1938-02-21 — Page 27

THE HONGKONG

TELEGRAPH. MONDAY,

FEBRUARY 21,

1938

THE BIBLE IS NOT INFALLIBLE

SAYS CHURCH

Evidence of Virgin Birth

'Inconclusive'

The Report of the Church of England Commission on Church Doctrine, is given in full below.

"It has been our desire," says the Archbishop of York, chairman of the Commission, in his introduction, "to sot forth the truth of the everlasting Gospel unchanged in substance," believing that "its permanence amidst the welter of modern theories may be one of its chief means of drawing to itself the attention of a bewildered genera- tion."

In pursuit of this desire, the have been "brutally frank at times." "freely, at times even playfully, in In as much as it contains no sum- mary of conclusions (writes Hugh

COMMISSION

These Sign The Report

The Archbishop of York (chair man.),

Professora J. M. Greed, C. O, J. Webb and A. E. Taylor>

Bishops of Derby, Chelmsford, Glasgow and Galloway.

Dr. W... Matthews, Dean of St. Paul's Dr. E. G. Selwyn, Dean of Winchester,

Cannons F. R. Barry, W. L Grensted, W. L. Knox, J. K. Moz- ley, Oliver Quick, V. F. Storr.

Sir Walter Moberley. Lo Hovs. Shebbeare and C. F. Russell, C. L. B. Thornton, Mr. Will Spens, Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

io error.

state, whether or not the word Purgo÷| tory is used to describe it, where there will be progressive growth aflor death

PAPACY:

and, it may be, needed purification of GROUND

the soul.

No Boul Finally Lost ?—Whether any: soul will be finally lost it is not possible for man to declare. It would not be casy to find in the New Testa- mont A basis for definitely and rigorously excluding all hope of fur- ther opportunity after death.

FOR . REUNION

There must be, room in the closure. Penance is customary, but Church for those who believe that must be of such a character that it some will actually be lost, and also does not compel the penitent to make. for those who hold that the love)

his offence publle. of God, will at last win penitence and answering love from every soul. it has created.

Communion with the Departed---

In the redeemed soclety,ving and departed share real fellowship in Christ. The only way to come closer to those who are departed in His faith in to draw near to God

Prayers to the Saints—Direct ad- dress to departed saints must not be!

PRAYERS FOR DEPARTED

The view is expressed by the

··Commissioners that there is urgent need for closer co-operatton bo-

Christian tween

psycho-therapy and the pastoral ministry of the Church. A psycho-therapy which ignores God, however, may some- times lead to an apparent solution of internal conflict which, from a religious standpolni, may be. a disaster.

MARRIAGE AND GRACE

to which the teaching was given aro not always set forth. Direct appeal

The Report urges the appointment to isolated texts, in so far as it condemned na a private practice, pro- of a Commission to consider marriage Immores such considerations, is able vided it be to ask for their prayers: in its doctrinal, ethical, moral-

anything more is perilous and illegiti-| theological and disciplinary aspects. The Resurrection. The Resurree-mate. The vital point to be secured, members of the Commision

But their minds have moved tion was an event as real and concrete at all costs, is that God alone is the

as the Crucifixion, but is a mystery object of our worship. the intercourse of friends."

and an act of God wholly unique in The Creation The world is God's human history. Some Commissioners,

Prayers for the Departed.---There "We desire to affirm" says the creation, by there is abundant room however, incline to the belief that the agreed ment between the emptiness of the u the essence of a document which, evolution. It is generally

of the Ple to Prayers for the Departed.

Angels and Demons-Bellet in the taking before God to enter on a life- two Christian persons freely under- as the chairman says, is not written "among educated Christions" that Tomb and the appearances

existence of 'spiritual beings other chiefly for the general public, and the two Creation narratives in Genesla risen Lord belong to the sphere of

long marriage union, grace which, at times, is couched in langu- . nnd II. are mythological in origin, religious symbolism rather than to than human is in no way irrationaled which, if reliance is fully placed is afford- age bewildering to the lay mind. and that their value in symbolical that of historical fact,

The Ascension. Whatever the but it is legitimate for a Christian The Archbishop of York alone is rather than historical.

cerned to fulfil the obligations in- committed in print to personal state-

Ho tells us in his chairman's history, has been under the influence New- Testament narratives of theteraret the language of Scripture or velved and to rise to the opportuni- Sin and the Fall-Man, throughout nature of the event underlying the elther to suspend judgment on to in upon it, will enable the persons con ments.

ties offered in their married life in introduction that he wholeheartedly of a blos towards evil, but this is not Ascension, its physical features are to the Liturgy in a purely symbolical

To

spite of all dimeulties, however accepts as historical facts our Lord's bound up with the historical truth of be interpreted symbolically, since they sense.

many people certain of the fore-rave. birth from a virgin mother and the any story of a Fail. Sin is that which are closely related to the conception

A Note on the Papacy declares the resurrection of a physical body is contrary to God's nature and im- of Heaven as a place locally. ixed going statements will appear to raiso

questions beyond the sky.

concerning the

Church of England to have been from death and the tomb.

pairs communion between God and

The Last Judgment. The Commis commonly used in Church worship. be-

The Commissioners have anticthe sixteenth century and to be still right in the stand which it took in And he adds: "I anticipate, though man. Traditional distinctions will appear to be intrinsically bound) bo upheld. It is not possible to de-Impossible to pronounce" whether pated this difteulty, and they seek hound to resist the claims of thei with less assurance, that these events tween mortal and venial sin cannot slon is "united in believing that it is up with His delty when relations ne any point at which sin becomes there will be a Last Judgment, con- to remove it in a note dealing with between spiritual and physical ele-so serious as to cut off a soul from the ceived as an event supervening on the "the Conception of Symbolie Truth" conclusion of this world's history. It is luld down that statements The eschatology of the New Testa-affirming particular facts may be ments in our nature are more com- grace of God. pletely understood."

ment (1.c., its treatment of last things) found to have value as pictorial ex- is best understood "not as a quasi-pressions of spiritual truths, literal description of a future event, though the supposed facts themselves permanent relation of the perpetus therefore of necessity illegitimate to but as a parable of the continuous did not actually happen herselves order to the accept and arm particular clauses process of events in time." But in the of the Creeds while understanding ally imminent eternal world to come God's judgment on our them in this symbolic sense.

Assent to formularles, and the use carthly lives will be made maalfest to: ourselves and our neighbours. of liturgical language, in public wor ship, should be understood as signify ing general acceptance without im plying detalled assent to every phrase or proposition thus employed.

Redwood) it is no easy matter to dis- for a variety of theories regarding its connection made in the New Testa-is no theological objection in princi-Commissioners, "that, in the case of

THE DOCTRINE OF LAST

THINGS

DIVIDED ON MIRACLES The process of human generation is not in itself sinful, and that the sexual In another passage, dealing with nature is necessarily or inherently Eschatology (the doctrine of Last sinful must be absolutely denied. Things), he alludes to "great confu-te for the virgin birth of Jesus The Virgin Birth-Historical evi- sion in the publie mind" caused by Christ is inconclusive. tendency to interpret the "symbolic images" of the New Testament, and particularly of Revelation, as "state- ments of future facts." Remarking that some people tend to reject the Gospel as a whole because they cannot believe in a Second Advent as con- ventionally portrayed, the Archbishop

says:

Creeda

even

It adds, however, that "some of us look forward to a reunion of Claristendom having its centre in a Primacy, such as might be found in a Papacy which had renounced certain of its present claims," On the question of Church Order are no longer regarded as decisive it is held that precedents, as such, are no longer us now no Order accepted by all who claim the nume of Christian, and there has come a change in outlook which must bel fully acknowledged. It is possible] to pay too high a price for Order, and fundamental loyalty to the Lord may,

contemporary Papacy.

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While accepting the doctrine of

no the Incarnation, some of the Com- Death and After-We have missioners believe that the birth coherent idea of what happens after was normal, and some regard the death, but the main tradition is that records as parables rather than as of a period of disembodied existence treating of actual events.

before the final consummation. The But the Gospel cannot stand un-in certain circumstances, involve re- EURASIA AVIATION CORPORATION Miracles God could work miracles traditonal scherne of an immediate impaired, and so adequate account of bellion against the existing minis- if He pleased, but the Commission is particular judgment followed by its origin can be given, unless the try, and even the establishment of a It may be that the course of divided as to whether or not miracu- general judgment at a general resur- broad tradition concerning Jesus," to new ministry, history is, about to afford a furld lous events occur. In the present rection, with admission to Heaven or which the Gospels and the Church

as the issue, have borne witness through the cen illustration of the place of Eschato- state of knowledge, it is impossible to consignment to Hell

turies, accepted as historical, and logy in a complete religious faith." make the same evidential use of the cannot be accepted as a chronological

narratives of miracles in the Gospels account of future events, but only as in particular unless it is possible for Among the report's findings are:

the Church to proclaim that, in the The BibleAs the inspired record which appeared possible in the past. a symbolle outline.

Resurrection of the BodyThe historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth, of God's self-revelation to man, the

THE EFFECTS OF

literailatic belief in a future resusc"the Word was made flesh and dwelt Bible is "The Word of God." But not

tation of the actual physical frame among us." all its parts are on the same spiritual

TRANSLATION level, and the tradition of its inerran cy cannot be mintained in the light

which is laid in the tomb must be Of the remaining sections of the rejected quite frankly. But the soul Report, the most important treat of or the spirit will still have its appro- the Sacraments, their nature, their "organTM-of-expressionTM and vaidity, and the right or otherwise of certain persons to administer them. Purgatory-The Church does not

mention:

of the knowledge at our disposal. Its The Teaching of Christ. The authority must not be taken as pre-record cannot always be accepted as priate judging the conclusions of historical reproducing our Lord's own words. activity.

any field.

critical and scientific investigation In They have, in any case, bech trans-

lated, and the occasions with regard exclude the idea of an intermediate the following points call for special

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Archbishop Forgiven

Pope Sends Blessing

Paris. Monseigneur de la Villerabel, who, in May 1938, kad the archbishopric of Rouen taken away from him by thej Pope, died in Nice forgiven by the Popc. He

Grace-God Himself is active la each Sacrament. Their psychological value is derived from the fact that they are not psychological processes.

туля seventy-four. Knowing Grace is bestowed by means of ex- that he was about to die, ho sent fernal signs, though as to the manner mensage of loyalty and affection of its bestowal the Commission is the Pope. A few days ago came the divided.

reply. It was a telegram of forgive- BaptiBaptism, even infant news and blessing.

to

Baptism, is a means of deliverance!

Mgr. de In Villerabel was deposed from the domination of influences which predispose to sin. It is a vital for a breach of Canon Law. He de- ordinance of the New Testament, and ferred or caused to be deferred to a in the life of the unbaptised salat secular court a case of alleged mis- there is a defect. Nevertheless, appropriation of funds by an eccle- "many who seem to be within are siastic. The Pope frst called on him without, and many who seem to be to reign, and when he falled to do so, without are within."

deposed him.

REAL PRESENCE

AT, COMMUNION

Holy Communion-No Christian doubts thut, in some sense, Christ is present in the Holy Communion. Thought and research concerning the relations of spirit and mattar have caused shifting of many land- marks in old controversies, Few philosophers continue to think of the substance of any physical object as a fixed core of being which remains the same behind all changes affect- ing its "accidents or sensible oppeur- abces."

Sume Anglican theologians aro putting forward tentative restate-| ments of the doctrine of the Real Presence, and would not reject the

· term· Transubstantiation in every scos it could reasonably bear. They would' argue that there is a -real chango of substance, in tho brend and wine through conseera- tlon...

Reservation.The use of the served sacrament is valid, and the extent and circumstances of its em ployment may properly be deter mined by any particular church, but the Commission is not agreed whether there is a theological justification, for the practice of "devotions" (the ndorailon of the consecrated elements In the reserved sacrament).

The Commission express special satisfaction that they are able to pro- zent an agreed statement on Confer slon and Absolution.

They noto a widespread and in- |erensing desire on the part of in- dividuals to confess to man, as woll as to God, and to avail themselves of this direct and private ministry of the Church, which, while open to all, la obligatory on none,

Confession is beard under the sent of sochy but "in" deriais, cured the

Later he was made titular Arch- blahap of Mytilene.

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