Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-07-06

miscellaneous.
The Province Of Theology.


We note among the cheering signs of tho
times the fact, that thoughtful men in the
ranks Of Orthodoxy 80 frequently burst the
shacklcs of time-won Theology, and, Mt the
risk of disturbing all the venerable cobwebs
of the Church, give manly utterance to senti-
ments revealing a strong sympathy with tho
Progressive and Humauitnry movements of
the Ago. Here, for example, is an extract
from an Address before the Society Of In
quiry Of the Union Theological Seminary,
N. Y. City) by Rev. w. CLARK, of Hartford,
Ct-Ed Bugie.
The theology Of the Church is TO be theo-
logy for the times os well as theology of
the Bible. And the same old truth of Scrip
ture, which turned face and flung light
upon the polytheisms of antiquity, and turn
ed another face and flung another light upon
the Gnosticism and the Platonisms of later
times-and turned third face and looked
with third smile upon the sciences and the
discoveries of modern days--these old un-
changing truths have as many radiant faces
for the world as the world has darkened ia
ces for them. Like the orbcd sun wheeling
in space, they shine on every side, and send
pass in their orbit. 1t is given TO every sue
cessive age of History to have its own ques-
tons, and TO work out its own problems.
And il is given TO the Church TO have
theology which, whilo its light and its firina-
ment are ever the same, ever from ABOVE
shines down upon the successive ages OF
time and sends guidance and salvation to
every inquring era. The theology OF the
Church is ever TO be n theology for its own
age-a theology keeping pace with ProVi-
dence-a theology in sympathy with its times
"a theology full of the instinct, alive with
tho sympathies, and at the head of the move
mcnts of its era. What then ought to Ec
the character of our American theology at
this moment7 What are the great questions
which are at this moment absorbing the
attention and testing the ntellects, and try
ing the hearts of millions? In Senates, in
palaces, in Sheds what are the movements
which, like leading suns, are decoying after
them all thinking souls and all earnest
thoughts. Why, not the old questions which
vexed the sluggish thoughts of stoics and
Soothed the enmities of schoolmen. The
age is not careering backward TO the cloister
and the academy, to revive the debates of
Scotus and rehearse the discourses of tho
Fast. Social questions, the great problems
of humanity, the fundamental inaXims OF
human liberty--the rights of citizens, the
powers of States, the distributions of wealth,
the relations and prerogativcs of labor, ques-
fions touching the interests and vital to the
Well-bcing of man as man-as citizen OF the
world and resident of Time, these are the
matters which the world has taken in hand,
md which the world will keep in hand, let
theologians do what they will. And shall
an American theology consent, in this day,
TO creep back through dusty centuries into
tho daIkened caverns Of antiquity, invading
the appointed sanctuories of owls and bats,
md, hiding there, amuse its coward indo-
lence with discussing the forgotten questions
and exhuming the buried vagaries of semi
church fathers and semi-barharian saints
leaving all present problems and fugitive
from all present interests, abandoning the
nations to themselves? Shall our theology
toll over the great net Of Time and be drawn
back into the abyss of the past in its vair
effort to draw the past 10 the shores of the
present No. mol Let American theolo
gy, clinging with sacred alliance TO her only
guide-book the Bible, go out into the age
which is given her to instruct; let her know
her times, and let her give to her times no
the dead dogmns of metaphor, not the inan'
memories of Schoolmen, but living, practica
answers to all the living, practical questions
of the day. Let theology, kindling her torcl
where the stars are found, hold il over every
walk of science, over every field of labor
over every division of property, over every
trade, enterprise and organization of man.
Let theology enter our Senates preside in
our schools, lead our reforms, and be what
she ought to be--a firInament of culmnat-
ing light shining upon all the aspects and
iTadating all the governments of the age.
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