The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-03

Is after prohering q preliminary sketch OF
the English Church from the earliest times to
1900. to trace In tho teachings Of it's broad
| and liberal divipes from Sydney Smith to Ed
win Hatch tho progress OF liberal religion dur
ing tho nineteenth century.
n.
From this review OF the internal history OF
religious thought In tho Church OF England
during the last ninety years, II seems valid
conclusion that there are at least three doc
trines as to which 1t may be safely said that the
Church has become less doematic. These doc
trnes relate to the infaibility ofthc Scriptures.
to the question OF Christian evidences and the
Trinity. As regards the first OF these doRmas,
1t is pointed out that Dean Burgon was the
last English divine OF any scholarship or abil-
ity who ventured to assert the absolute In
fallibilty OF the Bible In oil respects and on all
subjects. When Essays and Reviews was
published. great Indignation was expressed by
many OF tho clergy. and when two Of the con-
tributors were acquitted Of tho charge
OF teaching doctrines contrary to the
Church. some clergymen and laymen
signed declaration that they believed In the
literal ins piratlon Of the Scriptures But their
protest was impotent, because It represented
only the convictions Of individuals not of tn o
Church. Moreover. the volumes published in
reply to the Essays under the editorship of tho
Bishop OF Oxford and the Archbishop OF York.
admitted that the Bible 10 not inspired in such
sense as to preclude human imperfections.
Finally. when the recent attempt to carry
in Convocation q vote OF censure on
lux Mundi" failed. member re-
minded his Jealous brother Of the terms
In which no had sought the condemna-
tion Of Essays and Reviews" and added that
perhaps not one Of the clergy. except the
mover OF the motion. would now be found to
condemn the lastnAmed volume. or even to
protest against it. In word. the difference
between inspiration and inialihility has been
recognized with increasing clearnsss. Fifty
years ago Bible history was believed to have
been specially planned by God as an object
lesson to the human race: now the events re-
corded are believed to have happened without
tho direct Intervention OF the Almighty. but to
be illustrative OF the evolution Of the spiritual
nature OF man and OF his ascent from very low
depths Of cruelty and ignorance toward purity
md knowledge. Half century ago. to have
parts OF the Bible treated as common history
was distressing to pous-minded men. while
to-day to have parts OF the Bible treated rs
other than myth and poetry is equally dis
tressing to men OF pioty.
As regards also the nature and relative value
VI SNllolldA cNluouCops u ktSos Chdus0 hoo
taken place. Tho Church OF England now sets
but little store by tho testimony Of miracles.
Some effort Is indeed made to retain SEM
bance OF faith In these events, but miracles are
now generally defined as adaptations rather
than as violations OF the laws OF nature. and
consequently cease to be miraculous in the real
sense Of the word. To reduce the legends in
the Old and New Testament as far as possible
to the level Of ordinary occurrences is the en-
deavor OF those divines who cannot fully &C.
| cept the conclusions OF modern criticism and
philosophy aud yet dare not altogether deny
| their teachings. Mr.. Fitzroy reminds US that
even Thirlwall owned that the Christian re-
| llglon is dependent on no single miracle ex-
cept that Of tho Resurrection; that Millman &C.
knowledged that more conversions to Chris
tianity were wrought by its doctrines than
| by the mighty works Of its founder: and
that Stanley confessed his satisfaction at
! the fact that the progress of science
should have shown the limits OF the natural
and supernatural to be less definite than was
once imagined. To-day there are clergymen
Of the Church OF England who have under
taken to explain the growth Of illusions with
regard to miracles and to deny the occurrence
of any supernatural event at any time or in
any place. from the speaking Of Balaam's ass
to the bodily resurrection OF Christ. They
MAINTAIN LubL Oh uuUIOAcu huuclcuCo W law
and order is more in keeping with man. high
est conception Of God than are any conjuring
tricks and juggleries It Is, in fine. the con-
viction OF this author. who. 1t must be remem-
bered. is firm believer In the stability OF the
| English Church. that the Christian faith now
stands on much frmer ground than 1t stood
| formerly-not ON the authority OF a book
| or OF an ecclesiastical organization.
but on reason and experience: not
| on the witness OF this man or that.
but on the testimony Of the general conscience
| Of Christendom: not on miracles or fulhlmcnts
! OF prophecies. or Church councils. or supposed
judgments OF God. but on the witness in our
selves and in the world around US of a God
who is mot far from any one OF us" and in
whom We live. and move. and have our
being" Even IL the traditional account OF the
birth. death. and rising again OF the Founder
| OF Christianity is destined to fade before the
| light OF reason and knowledge. the essence OF
the religion OF Christ is too deeply rooted in
tho moral nature Of man. and has won its way
too steadily In all countries. under all circum.
stances among all varieties OF men to be ever
overthrown.
| With respect to tho doctrine OF the Trinity
this book traces from Maurice to Hatch the
steadily increasing influence OF German phi
| losophy as this has been recast and inter-
| pEeC6U Dy IEOI. :. II. tTeeu. TEIuciphi
and others. Mr.. FitZroy submits that. nj.
though the difference between the Atiana-
sian creed and that Of modern broad Church.
men may be one OF degree rather than OF kind.
yet the difference is as wide as that between
the Copernican and the Aristotelian theory Of
the heavens or between the astronomy OF the
author Of Genesis and that Of the author Of
Principal" Seldom is the Trinity now taught
as sort OF charm against perdition: 1t is. or
the contrary. presented by those who are capa
BILE OF looking at the subject philosophically
as . rational and sublime theory OF the uni.
yerse--God In nature. God in history. God III
the individuals.
Passing from tho internal to the outwart
history of the Church Of England in recent
times the author OF this book enum.rate.
various decisions OF the Privy Council. acts o
Parliament. and Church measures marked IL,
common willingness 70 comprehend nj
schools 81 thought within the Anglican pale
provided the moral law bs respected. Thu'
by the final judgment In the celebrated Cor
ham v. Phiipotts case In 1850. tho CalviniHi[
doctrine Of baptisInai regeneration was de
cnred 10 10 rot contrary t. the teaching 81 The
a NJ