The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-04
ness, as it shows in man sense Of
weakness, ignorance and sin.

not thought, that it does not be-
long to the head, but to the heart.
This is the statement of a half truth
and the affirmation of positive un-
truth. 1t is true that religion is an
emotion, but it is not true that it is
not also thought.
There is no emotion without intel
ligence, and no feeling in human ex-
perience without thought, no heart
without head, in mans nature. In
the action of the human mind, the in
telligence precedes emotion, thought
arises before feeling, and the head
thinks before the heart loves.
knowledge is the necessary condi-
tion of affection, intelligence of emo
ton, thought of feeling, and feeling
of action. We never have rational
emotion without intelligence, and we
never have intelligence without emo
ton. Prof. Tyndall's theory is there
fore based upon an incorrect psychol-
ogy and for that reason is untrue, and
cannot be applied in practical life.
But even if religion were only an
emotion, that would not prove it un
true, or without an important func
tion in life. The existence and func
ton of the emotions are facts of hui
man consciousness and experience,
and history shows that feeling is just
as necessary and just as important as
thought. Complies theory that reli-
gion is temporary stage of human
progress, and not permanent form
of human development, is contradict
ed by consciousness, experience and
history. His great social law that
the individual and society passes
through three stages in its progress
from savagery to civilization, that is,
the theological, metaphysical and
scientific, is in no sense true.
There is no such law of social pro-
gress. 1t is true that theology, phil
osophy and science are three forms of
human development that are mutu-
ally inclusive and not exclusive of
each other. AS forms of human de-
velopment they co-exist in the same
individual and the same society. They
do not injure but assist each other,
and science attains its highest type
only when accompanied by philoso-
ply and religion.
The present is the most scientific
age the world has ever seen, and it is
no less the most philosophical and
religious. The English, American
and German peoples are more thor
oughly scientific than any other peo-
pie on the globe, and at the same
time their philosophy and religion
are of high order. Religion is, there
fore, permanent element in human
character, and persistent factor in
human progress. Man will never out
grow his capacity for it, his need of
it, or its influence upon him.
Its influence on man is permanent,
and will become universal, for it is
part of his nature, and an indestruct-
ible element of his spiritual being.
The position of Max Muller that
religion is the result of mans intui-
ton of the infinite, or of the exercise
of a faculty by which man knows
God, is doubtless true.
1t may not be all the truth on this
subject, but it is certainly in harmony
with mans religious consciousness,
experience and history. Such fac
ulty is adapted to recognize God as
the eye does the light. 1t is the eye
of the spirit by which we have Wis
ion of God, and see the infinite as
revealed in the finite. The existence
and exercise of such faculty will
alone explain the existence of univer-
sal religion.
The eye needs the light, the ear
needs sound. Reason needs science,
conscience needs the moral law. So
the faith faculty needs revelation of
God in nature, and the Bible as the
medium through which it receives the
vision of the infinite. 1t is thus
through natural faculty, and natu-
raj and supernatural revelation, that
man comes to know God. The differ
ence between other systems of relig-
ion and Christianity is not in the
natural faculty of men for religion,
but in the supernatural revelation
which is the medium through which
the knowledge of God comes to man.
The ethnic religions resulted from
the exercise of this faculty in the
light of natural revelation. Chris
tianity results from the exercise of
this faculty in the light of both nat
ural and supernatural revelation.
CAMDEN o.