The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-14
AUTHORITY IN RELIGION.
THE INTEL ECTUAL CRAVING FOR
AN ULTIMATE SOURCE.

! Tx NV LAt- GS OffL ONNslNo Y Ot
AN ULTIMATE SOURCE.
sharp Contrast OF tho Views of Cardinal
Newman and Dr. Martineau-Trust in
Gods Revelation Essential TO Spiritual
Life.
The great Cardinal Newman was the
most earnest adhereDt Of the principle
Of authority in religion whom our gen
Grafton has produced. From his first
TO his latest writings. the intellectual
craving, for final authority to tell
him what he ought to believe about
God and the invisible world, is, we
may say, the thread on which his whole
creed, and all the changes in that creed,
were strung. So long as the Bible rep
resented to him the final authority, his
creed was determined by the Bible:
when he found.out that the Bible does
not adequately interpret itself he
turned from the Bible to the prim-
tive Church. and to that modern
Church which, in his opinion
at that time represented most
nearly the primitive Church-namely,
the Anglican Church Of the seventeenth
century, and Intercepted It as TO the
Cnristian creed. Aud when at las, he
had convinced himself that either there
il no legitimate heir Of the primitive
Church, or that that successor is the
Church of Rome. he submitted his mind
humbly and fully 10 the teachings OF
the Church. In strange contrast
to Cardinal Newman. ,here Is still liv-
ing q man of the most powerful intel
lect. who was only four years his lu-
NOR. whose thought has turned almost
as eagerly and a. anxiously as New
man & 10 the true secret OF authority 81
religion, but who has come tOan almost
opposite cOncluslon--we mean DR.. Mar
tinCGu.
MARTINEAU S VIEWS.
In his recent book on the subject me
rcpudiates and almost Gerides the no.
ton Of any authority except that
which the conscience cuforces ON the
nature of man. and remarks, " am
prepared l) hear that after dispensing
with miracles and infailible persons.
have 10 night to speak of authority az
all the intuiti0ual assurance which
1 substitute for DO being nothing but
confidence in my own reason. II toI
rest ON authority is % mean an accep-
lance Of what, as foreign 90 my faculty.
| cannot know. i'm mere reliance ON the
testimony of ono who can and does.
certainly find no such basis
for rchci ID; uasmuch as second
hand belief, asse0tei % az the dlcta
lion Of an initiated expert. without
personal response of thought and rev
crence in myself. has no more tlncture
Of religion in it than any other lesson
learned by rote. IL is hardly possible
Co conceive stronger contrast Of prin-
ciple than that which exists between
Cardinal Newman S and Dr. MGu-
neau = conception of religious authOri-
ty. What Is 1T That Dr. Martineau
means By secondhand belief, assentei
to at the dictation of an initiated cN-
pert. without personal response of
thought and reverence in myself =
We believe he means any secondhand
belief even IL founded on the declara-
ton of an infinitely superior being. SO
far as regards moral and spiritual life,
such as our Lord himself. though he
would. we suppose, shrink from calling
Christ mere " initiated expert.
NEwMAN's OPINION.
lie means to dcnounce as essentially
any belief about the iu
visible world accepted without tire
same means of verifying ~ which we
nave Of verifying the teachings of Che
geometcr OF the lesson OF the moralist. |
In short. Ve should no more lean upon !
the word Of Christ when Doc tells us
whence ne came before ne lived in this
life. or what would happen when hc
should be I'm this il.e mo more. lhau wC
should upon the wOid Of a dreamer %
the guess Of historian. Or. New
man s view was totally opposed TO thi5. |
In Loss and Gam. Newman meko5 the
hero, who years afterwards is repre-
scented as joining the Church of Rome.
say. in discussion with one OF hl.
friends. that 81 there Is anything which
recommends ROmaIism % him. 10 is Il-
authoritative declarations. This ISL
true. this les rot .rue; and that
what he most ycarns for is some one
whom he could trust-fOr example. the
APOSTLE Paul.il he could come 10 hi.
aram-toarswn. his questions as TO
what me ought go believe. Supp0s.
ing. he saws. that YOU did think that
the Catholic Church had an Apostle,
power to teach She Christian faith,
what comfort il would be to know
beyond all doubt. what 10 believe ab0u
God. and how t. worship and please
him =" DR.. Nartincau evidently has mot
only 10 snch wish. but would not tru-t
on Hpostle. NOT even Christ himself. f,r
ANYTHING which did not make its way
straight To his conscience and carry his
belief by storm. as ST.. PAui'5 chapter
on Charity carries by storm ones be-
lief in the supeTcNcelieDce Of Charity,
or our Lord +, parable Of the Good Sl-I
marian or the PrOdieal Son carries by
storm ones b. lief ia. the du'vof succlr-
ing ones hereditary foes. or freely par
donine ones rcpcui4nt child. Here are