Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-06

| been and is composed OF these two ele-
ments; one of which is the universe!
truth of religion, the anti-Christian
position is unphilosophical. 1t ex-
presses an indiscr,n,inating antagonism
toacard both error and truth. 1t is
based upon partial and very made
quate definition of Christianity.
The ph ilosophical student of relig-
ion discovers the significant fact that
religions are born, not made. That
each particular religion is the result of
the gradual Transformation of preex,
listing religions. The New religion
may be said to have both father and
mother; that is, it is either modi-
fcation of the old by contact with an
other faith, or it is result of the
union of certain elements and tenden-
cies of different religions. Judaism
was greatly modified by contact with
the religion of Persia; while Christ
ianity Cor that which has for more
than fifteen hundred years been known
as Christianity was the result of a
union between the Messianic ideas of
the Hebrew faith and certain ideas of
Greek philosophy.
During the first three centuries the
Jewish element was in the ascendant
Since then Christian theology has
been essentially Greek, or at least
compromise between Hebrew mono
theism and its tendencies. and the
polytheism of the Greeks.
We have in the appearance growth
| and gradual transformations of Christ
ianity. from the disciples earnest ex-
pectations of the immediate return of
Christ, through the various controver-
sizes of Christendom, to the latest pha.
SEES of Christian faith,-in ali this we
have the result IN one continuous pro-
cess There is a historical continuity
extending from the first to the nine
teenth century Each phase OF Christ.
ianity has differed but little from the
one immediately preceding Free re-
llgion differs less from the most liberal
Christianity than the faith of CLEANSING
| differed from the Orthodoxy of his
time. When claiming affirmed the
| identity OF religion with goodness,
| righteousness, when he affirmed the
integrity and perfectability of human
nature,-he emancipated religion from
dogma. from dependence upon all his
torical persons and events though it
might continue to be closely associated
with certain persons and events
The movement from Luther to Chan
ming, from Charming to Parker, and
from Parker to the Free Religious
Association, is one continuous move
ment.
The old is never wholly false.
Every dogma of Christendom repre-
sents truth. Each Christian dogma
contains as much truth as those who
framed it could see; as much of truth
as many who accept it can comprehend
Ii the dogma is less than the truth, if
it is narrow and one sided statement,
it will be outsrown. Its natural re-
lection will result from the perception
of the larger truth Until this larger
truth is perceived, all attack on the
dosmas will avail nothing. When the
larger truth is perceived, all opposition
10 the dosma will be superhuous.
These dogmas bear relation to the
minds OF those who are satisfied with
them, similar to that which the Ian
guage of children bears to the thoughts
of childhood. The vocabulary of a
child is limited by his ideas; as his
knowledge increases, his vocabulary
will enlarge
To me the idol is nothing but
block of wood or stone But my de-
struction of the idol will not remove
the mental and spiritual limitations
that necessitated it. | render the
cause of truth poor service in merely
breaking the idol The worship of
that idol is an essential step towards
the worship of God in spirit and truth
What is most needed is to raise the
idolater above the possibility of wor-
shipping ar idol. The means to be
employed is the truth itself The
method is that of affirmation, not that
of denial and antagonism.
| This brings me to my final objection
to the anti-Ghristian position.
To my mind 'anti Christian" stands
| for an erroneous method It would
make error its objective point. It is
based upon that popular fallacy that
error must be combated and destroyed
before the truth can be established;
that the darkness must be dispelled be-
fore the light can shine. It. is, how
fever the light that dispels the dark.
ness; it is the truth that dispels the
| error.
| Mankind 9roao out Of errors and re.
sulting evils. Man is lead by the
beauty of the truth rather than driven
by the deformity Of the error.