New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-13

theology which has approved itself to the heart of
the universal man. They conceive that there must
always be some place IN any archaeological system
for the great ideas Of Cod man. moral Obligation re-
demption retribution and existence aftsrdeath. But
thew vonld make these ideas more beiievabe, they
say by stripping from them the cdeness, the false
hood the mistakes and the suporstitons OF the past
which in the course of ages have covered them as
the llchen covers the deserted minister. with rev.
ererce and loye they would remove these venerable
illusions. in order that the great workaday
world Of to-day might sec the morc venerable
truths enshrned within them.
l. is inevitable that to their contemporaries they
Will appear to Toe ruthless desroyers of ai that Is
true and beautiful in religion. They VIII naturally
maintain that lust the contrary is tho c1se,-th1t
they arc for the new and coming age the prcscrycrs
of religion. and that their work. thau6c-s As it is,
can alone keep alive Tie fire of true religion in the
hearts Of men. They do not they say, deny the Old
truths when they assert that there are new and
better WAYS Of cxpressingand holding those truths;
and Trey add That they rcas,ert al that Is good and
enduring in the theology now passing. 1t is WITH
them the old thought plus the new, the old prob
lens of the schools with the living answers of TO-
dav. the old speculatlous with tie eternal vcutles
to which they pointed. the old book of human life,
with Gods finger writing over It's pages characters
Of love and mercy,
BothProfcssorSmytha and Mr.Munger IN the intro
ducton 10 their books, indicate some of the iunda-
mental IDEAS of the new theology. They agree
essentially in their judgment on this point FRO
fc-sor Smyth cnumcratc> rs among the principles OF
the new movement an ethical conception Of religion,
irrational interpretation Of The Scriptures, recoS-
milton of the limits OF knowledge, Christian idea
Of God controlling the universe on Christian prin-
g.: I 9 i.. o. l.
OF Christianity. Mir. Munger enumcrates thrs" as
fundamental ideas; q broader use OF the reason;
more rational Interpretation Of the Scriptures:
belief i'm the solidarity of the human race; thc
necessity of recognizing the newly discovered
truths Of science and their bearing on the dogmas
Of the Church a wider study OF man; and the
necessity of rcstatcueut of belief IN cschaoogy
or tie doctrine Of last things.
Without perhaps covering the whole ground these
two summaries give fan indication Of the puI-
poses and methods of the new movement Inc
public, especially since the recent uttrrances OF
Joseph Cook If il has Thought this subject at all
has made the wholrmoycmcnt synonymous With thc
com3aratively subordinate question of probation
after death. Nothing could bee further from the
truth than this view. The discussion of o. cha
tolosy is. after All, both barren ana useless; and
beyond defining what IL is NOT, WILL wc believe,
receive httc attention from the leader, of tlo new
movement.
The great issue for this generation Doubt VIII
Poe tie nature and liuItation9o OF Divine rvela'i"n
thai j, Co SAY TIM Interpretation oi tnc scriptures.
Mr. Munger ri-htly SAYS tnat the strongest dcni7i
and widest divergence of tA" new Theology from
th' old g.. here.
..rn. nov. ticolo.." hc .-vs. "ro,Ie prcfo1ulyto
inspiration. bat it also ho'd. th1i tae Scriptures
were wuttcuby lyu.u.n whose h.c entered i1.o
D. f ...s