Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-06-09
Aelaluare Trihnlte
Thursday, June ., 1870.
EXAMINING FOUNDATIONS.

There seems 10 be q universal consciousness
that there is an underlying stratum OF Original
thought, where all men and all ages meet. Great
effort is being put forth just now to show COM
mon origin and footing for all religious and po-
litical belief DIR. Bellows has written in OM aud
Ncp. for April that " one of the striking char
acerstics of our times is an attempt to reduce
science, politics, society," life, philosophy re-
ligion to first principles to discover tho original
plan Of nature and the Creator" There is much
diligence in examining old foundations of rcli-
rious beliefs in hope that some one idea may bc
found which shall bo a common vein running
through all religions some ono idea of govern
ment which shall find development in some shape
in all political systems; some universal tongue III
which the root principle of all languages shall
lind common home; common brotherhood
that shall bind all men more closely together.
This il nowhere more marked, than in the reli-
gious world. Arcldeacon Iardwick, with great
care and learning has given the world his schol-
arly work "Christ and other Masters, and Mrs..
Barring Gould follows with "The Origin and
Development of Religious Belief And moro
recently DIR. Cocker, Of the Michigan University,
sends forth his ablo work, g Christianity and
Crock Philosophy" notice of which appeared
in these columns few days since.
The second work mentioned above The
origin and Development of Religious Belief" is
certainly OF high merit. 1t enters the arena OF
polcmical thought where the giants arc at war
and springing into tho midst of the fight, deals
stunning blows for truth and revelation.
1t does not appear, clad in the common posi-
,;,, lab;t ~ tho fu,riut an chourinu Inf rather
assumes the garb of the enemy, for it abounds
in negatives. According to the prevailing style
of the day, it presents its non-assumptions and
then by strong argument compels tho acceptance
of the positive faith hence the author states =
..Ths work being an attempt ON purely positive
grounds to determine the religious instincts of
humanity. the reader is requested to bear in
mind =
~ That the existence of n God is not assum-
cd.
SO That the truth Of revelation is not assum-
od.
''3. That hypothesis has been avoided and tho
argument based on demonstration. Consequent
ly the Bible is quoted not MS authoritative but
an historical record open to criticism"
lIe proposes to subject all religions to criti-
cism and in this volume does 80 examine Heath
ehism and AIosaism, to show what he considers
the religious instincts of mankind. In the second
volume he proposes to subject Christianity to
the same criticism, and yet to demonstrate that
Christianity through the doctrine of the incarna-
ton proposes to, and does, meet all these in
stincts.
Tie attempt to dig ont the religions of the
earth, ancient and modern, and set them along
side of each other properly labelled, has opened
up new and interesting study, that of compara-
tive theology, which is destined to unearth much
of truth that has been liddenaway for centuries
and its existence utterly denied through
misguided prejudice against receiving any
truth, except il might como from one pre-
scribed source. The truth Of God is eternal and
wherever the revelation is written men ought to
rejoice to read it.
Philosophy is not always anagonistic to
Christian faith and tho thought of the human
family, even under the religions and phioso-
phics of tho ancient world, need not he regarded
az altogether inventions OF evil disposed men, to
escape the binding claims of Christian theisnl,
but rather tho gradual advance of human thought
as a development towards its perfection i'll
Christianity.
All being led by common levealer of truth,
and in accordance with the degree Of civilization
already attained, the chapters OH Religious
Development" "" Immortality" Ethics of Reli-
gion," The Idea of Evil" and Sacraments
are specially interesting