Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-14
RECANT SLANT IN
SERMON REV PARKS
WHO DEFIED BISHOP

New York. Jan. 1s.-The Rev. Dr..
leighton Parks. rector Of st. Rarthol-
omew's church, who invited Bishop
William 7. Manning to try him for
heresy month ago when the citation
for alleged heresy of the Rev. Lee w.
Heaton at Fort Worthy. Tex, became
public, today defended the fuadament-
alist position and characterized the
modernist movement as disease
The Rev. DIR. Percy Stickney Grant
explained at the Church of the Ascen-
sion that he did not think that be-
cause he was in the minority in his
modernist advocacy that he should
leave the church, and said the demand
for his election was a Joke" The Rev.
William Norman ,Guthdie defended the
Greek dancing at festivals of ST.
Mark s-in-the-Bouwerie, recently criti-
oized by Bishop Manning, as necessary
to get people interested in religion.
DR.. Parks recently opened the doe
tIinal controversy in the Protestant
Episcopal church by going, before his
congregation as a doctor of theology
TO denounce the proposed trial of the
Rev. MIR. Heaton. and TO protest
against the pastoral letter adopted BY
he House of Bishops at its Dallas,
Tex. meeting. demanding adherence TO
the doctrine OF the virgin birth Later
DR.. Parks was one of the group who
tried to bring about conferences 10 set
tie quietly the church differences.
Il am sure that all sensible people"
he said, in today's sermon, must
agree that the fundamentalist is right
III insisting that there must be some
fundamental proof: some thought on
| which the Christian church is based.
Without that the church drifts away
from its foundation and cannot fail
to dissolve. The troubles OF the pres
ent day churches would vanish il we
believed whole heartedIy in the rcli-
Sion of Jesus Christ.
"Of course" he declared, the diff
ficulty is TO decide just what is fun
damcntal. The moderuist complains
that the fundamentalist contends that
things belonging TO the building, such
as ornaments, conveniences, the pin
nacles and finishings of the building
are the foundations of the structure.
The fundamentalists on the other
hand have declared from the begin
III Elihldl w tOQSil III wv
building will sooner or later lead to
the removal of the corner stone.
THE present modeinist view is
not the fruit of the profound re-
searches of theological scholars made
in thel asst fifty years. 1t is dis
ease. Religion is q desire to get
into communication with the Infinite;
it existed before Jesus. before Chris
tianity. Religion came into being
when man stood up and Will last as
long as there Is a human being on
earth. even though all churches pass
away"
when 1t comes TO religious mat
ters," declared DIR. Grant. Were
walking like little children. We are
babes in the woods. Some of us be-
gin to learn when we are fittN-hve
or so. butw hats the use of wait
ing until you're nearly dead before
YOU know what YOU live for"
IF minorities get places in poiltlcs.
WHY should they he thrown out OF
church? Jesus Christ was very much
Of hereto. So much 50 that ne was
nut to death-bGt he never lett the
church."
1t had been expected that Dir. Guth-
RE would speak about published re-
ports that he and his Nestrymen had
considered withdrawing from the Fro-
tcstant Episcopal diocese of New YORK
though not from the denomination, to
carry out his ritualistic programs. Al
though before he had expressly termed
the programs pagan" and said the
church needed some ''paganism,' he de-
cided today his rituals were either
pagan or dangerous
"Weve got to look to other tools
and new materials in the church,
said DIR. Guthrie. "Christianity has
got to be set forth in way under
standable to the people of our day.
! otherwise the church will be left
stranded like a whale on shore. In