Wichita eagle., 1888-01-05
NATURAL LAW IN THE SPIRITUAL
WORLD

! day last before the Ministerial aSsOcla-
/ ton of Wichita by Prof. A. I. Hobbs. OF
Garfield university. The author regrets
! that the discussion was necessarily linn
/ tied by the rules, but yields to the unani-
nous request Of the association that il
should be published, although it was no,
prepared for this purpose:
Prof. Drummonds book has had a
wide reading. for the most part with sig
nal applause. In this scientific age his
aim to recast religious doctrines in the
mould of Biological science commands
almost undivided sympathy. The book
! has some eXcellencies. even elegancies
which excite the aasthetical nature and
warm the imagination. Hence. adverse
criticism Is an ungracious task; but, as
you have laid upon me the task of re-
viewing the introduction. | proceed to
my work. craving your indulgence, espe-
/ cialiy as | am compelled TO register some
/ objections to the scheme involved in the
above taking title.
Recognizing the demand of certain
scientists as just, that religious doc
| trines shall be restated in terms
| of the rest of our knowledge;
that theology shall be brought within
| the circle OF the secular science. separat-
/ ed from them by radii which shall. at the
| same time, unite it with all of them, the
author contends that this demand can
and should be met. and that this can be
I done. not only without loss TO religion
but with the following gains:
l. THE scientific demand of the age
will be satisfied"
2. There will be a gain in clearness
which will dissolve doubts and remove
perpleXities in regard to many important
articles of religion: and that this can no
longer be done, he says, by authority
which must be surrendered as a basis of
faith in religious doctrines. and replaced
by basis of science"
3. The final gain would appear
in the department of theology" result
ing in ''the establishment of the spiritual
laws on the solid ground of nature. to
which the mind trusts, which builds for
aye and would offer a new basis for
certainty III religion"
These are great promises. and if they
could be realized by the method of this
book the world could well afford to crown
Prof DrummOnd chief Of benefactors.
Cib We tii0 uiNSt INC VI Iesli-
ure to realize any marked benefit from q
system which obScures the direct teach
ing OF Gods word. Against the scheme
involved in this book we protest because:
l. 1t cOnfOunds human with divine
authority. and it sl,rrenders the latter as
the basis of Christian doctrine
.. 1t tends to displace revelation as
the source of religious knowledge.
t.. Il II
analOgues III nature the test of truth in
religious doctrines, instead of the word
of God
In so far as faith is necessary to sal
walton, its contents are the facts, truths.
commands and promises avouched by
revolution. At last these rest upon
divine authority. The evidences on
which are based faith in the Lordship of
Jesus, except such as are purely con-
structive, are legitimised by divine
authority. hence, the necessity that we
should be converted and become as
little child in order to enter the king
dom. Docility in relation to the Great
Teacher-Master-is an indispensable
qualification for discipleship. Master
and desciple are correlative terms in
Christianity. The scientists, such as
Prof. D.would conciliate by his religion
scientific method never have learned
this first lesson in religion. No matter
how scientific one may be, or how
scientifically he may formulate doc
trines, he is an unsafe guide until he
shall have laid aside pride of opinion
and shall have humbled him
self at the feet of the Master
To say. therefore, as Mr. Drummond
does Chat, The old ground of faith au-
thOrity. is given up: the new. science.
has not yet taken its place, is to assert
what | do not believe. in the first clause,
and. what. in the second, we may hope
shall never occur.
The authors eve seems, however. to
be fixed upon certain post-apostolic for
mutations in the foregoing declarations
and other similar ones. His argument
proceeds upon the assumption that the
integrity of Christianity will be jeopar-
dised if these doctrines are not seen to
be scientifically true. Against this
protest. Christianity was before
all such Foundations and viii
exist when they shall have fallen into
oblivion. He fails to distinguish be-
tween a fact or truth avouched by Di-
vine authority and the human or synod
ical formulation of the fact or truth into
q religisuS doctrine cOlOred. as Is always
the case. with the prevalent philosophy.
The former must stand; the latter, with
the authority upon which it rests. may
perish. Such doctrines. scientifically or
moulded might be rejected /.
without sin. and are, therefore. no part
of Christianity SO far as salvation is con-
cerned. Such doctrines may be. will be. /
no doubt. re-cast from age to age, and (
SO long as they enable Christians TO (
adopt Christian truth to varying Condi- /
tions of public thought, or expend sur /
plus mental energy. they may be COM /
paratively harmless. if not bound by /
synodical authority upon the conscience /
as an integral part of Christianity. thus /
Ievellng divine authority with human. !
BlogeneSlS is a rcCast OF the modern doc
trine of regeneration. ! believe and ac-
cept ScTlptural utteranceS as to the fact. .
but | fail to perceive that the doctrine.
that regeneration Is a miracle. Is any +
clearer or more certain. than before it .
was recast in the mould of secular :
science. SO far as the rationale of the
fact or process Is concerned. the scrip
-urai Is the more preferable ! freely
grant that in the formulation of relig-
ous doctrines the true scientific method .
IS legitimate. and the more scientifically
such formulation i made, the greater
he probability OF the truth of the doctrine
provided its elements are divinely author !,
zed. But. true or false. Christianity re- !
mains intact-the immutable and in
fallible expression of divine authority.
\ very perricious result of the re-
lection of authority as the basis Of
Ioctrinal faith would be that every man
Vii fhara la fra. Il salac, thn cnrnr.-rt. II :