New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-08
RELIGION ALLIED WITH SCIENCE.
THE REV MERLE ST CROIX WRIGHT DISCUSSES
THE REVISED UNITARIAN CREED AND
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THE REV MERLE ST. CRoIx WRIGHT DISCUSSES
THE REVISED UNITARIAN GREED" AND
/ PROFESSOR DRUMMOND's RECENT BOOK.
The Rev. Merle St Croix Wright pastor OF the
I.enox Avenue Unitarian Church. in his sermon one
week ago yesterday referred 10 the important re-
vision Of constitution creed" effected the pre-.
ccding week Saratoga by the National Unitarian
Conference. where the religion OF the Church was
defined as the religion OF Jesus. love to God and love
10 man. and announced his acceptance OF that state
ment and apropos thereto preached on the subject
of Professor Drummcnd's Ascent OF Man Yes
terday he continued the same subject, with the
text Corinthians. XIV 46: "Howbeit that was not
first which Is spiritual. but that which is natural:
and afterwarl that which Is spiritual He said in
part
We might be disposed TO differ from Pauls state
ment applying to the essence Of things. for the
the powers of the natural alone We must assume
that the spiritual existed in essence first where We
as must haps been dentca But Paul looked
and d'V obseTya RS and from that point Of View
statement is correct and II expresses a profound
first in historical order the natural. and then after
that and apparently out OF it, the spiritual From
evolu;ion in its wider rense First comes to
view the natural After that the spiritual as AN an
thought that life is strife; but is really in
ity the principle OF all for each and each for all as
Drummond SO nob!y maintains in his book rms
l
evil The essential spirituality Of the universe is me
basis of all religion. Religion can have no other
assaiied today The issues involved God or no
God religion or no religion. morality or no morality
noble living gnOb.e living? The issue Is, can man
do without morality? We may say that we can live
without religion But in the last resort We cannot
do without morality. Morality is essential TO life;
and il implies religion for religion Is ae"''%ed
Is morality essential part OF the universe. OF
ife in is eroades @spec,: DTnmmondf amrweT Is
then evolution takes on a different and greater
aspect. and is essentially different process tha4
nature. every part Of him, then evolution IL es-
great father heart. Drummond wisely contends
that evolution has been given 10 the word out OK
largely STRIFE for others. altrustic. spiritual God
like. Drummond's plea is. wait until the evidence
OF destruction. that morality forms no part %
II staddd the more Viii it SHOW that the wori
is good and increasingly good MONTGOMERY an
paid BY the universe has been high. says Drum
mond. but the results are worth t-cvillzaton
ideals religion. history, Coda small price in view
without pain according to the best present belief;
ii has resulted IN the redemption Of the race: II has
resulted not in wounds. but In health. not IN weak
but in strength. Temptation overcome strength
limit OF endurance IL overcome end in glorious
be largely perfect To the extent that II perfect
It will survive THIS is surely beneficial Goa
science will and prove the benehcence o; mature"
Nothing can survive that Is not NORA THIS j. our
daily observation. II j. our Intuition -
Calico says tina. th@ "frlu moves from "rs' -
east. Darwin says that the world moves from iow
10 high. The mean!nglessness OF nature crushed
man-not It's But IL j. no longer
meaningless II has a plan. purpose progress
toward perfection. Men see In Il an undertaking
ethicat sentiment and purpose Druinmond asks:
rs there here for religion? and he answers
Yes" and have IL already. The broken world :
not broken II IS sweet and clean, IL is ethical II u
COi-like Of this religion Drnmmond IS one OF the
prophets and not the least OF them. The result or
evolution that ethics developed out Of ~ and con
scousness OF the right AZ rs n1al flower. am T~-
gion as its expression. The old religious sentiments
we're true the old conceptions false. Now come the
new conceptions. VIII the true sentiments finger BE-"
hind? Religion allied with science and grow
ing out OF IT, In THIS alliance Will come future Tor
the race that j. unmaeinable now for Il is hidden
I'm the very heart OF our God In this religion be
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