New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27
THE NEW THEOLOGY.
AN ABLE EXPOSITION OF MODERN XII
IIGIOUs THOUGHT.


-, MA Tho New Theology under the heads OF
Na+orial,sm the Supernatural Dogmatism, Petsh anu
spIrtnalism The result Is Logical ana coinPiono"
sve view Of the whole subject, that Is most opporuo
al n time when so many dispuants are ninhg Tue 81
With cIanor over the merely accidental and superfels
characteristics of the movement. The New theology
is not new and 1t Is not theology 1t Goes noe loon
IN tho nromuIcarion OF q new creed. II is simply
tendency a movement advancing along the lines Oh
human progress, and taking 10 itself shape ana qoor
from the circumstances and tendencies OF the age some
have becn carried much further than others on the
current Of this movement; but even those VINO nave
been carried but little way have been touched with
the spirit of rcsessness that so marks the religious
and intellectual life of the day.
What individual leaders In this movement think
or believe Is of comparatively slight importance though
It is point On which many observers concentrate
their attention. The movement itself is OF vastly
greater interest and importance than the individuals
who compose IL, and the really interesting question
is its direction and its rate of progress whole II
is not how IL will affect the attitude OF a certain
few theoogans toward the traditional dogmas, but
how It will finally affect the masses. whose thinking
| Is not in the path Of straight line, but along
spiral whose convolutons often record only an min
itesimal advance and sometimes even seem TO indicate
retrogresson. These points Of retrogression are
oute as interesting as the points of progress, and
deserve even more attention. becaue they so apt
IN be misunderstood. They must not be regarded as
isolated facts, but part Of the whole movement
which has for its norm in the last analysis the
ethics OF human conduct. And here the new theol-
ogy parts company with the traditional theology
1t holds that religion and ethics are both the In
terpretations OF the same set OF facts. and that
no moral deductions as 10 the character Of God
in the government OF the world should con
tradct the careful nducti0ns OF experience
gathered under that very government itself
In Dr. Bascoms opinion, the sceptclsm OF unsatsheo
feeling IS far dangerous than merely intellectual
scepticism. 1t is the scepticism which Is taxing
possession of the working classes because they think
whether rightly or wrongly, that the spirit Of Christs
law is not in the Church Of Christ The masses have
little real interest in the question of creed revision
which seems so important to many theologsns. They
could get on very comfortably with creeds much more
erroneous and defective than those which now tho
subject of investigation. They have not the In
tellecual training necessary to enable them To enter
into q discussion Of dogmatic Theology. What alone
can satisfy them, and what, for some reason, they
fail 10 find I'm modern Christianity, IS Christs law OF
love, and Chrst's principles of brotherhood appcd to
the social life Of the people. The new theology rec
ogni2es this fact and strives to unto the plelsm OF
religion aud the virtue OF morality 10 higher, wider
deeper Of spiritual things which shall touch
every relation of human life.
"Ths union Of the present with the future says
Dr. Bascam, the life that now is, with the life tha
ought tO be this meeting God in the works OF God TINS
maldng reve atOn the rght that ghe;h every man TIA
cometh into the world. the substance OF the new
theology; new only In casting aside the mischevons
limitations Of faith and giving it free play once more
in the work Of Interpretation. correction and inspire
ton which falls to It. Faith that ceaslng 70
grow is planted in fresh soil and becomes again the
tree Of life bearing twelve Of fruits and yield
ing It's fruit every month, while It's leaves are for the
healing OF the nations"
The author defines Naturalism to include not simply
physical laws, but Intellectual and moral laws a.
we'll :. in q word, the laws Of matter thcnght and
conduct As n result of this he takes faith and In
,piratlon ont of the domain Of supematuralism, and
puts them in the domain Of naturallsm This involves
most important consequences, ard touches on ques-
tions that arc today being most passiOnatcly dis
Cussed by the churches Take revelation, for In
stance. The prevalent view of revelation Is that It
does not fan under the ordinary laws of thought, and
that its message is not in any way amenabe TO the
reason. Ii rests solely the Divine authority which
promulgated it, to which authority reason must
bow no matter how unreasonable It's revela-
ton may seem 10 be. DR.. BascOm denies the correct
ness of this view lie maintains the right Of reason,
first test the suHlcency of the authority and next
TO test the correctness OF the assertions made by H.
At neither point in his opinion, can reason be strait
ened without pushing the mind from It's proper basis
The inquiry into the rchtfuness Of authority, mus
usually prcccde the inquiry into the truth which
the authority supports; but 1t never suspend that
inquiry when the proper time for II comes. The ono
act only prepares the for the other. The length
Of time that may elapse between them, Is matter Of
the minds growth and OF convenience. II follows.
therefore, that rel 1ous truth cannot be separated from
other forms of tr1th nor made irdependent OF the
laws OF thought II NAV be supernatural. in the sense
that it is beyond and above the common experiences
of men, but 1t must also be natuIa in the that
ii does not contradict the To bold otherwise
would be to prevent the exploration Of the highest field
Of thought by the quickest hedge Of authority II Is
we'll to pluck of sandals when tread holy
places, but to tread them Is Divine privilege nay.
| our Divine right.
The works and the words OF God not to be di-
glded If His works can bear all the limitations dc
lays and failures Of reason, can His words. As
well say that mans first. superficial and imperfect
impression Of Gods works IS To be held as Divpely
true for all time, sly that mans first superficial
and imperfect impression of Ills words is to be held
Dviney true for all time If the works OF God Yield
the largest service to man in calling forth and in
responding to II, do His words. And II the works
of God. direct from the hand of God may still bear
human handling, 50 mag His words, which come to us
| through the mmahle minds Of men.
1--WE wish 10 the Scriptures says DR.. Bascom.
pposing their own basis, the only sufficient and
basis OF intrinsic truth; we wish to them
fully restored to all the uses-even abuses If You
please-of mind We wish to acknowledge and possess
an Inspiration which consists in the souls mastery Of
its medium Of life its nbreathng OF It's own native
air, the spiritual presence and love Of God" And
again. In speaking Of natural ard revealed religion ne
says: "The two forms Of truth one aud the same,
rest identical grounds. and must be unfOlded
currently. Inspiration is the minds mastery Of truth
nothing less than tlis, and there Is nothing greater
| than ths-and this mastery Is In no persQY, at no
period. and in no important particular. complete
doctrine OF inspiration that arms the divine author
ty OF any principle aside from the Insight Of the mind
of the recipient involves inadmissble dea Is with
out sufficient proof falls 10 perform the very service
expected Of IT, and inereres at every stage with the
just development OF religious truth" And still again
he amplifes this idea "a follows: No life can come
ont Of process which itself lacks life and all
In the spiritual world The soul never so lives a,
when lives before God in the light OF His truth.
would not be more unphlosophlcsl to say that the
prophet, in portion Of his physical functions, lives
by miracle than to say that he in part thinks BY