The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-11

NtN AOlA AiAes-
Mr.. Leslie Stephen has recently dis,
cussed, in one of the leading reviews, the
"Religion Of AllSensible Men, or, in 9th.
or words, the religion that is to be adopt.
ed at some future time by men who have
had the good sense to abandon Christian.
ity. While Mr.. Stephen is sure that the
new religion will be in harmony with
scientific truth, and 1t will afford men
something upon which they can mediate,
he does not undertake to say what it will
be. lie is confident that Christianity has
had its day, and that some sort Of religion
must take its place, but he is too modest
to describe the coming religion in detail.
The task which Mr.. Stephen thus evades
is by no means a difficult one, and it is
rather strange that he did not draw the
legitimate conclusions which follow his
postulates, that Christianity is exploded
and that sensible men must adopt new
religion in It's place.
Let US see what foundation remains for
the religion oil the future, after Christiani-
ty has been cleared away. The latter rests
upon an alleged divine revelation, in
which we are told that the existence OF a
personal God; OF the Immortality OF the
soul; Of the rewards and punishments
which await us in the future lie, and Of
their relation to the acts done during our
existence here. The moment We reject the
authority OF this so called revelation, there
is left to US only probability, based on
the so called argument from design, OF the
existence OF personal God. The belief in
the immortality OF the soul vanishes, since,
aside from revelation, there is no reason to
think that the soul is immortal, and the
whole teachings OF nature opposes the by.
pothesis. OF course, II there is no future
life, there are no rewards or punishments
awaiting US after death. The distinction
between sin and righteousness exists no
longer, and expedienCy becomes the only
rule OF action. We thus find that the new
religion OF all sensible men must be based
solely upon the probability that there is
personal God, who created the world, but
who has since, so far as scientific truth can
inform US, taken no further interest in it.
Briefly summarized, the creed OF the new
religion will consist OF three articles: LIST,
There is no future life; I'd, Expectancy is
the only rule Of conduct; aud Sd, Perhaps
there is, or has been, personal God. In
point OF simplicity, this creed is-Vastly su-
perior to the Thirty.nine Articles, and it
affords no room for tiresome theological
speculations.
The new religion will, OF course, have
no room for an ecclesiastical organization,
and will require OF its adherents no relig-
iOus exercises. OF what use will it be to
offer prayers TO God who, after establish
ing certain natural laws, has left the world
TO itself, and who has never, in a single
well. established instance, outside Of Chris
tian legends, answered any prayer? Why
should sensible men waste their time in
worshiping God who has never, in any
scientific way, suggested that worship Is
His due? With what reason can sensl-
BILE man be asked to pay honors to God
whose very existence is uncertain, and
who, alter all, may never have existed?
The new religion will have neither priests
nor churches, and tho only trace OF any
cult will be confined 10 poets, who may oC-
casionally write odes to the Great Proba-
BILE First Cause, or may invoke the Posi-
BILE God in company with the purely i'm.
aginative muses..
Mr.. Stephen lays stress on the fact that
the religion Of the future must contain
something upon which man eau mediate.
This will be, Of course, the great truths OF
science, and it is to be hoped that medita.
ton upon them will purify the soul and
strengthen the weak,hearted. The crimi-
nal who is approaching the gallows will
endeaYor 10 fit himself for death by medi-
taling on the great and glorious truth OF
the binomial theorem. There will natur-
ally be chaplain to attend him, but some
scientific philanthropist will come to his
cell and read him comforting extracts from
Loomis's Algebra, and soothe his way to
humiliation by working out quadratic
equations on portable black. board. BY
this means the wicked man will be
brought TO see the inexpedienCy Of his
ways, and will approach the scatfold with
a holy, that is to say scientific, calm.
When the sensible man finds himself
strongly tempted to an act Of inexpedieRcy,
he will shut himself up, and by a short
course Of meditation on Marriotts law, SO
strengthen himself that he can walk un-
scathed through fiery furnace OF tempta-
ton.
This sort OF meditation will be Of great
service to those who are suffering. For ex'
ample, the sensible mans beloved wife
dies, and is buried. He knows that he will
never see her again, and that instead OF
awaiting him in a future world, she is un-
Idergoing conversion into her chemical ele'
rnents. In these circumstances, he returns
from well.conduC,ed scientific funeral,
and retires to seek the consultations OF his
religion. He meditates on the elements OF
the orbit OF the last new comet, or he fixes
his mind on the grand truth that the at
traction OF gravitation varies inversely as
the square OF the distance. In short time
he feels strengthened and sustained, and
comes out Of his seClusiOn Comforted and
at peace.
The new morality will differ somewhat
from Christian morality. The abandon
ment OF the theory that there is any such
thing as sin, in the Christian sense OF the
word, and the adoption Of the doctrine
that expediency is the only rule Of action,
may lead TO results which it would not be
well to dwell upon in community where
Christian prejudices still exist. Doubtless,
the sensible men OF the future will talk oil
morality as beautifully as the Stole philos-
ophers were in the habit OF talking Of it,
but If he finds it expedient to lend bis
wife to q friend, or to stab himself, science
will have no arguments to dissuade him.
There is no doubt that the new Religion
Of all Sensible Men will be vast inn
provement on Christianity and We ought
to hasten universal adoption by all means
in our power. Probably, ignorant men
and weak women will continue to cling to
Christianity for long time to come, but
the superiority OF the new religion, with
scientific consultations and its attractive
promise OF eternal death, will be So mani
lest to all sensible men that they will glad
ly give it their adherence.
The Position of Charles Davies, Esq.
Editors Intelligeucer:
Nathan In hia nrn card nor in TINT O