The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-16

1t is often remarked that history re-
peats itself and the ancient Solomon
said, "There is nothing new under the
sum- However, he was not living in
day of invention as we are. But in
general these sayings may be regarded
as truisms.
The student of sociology, looking over
the details of past history, finds prece-
dent for many of the phases of human
department of to-day which seem new.
He finds that each age and community
of the past had its philosopher and ig-
norant man, the same as now are seen.
He finds there the believing and the I'M
believing; the irreligious and the su-
perstitious the virtu0us and the Vi
cious. History cannot be written so
poorly or with such partisan bias as not
to intelligibly reveal these characters.
We are not, then, exclusively in the
modern day. The characteristics of the
human mind of all the past, in respect
to philosophy, government andreligion,
are, in essentials, with the people of
to-day, and will be with them in all the
long tomorrow.
Besides, the new achievements which
distinguish the present are not from
the whole mass of mind having be-
come SO much elevated. A very con-
siderable part would not measure above
where many of several thousand years
ago would have measured. From these
would we expect to see, so far as con-
ditions permitted, about the same
mental phenomena.
The element of religion having been
for the most part wrapped in much
mystery, must have been, from the
Oldest times, an inviting field for the
the work of fanciful and speculative
minds. Religion was the bend uniting
the soul with the gods, or with God,
who with the most enlightened were
invisible beings-beyond all sensuous
observations. Their relation with the
souls and the bodies of men, and with
all external nature, was by no laws
with which man could be acquainted
The laws of visible nature were at all
times subject to these supernatural
laws and revokable at the election OF
these gods. Everything in the direction
of the gods was permanently mirac.
ulous.
This was more especially true of the
devotees of the pagan religions, but it
was also true of large part of the fol
lowing of the Hebrew worship. "Who
by searching can find out God,' which
is a truism of to-day. was an express
sion in the Hebrew mind of a mystery
much greater than is entertained Of
God by the enlightened Christian mint
of the present. And mystery practi
cally removing all limits to the admis
sion of interpretations, there could b
no check placed upon the most extrav
agant assumptions. And no reason an(
no science could be applied where th'
law could not be cited.
Hence the religious world was large
ly at the mercy of religious charlatans
and demagogues. From this it so soor
became possible to shroud so largely
the simple, reasoning teachings Of
Jesus under an impenetrable film OF
creeds, thus infictipg an irreparable
loss on mankind, and entailing list OF
mythical appliances to the Christian
system, which are still delaying the
good day when, by being seen to rest
upon we'll known law, the doctrines OF
Christ will be incontroyertible.
We are entering upon day of better
light-a fact generally conceded to be
true of religion as we'll as of other mat
tiers. And while the more intelligent
of our time see no prospect that the
finite mind shall ever see all mystery
pertaining to religion fully solved, by
reason of the permanently superior
position of the Infinite-the Deity
with whom a part of the conditions OF
religion rests, still what truths pertain
ing to it are essentially our part of it,
are fast being opened to the average
understanding so much so that of
many other matters which determine
our actions, we know the principles
with quite as little certainty.
And so religion has its philosophy
and its science, and is measurably with
in the province of reason and demon
stration. People, therefore, may and
should go into their churches, as they
go into their schools, knowing that the
principles which they there employ are
essentially matters Of fact and justify
ing. One will not enjoy his music less
by knowing it to be fixed in intelligi-
BILE laws, and by himself understanding
those laws. Neither will one enjoy Ills
religion less by knowing it is a matter
of law and that with its principles he
has an acquaintance. The tendency is
to make him more religious when he
comes to see that it is fact and not a
play of life-when he sees that religion
is factor of self and not an accretion,
and his best condition is inseparable
from its observance, and that its laws
in violation are very severe upon the