The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-06-13
The study of History--InEOrmntt
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The Harrers' have published in sim
gle volume, choicely bound and ad'
mirably printed, Goldwin Smiths six
'.LectureS on the Study Of History,"-
which were delivered in Oxford in the
years 1859, go and '61;-and another
lecture delivered by the same cultured
gentleman before the New York His
torical Society in '64, on 1.-THE UniVerSf-
tyof Oxford" The professors study oil
history has led him to form singular
theories, not the least curious OF
which is: r-- -r..-r ssJI r.
at is confidently said that the his
toricaI progress of the most advanced
nations of Europe during recent times
has been beyond the pale of Christen-
dom, and that it forms conclusive
proof of the exhaustion and decline OF
christianity. The intellect of Protest
ant Germany, which has played SO
momentous a part in the historical pro-
gress of the last century, is triumph
antly cited aS q palpable instance OF
this fact. There is much which to the
eye of the theologian, looking to reli-
gious professions, is without the pale OF
christendom, but which to the histori-
cal eve, looking to moral connections,
is sill within it. That increase of init
deity, which is spoken of with SO much
alarm on one side, and SO much exulta-
ton on the other, theOlogically viewed, ,
is no doubt great, especially II we look
not to mere numbers, but to lntellec-
tual cultivation and influence; but,
viewed morally, it is, considering the
distractions of christendom, surpris-
ingly small. Great masses of intelli-
gence and eminent leaders of thought
in all departments have been
nominally and Outwardly estranged
from christendom by the divisions OF
the churches; by the rending of the
truth and OF the means of religious in
tlueuce between them; by the barren
and impotent dogmatism in which,
through their rivalries and controver-
sizes, they are perpetually driving each
other; by the sinister alliances of some
of them with political obstructlveneSs
and injustice; Uy the apparent conflict
which their pretensions create between
the claims Of reason and those of re-
Hgious faith by the false ground which
some of them have taken in regard to
the discovery of science and historical
philosophy; and most of all, perhaps,
by the contradiction which their mutu-
al denunctations produce between the
palpable facts of our common morality
and the supposed Judgments Of reiig-
ion. But il will be found, on closer in
spection, that these appHren seceders
from chrisIendom remain christians in
their whole view of the world, OF God,
of the human character and destinies |;
speak language and appeal to princi-
pies and sympathies essentially chris
tlan; draw their moral life from the
chrislendom which surrounds them /;
receiver their wives at christian altars,
and bring up their children in the
christian faith. Many great writer
who is brought forward as proof that
the intellect of the age is christian no
longer, will be found, on examination,
to have nothing in his writings which
is not derived from u christian source.
Schleiermacher appears to be hailed as
one of those who, by their criticisms,
have pronounced tho doom of the
"popuiar religion:" Schleiermacher'r re-
ceived the Eucharist on his death h-bed. /.
and died declaring that he had adhered
TO the living spirit of christianity rather
than to the dead letter. He may have
been Illogical, but he can not be said'
historically, not to have been a chris
tian." ID