New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-13
TIE CLERGTS YTEILGCTCAL AGILITY.

BISHOP LITTIEJoHN's THIRD LENTEN LECTURE-
ARrAYING TIE EVIDENCES.
Bishop Littleiohn delivered the third lecture
in L Llutcn course al ST. P,tcr- Church IN Twentieth
st. last evening His subject was "Lvtcnces Of Intel
lectual Activity III he Christian Ministry
He said iu substance:
To tud these evidences We must go beyond mere euni
mar1es results aud rr'cw the processes OF housni ana
the u.os and adaptations oil on A'i9 ne" e-iulns by
which results have been reached A IL WIS once we
fashion the intellectual force oil ne Clergy al INC
highest 30 now coming 10 Bee The fashion 20 fe ll, II
not lowest, at least a. on ihe decline, "nen com
9f with that of other learned classes. The facts eve
nO 10 this opinion, ANA so ar rs exists II
hetc interest in department OF thought III which the
Two opposite wing tie clerical body care little for
ts intellectual presu-~-thc progressive liberals VINO
l.o4An C'',G ~ a. ,r,,n,i ,-t1ogt mixing with the
clergy have done IN their own province OF theology we
must rccs the autaconlstc movements IN rue recent
thought of the time IAc first o these to arrest alien
ou ia This connection Is what L. known, on It's sceHinc
side As Po.ityl-U and on - practical side ~ secular
fT,r,, r. fbr oy authority natures la.s the only
Providence and oDciiruce 10 them as The Only religion
FOUNDATIONS OF theology II "tlc new philosophy of
Herbert spencer whose attempted IeoViCtila,io1 y
RELIGION from the field OF rational Thought Running
riiei win these have been the cOuIstei schools Oi
ileisn that have aimed To construct God ana IeuSOn
ot az human CONSCIOUSNESS More OF Tess luuehCtu o9
these, though not adopLhs many Vi "a, Va - -
some of them working within church lines, the pracuca
eject of which has been resolve religion INTO ethics,
and Christian dOg1nas into seutincnsor INTO Impossible
Jefui ions of eternal truth. IN meeting these and all
INFLATED drift. OF the age. the tleooscal Mlnd mas
shown UNSURPASSED energy and ability ID JUS EFFORTS 10
proye That theology answers every test oi NrIltdnc
science s 10 the reality OF it sources Oh klOWedgei ~
10 tbr validity OF the premises drawn from these sources
a. 10 the logical sOundncss or It's ltasoullS-
from these PREMISE 70 the uulN cFsdlliy
and unchaugeabicuers or lis IIhudi
nrnciples and or the ethical conditions deduced from
tbem A. to it, historical permanenCe and continuity az
a department Of human thought. Nor only th- bul 10
prove also thai theology Is IN reality the foremost Vi
sciences because IL supplies living root To All Otier
sciences bv exhibiting them the fepOwer that perry aces
all OF which they take cognzance, ana next because -
N. ghtfui function explain nc other sciences III neI
ultimate meanings. each 70 each, and each 10 Az 10 we
mil extent that a. the OF God II l. able 10 throw
over them the central light OF Gis HILL wisdom and love
as educcs that ght from nature, reason ana cFcato
II there he God. the last generation OF science must
mere itself in the ei1gence OF Ills being ana ma ta
ultimate root in His hte-Nying power
Another leading evidence OF the energy OF the theO
logical mind Is found in what has done toward solving
the problem limits OF thought on the subject mattel
OF reiOu-the most difficult Of al questions IL the ncld
OF inquiry; another In It's effective Work IL me
various branches OF the theistic argumen Il ana sun
another in what It has done keep alive IN the common
mind the sense OF the supernatural as practical IN
1uence upon conduct and character