The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25
SEATTLE, SUNDAY. DEC. 25.
THE PRESENT DRIFT OF CHRIS
TyAEITY

putes that Christianity Is not better than
paganism in the social and moral evolu-
ton of the world. That is not the gues-
ton in dispute at all. The simple question
between liberal Christians of all sects and
orthodox Bourbonism is concerning the
validity of the experimentation that has
been associated as a base heather alloy
with the gold of the doctrine of the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of man
rs enunciated by the founder of Christian
ity and enforced by His beautiful life and
majestic death. This is question of his
torical fact and philosophical judgment,
not question of sentimental intuition
and assumption.
Christianity in its evolution in the
nineteenth century is today vastly beyond
the finest faith and works of paganism,
but il is Just as true that Mohammedanism
is infinitely better than the barbaric poly
theism it supplanted. 1t should be re-
mem bered that Christianity for centuries
did not bear any better fruits than pagan
Ism. Byzantine and Alexandrine Chris
tianity was a barbarous faith in practice,
10 fearfully was it adulterated with
psganism. Nero as pagan perse-
cuted the early Christians, but did
this brutal or lunatic emperor do any
thing more inhuman than the pope. Philip
the Second of Spain. and Charles the
Ninth of France wrought in the massacre
of ST. Bartholomew? When we remember
how faith in experimentation, the savage
differences over dogmas concerning the
atonement, the trinity, the resurrection,
eternal punishment. etc.. once made the
earth as red with blood. in the words of
Zwingli, as a cardinals hat. we should re-
member that the superiority of Christi
anity has been a long and weary work of
evolution before it reached its present
form of comparatively humane faith and
practice.
Christianity was an enormous stride of
humanity in the direction of moral and
religious evolution. but its influence for
good, which is growing every day, is just
in proportion to the rapidity with which
it casts off approximation and medieval
dogma and rests for its recommendation
TO the hearts Of men on the thought, life
and sacrifice of its founder as separated
from the theology that long after Him was
invented by ascetics and morbid expound-
ers of theological metaphysics and nailed
to the cross of Christ. A good enough
argument could have been made for the
validity of the Greek theology meas
ured by its fruits over the fetishism
of older and meaner nations. 1t is
not necessary to laboriousIy prove
that Christianity is better than paganism
So it is in its ultimate of the nineteenth
century. even as the Turk of today is
more humane than the Christian of three
centuries ago. The so-called Christian of
the sixteenth century, whether Protestant
or Catholic, was as inhuman and savage a
prosecutor as the pagan prosecutor of
Christians under the worst OF the Caesars.
The treatment of dissenters in England,
France. Spain and Germany was as in
human and horrible as that of pagan
Rome. And why was this? Because Of
the internal faith in experimentation,
medi8val dogma and theology.
Christianity. separated from medieval
superstition and theological dogma. is
simply the most recent, but not neces-
sariiy the ultimate or final stride of
H.
ton is not whether Christianity and
monotheism today are not better every
way than polytheism in Greece yesterday
The real point IS that since the Reforma-
ton there has been an irrepressibIe con-
fict within the Protestant church he
tween those vho believe that the
experimentation and theology attached
by ecclesiasticism TO Christianity are its
very heart, essence and kernel. and
those who believe that they are but
the barnacles that impede the progress
Of the good ship of Christian HUI
manity in human thought and action
The battle shout of today is nothing but
the note of the same bugle blown upon by
Luther and passed like the torches of lib
erty from one strong hand to another
from generation 10 generation. This re-
volt has always come out OF the church it
self and is today heard. like the voice of
an imprisoned spirit, within the church
speaking in no uncertain tone. This evo-
luton and elimination within and without
the church has been steadily going on
since Luther's day. Dr. Briggs vexes the
Presbyterian church today even as Zwingli
and servetus ve1ed Luther and Gavin.
1t il too late in the worlds history 20
treat dissent - wicked perverseness. The
drift Of the day is TO Jesus Christ Himself
more than ever before in the history of the
race The ethical religion OF Jesus IS grad
ualiy displaoing the religion OF simple he
lief. The life Of Christ IS ii IS portrayed
in the Gospels and the character OF Chris.
stands for an ideal which we all en&eavor
10 initiate. whatever may tie our opinion
respecting the miracles. This Is not only
tie view OF Dr. Swing. speaking :gom "a iyh-
Gus the church. but of DR.. Lyman Abbott.
speaking from within Plymouth church.
Dr. Abbott is saying inside the Congregs-
tionai church and on the lecture platform
what he would have been sent 30 Jail for
in the days OF Jonathan Edwards, and