Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02

corueu IN nXen accurate statements, uuclanS
ing and infallibIe there CA be no differ
ence of opinion about it among mer. Ths
sects of Christendom have been silent IN
conscious protest against the infallibility o.
human life ard history in which men have
adopted principles greater than they knew.
But liberal studies have had greater and
| happier influence than the accidental effort:
of illiberal minds. All religions have books
| and the studies of comparative religion have
resulted Ia the application Of the general
| principles of historical criticism to all writ.
ings of whatever kind that claim historic
credibility. This has modified the sharply
defined dictum of former age, The Bible
and the Bible only" and given room to other
Influences that have taken the Bible out Of
| all provincialism Of thought and given it the
rank that belongs to it in the literatures of
the world Intelligent and reverent minds
do not lock upon the Bible with superstition,
neither do they hesitate to say that it has
some of those imperfections that belong to all
writings, and especially to the writings Of an
| early age. The idea expressed in the lines
copied by Byron on the fy-leaf of his Bible
is not the idea of those who have fee in
| telligent interest in the book:
s'within this awful volume lies
The mystery Of mysteries.
Happiest they of human race
To whom our God hath granted grace
To read, to hear, to hope, to pray,
To lift T. e latch and force the way.
But better had he eer been born
Who reads TO doubt, or reads to seorn"
1t may be fairly said that the Bible is no
| longer banished from the general human
world, to some isolated and exclusive pro-
vince, to be read or studied in methods appli-
cable to itself alone, as if it had nothing in
common with the universal experience of
man. 1t is accessible to the spirit Of truth, as
all books that man has written, and all things
that God has made, are accessible. Those
who have thought deeply, and have had the
courage and faith of common sense, think
that infailibility cannot reside in book-in
any book It can belong only to mind, to
| an infinite mind, that moves in the rythm of
almighty power ard goodness. There can be
no infallibility for man. His guides are
opinions, judgments, convictions, feelings,
hopes the only standards that moral beings
can have as they move forward towards a
horizon that is ever retreating.
| This modified view of the Bible, giving il
| It's true place in the rank of moral and
spiritual powers, has moderated and softened
the tone of dogmatic teaching based on if,
| and had the general effect to refer all matters
| of religious opinion and belief to the moral
nature of man as the final authority. The
authority of any opinion or belief lies in its
persuasive power over the intelligence, the
conscience and the affections Of men. The
| Bible is an Important source of religious
knowledge, but it is not the only source
History, the life of mankind the experience
OF the world, the illustrious spirits of the
race, the individual heart, the sword OF truth
that glances in every ray of light, are the
sources of opinion, knowledge and faith.
There is less stress laid upon the miracle
Setting aside all question of philosophy or
validity of the miracle, there is feeling
strong, quiet and unobtrusivs that miracle
proves nothing in religion. Wonder can give
no validity to that which, if it is at all, is in
its own right. This has nothing to do with
the nature of miracle, as such, and these lin
its afford no opportunity for that discussion,
neither is it called for the fact is all that is
interesting here-.he fact that men do not
believe doctrine that contradicts their in
most heart and highest reason, on miraculous
testimony. After the wonder is wrought, the
question comes, What is it that is proved, or
proposed to be proved? The final appeal is
to the voice within, and not to the wonder.
This tendency to lower the tone of miracle
has the effect to make common opinion more
reasonable and to brig religion into the
province Of common experience.
There is in the present what would not
have been acknowledged as true or possible in
former times-a Science of Religion. The
studies of such men as Burnouf, Bunsen and
Max Muller have been directed to the com.
parison of the religions of the world with
each other. These studies are recent.
Fifty years ago there was no ade-
quate information concerning the re-
ligions of mankind. Comparative the
ology is having great Influence in modi-
flying, enlarging aad universalizing religious
opinions. All religions have q common root
in the nature of man, and there is a singular
harmony between them. They seem to fall
in with the order OF time, events, race and
history. They are not false, but imperfect
Comparative religion has great Influence in
giving world-view of religion itself, and o
proyidential aspect to the lot and fortunes Of
mankind. The narrowmindedness and want
of sympathy SO often associated with religion
i ia thus overcome, and men think better of the
world when they think of the whole of it.
There is a distinct and unmistakable ten.
dency to move out from the shelter and pro-
lection of venerable creeds, and to ignore tie
theory of the dogmatic apprehension Of Chris.
tianity. Calvinisn, one of the most ii fiuer.
tial systems of belief in any sge. and preg.
nant with uptcli good, has expired. AS a
test of opinion it is no longer applied II
is dead tree, whose branches are in.
deed covered With vines of memory and
| LTSulbfOu give x ioAOAoA oh%eS W ma
devout and fila s. ntiments But the tree
has no Life, AMI the fruit it bears is not from
its root but from tile growth that has
sprung up by its side and LEAFS for time
upon it fer support. Calvinism was the n osi
illustrious instance of the attempt to appre
bend religion Dramatically and reduce Chris
tianity to logical formula. Is iece Of logic
it is not surpassed by any master of any
school. It's very strength was fatal 1t al
went together, ring, chain and staple. Each
of its FIVE stones vas keystone, and if on,
was ioosened, the arch fell. The average
religious opinion of to day is singulsrly I'M
Calvinistic. Instead OF regulating man i,
believes in bin. Instead of casting him off,
it adopts him. 11stea1 of enthroning self
will, it enthrones benisnans la aad love.
A striking fact ard popularity of the pres
emit time is the great acquisition of new physi
cal knowledge. Tie effect of this can b.
estimated truly only when knowledge shall
be more complete. Tha. the progress o
/; physical knowledge has disturbed some of th,
la ,a.;t;on. N ,,afb of rai;r,;c,,s ~ o,ob