Morning journal and courier., 1892-03-25
LOCKE AND LEIBNITz.
Principal Fairbairn Disc0urDes on
the ssTendencies OF Modern The0l-
Ogy''-His Scholarly Views.

HI1nC1RA1 ASADS~ wv VI.
the "Tendencies OF Modern Theol-
ogy''-His Scholarly Views.
Rev. Professor A. NJ. Fairbairn, princi-
pal of Mansfield college, Oxford, and one
of the leading opponents of Congregation
alism, addressed large audience at Mar
quand chapel on the Tendencies of Mod
ern Theology" yesterday afternoon at 3
o'clock. Dr. Fairbairn is the lecturer on
the Lyman Beecher foundation and follows
in the wake of illustrious predecessors
whose reputation he is capable of uphold
ing. He spoke somewhat as follows:
must at FIRST express my thanks to the
faculty of the Yale theological seminary
for the honor conferred upon me in deliv-
ering this course of lectures. I have the
especial honor of speaking at Yale, the al
80 much 10 promote Congregationalism In
America. Therefore I como to speak the
best can to the students of Yale.
The great art of preaching is first in
having something to say and next in deliv-
ering ones thoughts in the best possible
way.
There is another aspect which have to
submit to you on this subject. In these
days the pulpit has increased in impor-
lance. The matters which man breaches
must be fully up with the times, and the
doctrinal points must be fully understood.
The pulpit has to speak alongside of the
press, which knows, often, how to cater
to the less noble features of the mind.
The pulpit must be able to combat the
growing evils of the day.
Ono thing marks the course of human
history and human thoughts. Day by day
all old things are becoming new. These
| old doctrines may seem to be weary sue
cession of events, but the rousing prob
| lens of modern theology are on the alert
When a mighty empire is formed there
tinued to exist in any other long organized
state. No two men are identical men, &C
no two generations are identical. New
| problems arise, new features of reform ar
| found.
| Theology is an example of Progressive
reform. We are now in the latter part o.
the nineteenth century. The sixteenth
century was a century In which theolog.
took place. The great determinative ele
ment of this age was classification b.
Faith" The Lutheran church of this ag
was founded entirely on that of holy writ
while that of the Roman church was decid
eddy transmitted by tradition. Therefore
the different branches of religion spranl
from the great religious awakening of tn
| sixteenth century.
The seventeenth century was decided
scholastic in it's theology. In the scholaf
tic period Lutheranism was elaborate
from the material form acquired in tn
sixteenth century. The seventeenth cer
tury was the century in which great syI
TENS were built.
In the eighteenth century we have tt
rationalistic period. The seventeenth an
: eighteenth centuries should be taken t.
, gether to be fully understood. One TO
, lows from the other. In fact, the eigh
eenth century ia the elaborate result {
the seventeenth century. The leading il
! huencers of the eighteenth century wei
Locke and, on the continent, Leibnitz.
These men did 80 much to promote MI
) dern theology that their names should |
{ handed down to posterity as the founde
t of modern rstionalism. The dogmatic fe
lures of the theological tendencies of tt
: day are such that even Solomon himse
f | could not explain them, SO I shall lea'
: these discussions out OF my lectures.
, I have now brought yon down to II
= leading reformers of the seventeenth ce
D | tury, whose greatest influence was on Il
| eighteenth century. This il fifth
t period with which to close my first le
ture.
Dr.. Fairbairn, on being interview
after the lecture: expressed his viey
9 | freely on Yale's educational system ar
said that, since it followed very nearly Il
/ example SGT by the leading colleges of o
J ford, he considers the system to be Il
| leading system in the land.