Evening star., 1927-10-21
BISHOP DEF|ES
EVOLUTION FOES
English Primate, in Open Let.
ter, Denies Theory of Trans
Substantiati0n.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, October 2f.--Church cir
cles are aroused over the chal-
lenge TO the foes of evolution and ad-
herents to the doctrine of trans
substantiation issued by the Bishop Of
Birmingham.
In an open letter to the Archbishop
Of Canterbury, Primate of England,
the bishop defined his position on
theological matters and declared.
mo protest must hinder me as
bishop, and indeed as a Christian.
from upholding religious truth. No
man shall drive me to Tennessee or to
Rome"
Answer to Protest.
The letter is the bishops answer to
the dramatic protest made last Sun
day by Canon c. r. Bullock Webster
to the bishops presence in the pulpit
Of the historical st. Paul's Cathedral.
Although the Right Rev. Ernest
William Barnes, Bishop of Birming-
ham. concluded his letter to the arch
bishop by saying "of coure. 1t calls
for no public reply" it is generally
supposed that the archbishop will is-
sue some rejoiner. This would he done
perhaps to try to allay acerbities, as
the aged prelate is always regarded as
a peacemaker. He is likely to take
some time. however. to consider the
question before acting
The protest of Canon Bullock
Webster. who proceeded up To the
tranSept and denounced to the con.
Gregation the bishop for pouring con-
tempt upon the doctrines and sacra.
n1ents of the Holy Catholic Church"
seems to have brought to a head
Ion a pdircr f,OptrOya,sSN While he
was being denounced the bishop re-
mained standing, silent and impassive.
while the organiSt sought to drown
out the protest.
Two Factions Row.
The controversy in the church eX
lists between the Anglo-Catholics, who
are charged by their opponents with
leaning toward Rome, and the scien-
tific and evangelical factions, to whom
although for different reasons, Anglo
Catholics are an anathema. Whether
this cleavage will lead to disruption.
time only will show, but differences Oh
doctrinal matters are no new thing In
the Church of England. which boasts
of extreme tolerance and ability to
shelter many beliefs.
One recent manifestation of this
cleavage was the Wrangle over the re-
vision of the Book of Common Prayer,
which continues to be the subject of
warm controversy and is not consid-
cred likely of solution this year, as
hoped The church assembly has ac-
cepted the revision, but the final sane
tion of Parliament is necessary.
Although the controversy has moth
ing 10 do with secular politics, there
is some interest shown in the fact
that Bishop Barnes is regarded as a
Socialist. He was appointed to the
bishopric of Birmingham when Ram
say Macdonald was Premier at the
head of a laborite government.
III his open letter Bishop Barnes,
who is a scientist as we'll as a church
man, invited the Archbishop of Can
terbury to consider steps to help
those of us who are trying to fit the
church to be the spiritual guide of an
educated nation"
Views OH Evolution.
On the question of mans origin, the
bishop said: Though all competent
biologists accept mans evolution from
an ape-like stock, the theological con.
sequences of such belief are still sci.
dom stated. L set myself years ago to
eXpound these consequences and to
show why they did not seem to me to
upset the main Christian position
Bishop Barnes reiterated his state
ment that the doctrine Of transsub-
sanitation is untrue