Article February 9, 1899 Issue

Miscellany

with contributions from Frank English

Literary Digest

An address was delivered before the Church Congress, recently held at Bradford, Eng., by the Right Rev. W. Boyd Carpenter, Bishop of Ripon, containing some passage which have excited a great deal of comment. Bishop Carpenter was president of the congress, and his subject was, "The Opportunities, Needs, and Characteristics of Our Age." The closing passage, on "The Religion of the Future," which is copied from the report of the London Chronicle, is as follows:—

"The future of the world does not belong to sectarianism, and so the dream of catholicity will be fulfilled. Of another thing I am certain. As increasing light falls upon great problems, and men begin to realize how much of Judaistic, pagan, and scholastic thought is mingled with popular Christianity, how many accretions due to human weakness and race prejudice have been incorporated in our conceptions, they will distrust the Church. For every new epoch has added new dogma to faith, and with every new dogma has gone further from the simplicity of Christ. The future of the world does not belong to Latinism, and so the vision of Protestantism will be fulfilled. But of a third thing I am convinced even more surely. The religion of the future will neither be Protestant nor Catholic, but simply Christian. The dogmas of the Churches which have separated communion from communion will fall off as autumn leaves before the fresh winds of God. Many views which in the very Providence of God have played their part in clearing the thoughts of men will pass into forgetfulness. Men will not grieve to see the old things go, for a larger faith will be theirs; they will not think God's world will fall apart because we tear up parchments more or less. The Church of God will renew its youth. It will be content with a simpler symbol because it will have learned Christ. It will not need any longer Trent, or Westminster, or Lambeth, or the Vatican to lead it. It will be satisfied with simpler thoughts and a purer faith. It will be satisfied to realize that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all."

Literary Digest.

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