New-York tribune., 1873-01-01
THE OLD AND THE NEW KAITH.

iyROM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THR TRIBUNE
BERLIN, Nov. 30.--ln continuation OF hs
theological studies, Dr. Strauss has just published at
Leipsic Der aIte and der Claude The usle-page
sdds that the book is a confession OF faith hno 'he
Huthor explains the introduction that the late tupphs
Of Germany in the field suggested a statement Of the
religion by which she is selected 10 beat down super
stition in the mind That religion is one which Andover
and Princeton are hardly ripe 20 accept The book VIII
De buTued in all orthodox families but even the PROBES
eors will read n first II they 10 see heresy set iOrth
a0ly and frankly and in almost admirable style Inc
last point is worth noting Polemical treatsee ID
Germany supposed. and with reason, TO set forth
obscure doctrines in very awkward and involved
phrases, but Dr. strausss style ia cr1sp clear, ana
elegant and he is never dull 1t should seem that he
had taken for master in composition his great Freheh
oowOrker Ernest Renan. The OLD and the New Fath Is
divided into four parts These are l. Are we stlll
ChristiansH III. Have we stin religion III How DO
conceive of the worlds Nv. How do we regulate our
lives The these questions involve the fnl-
fnen OF the object OF the book The first part is the
assault on enemy and is merely negative; toe sec
ond treats the and extent Of the religious SEN
tment which is innate in man; the third discusses
some Of the physical problems involved In natural re-
hgOn the fourth presents scheme OF NE OUTSIDE vi
Christianity will try TO give you. concisely. anouoh
OF each OF these subdivisions of the learned sRepuos
book.
The first mart contains little that would be new TO those
who are acquainted with the leading doctrines OF Dr.
etrauss school The author takes up one after another
and criticises-aways sharply often contemporary
and sometimes hippanty-most OF the articles OF re-
voaed religion SO that after this process there remains
for those who follow him very small share OF the
Christian creed The Trinity is first discussed, but
briefly. 1--WE can no longer be moved by such dogma
II was natural and perhaps useful enough for the oary
CHRISTIAN but today is only worn-out superstition
This remark occurs often throughout the WORK. bap
tsm be says is an excellent ceremony with when 10
impress heathen but rather puerile 10 ratOhai
men. After some rude blows for Luther and the doc
triue Of salvation 10y faith, he comes to ratoDaism'
which he thus dehBes:
Rationalism is compromise between the oid cIeeGs %
Of the Church and the merely negatye resR ] ot b te
examination hy the new hsnt. of tbe CIa
by natural laws and honestly the chaIaGters OI % ,b @
Testament men Ike other men, no WORSE tnan
others. hut I'm many respeets worthy OF sluuy Jesus
was nor the son of God in the ecclesiastical sense nor
vet an nnpOstOr passing himself OF FOR the eafthy MES
stab bus LOVING God and hls neghe0r' VINO sur
fered nartyrGom IN order 10 give ms PeopS prei .
lgoue and Eora laws the sOcalled miracles are not
frauds but mistakes the part either OF the Nlnesses'
the historians o. the readers
The school Of rationalism was developed In Germany
IN The eighteenth century, he says. The weapons OF
skep.csm forged i'll England: thence they passed
10 France, where voltsne used them TO sharpen his
Eneere and satire then Germany took them and founded
school Of Thought The rest of this part of the book
is taken up with somewhat desutOry attacks on the
tJine conclusion is that if hristanity ever was
In harmony with the human mind, it is so no longer.
therefore prepared for the answer to the
question: Are We Christiansf" "My testimony is"
sayt Dr. Strauss that If keep clear Of sophstry,
turn neither 10 the right nor TO left yea yea, and
nay nay-in short if speak honest fearless men
we must confess: We are no longer Christians"
In the first beginning. the Germans say OF the sec
pnd part Dr. puts record his conviction that
no rel lrfO1 human
nature Men, he says, whose gion is a matter
doubt generally in other respects brutal rather
than human. The development of religion and the
growth Of intelligence 60 hand in hand" He then pro
eeeds 20 sketch the progress Of religion, from the first
nations OF the savage who God in the clouds
and hears him in the wlnd" down through mythology
and Judaism TO Christianity. The monotneisc cOnoep-
ZION Of God has phases the Absolute and the Per
sOnal; the coming, it were, from the maternal,
the other rom the paternal sde the one contributed
by Judaism, the other by the Greek philosophy.
The of the section is taken with
discussions rather abstract and technical Of some Of
the problems involved in natural religion. Such the
argument from design the efficacy OF prayer. the belief
In the immortality OF the soul, the and the
IN religion, &c. In conclusion the author sums up the
elements Of religion which modern criticism has left
unsakeD "Our religion is not that OF our fathers; but
would absurd to infer from that fact that we have
10 religion" In the first place. have the basis OF all
recion-the sense of dependence. Whether say
God or Nature. feel that there is superior power
before which helpless This leads to the second
article: The recognition Of law in Nature. Reflection on
the operation of natural laws and our own interest
therein develops the deaof reason and goodness, OF
moral law Thence the recognition Of this same dstinc-
ton in ourselves gives the idea Of moral freedom No
church canIsubsst without this principle. "Then why
60 you ounce churches, in other words systems Of
religion sthe question that Dr. Strauss pnts in the
mouths Of his critics. Because" responds ne, ain
formal systems Of religion, the false inevitably mixes
itself with the true"
After abolshing christianity, and setting IN in its
place sort of natural religion, with the fundamental
doctrines which have already given you, the author
proceeds to set forth his views cosmology. This
chapter is interesting whole. but extracts from this
that portion would have little value. II is worth
noting al the start that Dr. Strauss a correspond
ence between the progres from polythesm 10 monothe
i'm. and the progress from the idea OF plurality OF
worlds 10 that Of the universe-the All I spare You
however The metaphysical speculation about the nature
of this Alwheher the All is One, or MANY, whetherIt
~ An in An or an in Everything, and what relation 1t
the Ego These discussions x the subjective part
of the conception the author says Thus equipped he
from the Creation 1.-THE Soul, from the Darwnian
theory 20 the philosophy OF the Unknown, from Moses
70 Buckle The universe Cosmos (Die Welb means in
his USAGE merely the physical bodies with the laws
regulating their movements, but the universe as a
system which moral as well as physical causes act, to
which men well planets move, in which the laws OF
human nature we'll as the laws OF matter command
respect 1t may shock certain enthusiastic young ladies
70 learn that in the opinion OF Herr David Strauss
Goethe and not Darwin the real author OF the theory
Of selection.
In the fourth and last part OF his work. Dr. Strauss
Discusses not only,the ordinary fnaxims Of ethics,
they xsted according TO hmlong before the Decaogpe
but great many special problems OF social organization
He introduces the late war; and ushes, in his letters
10 Renan the course of Germany. sThe principle Of
natonates gets good word, and international aRita
non a The Church of Rome, he seems to hold,
represents the international principle, and for this
discusses the merits of the two great forms of govern
ment republic and monarchy; and his views. though
clearly set FORTH are painfully devoid Of originality
not whether he the pupil or the teacher OF M
Rensn, but there is striking resemblance between
that the republic is the most lOetcal He
xrases Switzerland and the United States Further than
fhis however he will not 60 and the institutions Of
Germany, the German idea OF absOlutism, seem TO
oaptivate him. He must lie added to the many other