am incapable of
! the noble Indignation and the exalted
, moral feeling with which this docu-
ment inspired DR.. Parks. | thorough
ly admire his rcprobatOn of the
doubt cast, as he conceived, on his
honor and his right to his position
in the church he has served so well,
and | consider he has placed all vino
agree with him under great obli-
| cation by his fearless defense of our
position. but the letter does not af-
! feet me.
! THE bishops profess to have is
| sued this letter to allay the whis-
| pered distress and disturbance Of
/ mind among many earnest church
peopta, caused by several recent ut
terances concerning the crecGs, by
! which it is to DC supposed that the
'cler chiefly to Bishop Lawrcn.o.
| IN all events, his is the most I'M
purtant utterancC which has been
given to the church in many Years
but they might have anticipated shat
! such Il letter as theirs, with It's i'm
p"tatons Of disreSpect and its yelled
threat of prosecution, would cause
! tar more WideSple d strife and bit
tcrllcS&. Moreover, ii such differences
are 20 be judged in the light of :i.eir
h'G;try. The bishops take US into
| their confidence sufficiently q in
form. US that thes issued their letter
In response to a.. appeal addressed
10 y en- to settle the faith OF the
chur' II by certain eminent iaynren
| Anl" IN itself, bears an unfortunate
inference. If these eminent iayf.-n'
mad been working people or humble
mon ttrS of the Cnui Cn like ourselves,
their prayer mighr have gone I'M
answer ed. J
1t was the redisCovery of the BIZ
BILE which made the Protestant Ref
ormation and which more than any
other force created the spiritual life
of the modern life. Already, there
are two Bibles, the Bible of the fun
damentaliSts which nobody under
stands, for the reason that without
critical insight it is incomprehensi-
BILE. The other is the Bible of mod
ern science and scholarship, and the
charter of all social and spiritual
progress.
mo pastoral letter can effect its
discoveries nor can any body of men.
however exalted, close the Bible to
the world.
This brings US to the heart of the
real contention. Men differ by tenn
permanent and training as TO their al
legianCe but the issue which divides
us ought to be definite understood.
1t is a question that did not clearly
emerge at the protestant reforma-
ton, because at this time the laws
affecting the general evolution OF Ne
llglon were not known.
In the long history of Christian
Ity, as well as in Buddhism and Mo-
hdmmedansm, there has been an in
evitable tendency to depart widely
from the person of the founder of
the religion, to forget his teachings
to substitute other aims
1T would be a mistake to beliNle
the controversy which has arisen in
our church or TO regard il as al iso-
lated phenomenon. The very depth
OF earneStncSS proves its importance
and it is only one example of the
general conflict which is agitating
all protestant churches.
/ "Fhc reason is not far TO seek
during IN" war one great period OF
the worlds history came definitely
TO an end and a new period is al
ready beginning According
~ we see a disposition Of portion OF
the House Of BiShpos. but 10y no
means hv all OF our bishops. TO cur
tail tho liberty which the E.pscora
church has long eul"Ncd and to in
SlSt upon more literal interpreted
ton Of ancient Crecds aud formulas"