The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-21

the heavens and microscopes should
penetrate the protoplasmic secrets of
matter, than cannon should be turned
on heretics, and swords settle questions
of faith.
Religion and science are allies. But
there has been and there must be no
surrender. If faith in God and in
blessed future consummation is attack.
ed there must be defence. But what
shall be the line of defence? Not
everything that has been included in
statements of religion can or ought to
be defended. Is the existence of Deity
attacked or only conception of Deity?
That is not atheism which says. 1.-THE
God of conventional belief is not suffi
cient to the universe which science has
come to know" That is but new
wine for which we must provide new
bottle. That is not skepticism which
attacks and even ridicules some repre-
sensations which have been made of
the conditions of immortal life. In
deed, ] should not care to believe in
Immortality if Isupposed that the par
able of Dives and Lazarus was literal
description of scenes transpiring on
immortal ground, or that the last
third of the twenty-fifth chapter of
Matthew found conclusive and exclu
sive fulfillment after death. But sure
ly one may doubt such notions with
out questioning the fact of future ex-
istence. We may deny the absolute
and endless division of the human
race, part destined to ceaseless
heaven, part doomed to endless hell,
without denying the fact of immortal
ity. We defend the fact, but not the
cruel absurdities which have been as
ISOLATED with it. When it is charged
that the great Christian body is want
ing in active benevolence, that it is
losing its control of the problems of So
cial life; that it is not making itself
properly respected in connection with
the great questions of civilization, we
may not be able altogether to repel the
charge. If there is somewhat of con-
fession for US in this respect, we can
make it manfully and without yielding
an inch to the menace of materialism.
We must be awake and give to the
Gospel tongue of flame and make it
living force in shaping our civiliza-
ton. Had proceeding generations been
more faithful in this respect we might
have been spared some of the volcanic
experiences through which we have
passed in blood and sorrow as a nation.
1t is not to be denied that we need a
more direct recognition of God and his
laws. There are disturbances actual
and threatened, which proceed upon
the ground that there is no God, or
that he is the great unknown who has
but doubtful connection with the un-
iverse at best. There is little respect
for him among the restless classes the
communists, the internationals, the
nihilists, the socialists and the like.
Any decay of faith is an index of dan
ger. In worthy recognition of God
there is life and safety. Hence the
need of intelligent, consistent and
united activity among Christians, that
God may be known and his laws re-
spected.
In so far as science has even unwit-
tipgly impaired the vitality of faith its
influence must be counteracted. 1t
has demonstrated that every effect has
its cause; that every atom is held in
the grasp of law as actually as con-
stellation, and we appear to be remand
ed to condition somewhat similar to
that of the Israelites under Moses.
That was the covenant of the law. God
was known and worshiped through
system Of legal observances. Eventual
ly the laws absorbed the whole interest
of the Jews and the lawgiver was for
gotten. Hence it fell to the Office of
Jesus to reembody the basal truths of
religion in the Gospel and restore spir-
itual worship. Again God was known
and obeyed. But are we not once
more falling under the dominion of
law, and losing the liberty of the Cos
pei? Science is concerned only with
laws; it does not inquire how they
came to be. But all this wonderful and
intricate system of law with which
science deals ought to be but the vail,
just behind which and very near to us
is God, the law-maker and executive.
1t ought to make it very easy for us to
worship him; it ought to encourage
spiritual worship; it oughtto be most
helpful and encouraging knowledge that
the,minutest particle and the grandest
constellation arg sffise'under the domin-
ion of law, held in the groove of infinite
benehcence, by suggesting that our
own souls are also under the dominion
of law and held in control of the same
infinite benefcence. There is work for
the religious teacher here in supple
menting the work of science. Science
looks upon it all merely as machine.
If it asks it cannot answer the ques-
ton, how it became a machine. 1t