The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-11
THE ETHNIO RELIGIONS AND
CHRISTIANITY.
BY REV. WILLIAM TUCKER, D. D.
Second Paper.

III the rel1glOu5 nature OF man was
evolved and not created as the evolu-
tionists hold, it still places religion
and it's institutions on the sameperma-
nent basis on which all other forms OF
truth, and all other institutions stand.
For reason, the social sympathies,
the domestic affections, the moral
sentiments, and the aesthetic nature
were all evolved just as were mans
religious faculties. 1t is therefore
evident, if evolution be true, religion
and religious institutions stand on
the same natural and permanent
basis of truth as supports the family,
society, science, mathematics, the fine
arts, morals, law and government.
Evolution thus gives to religion
permanent foundation in the nature,
and wants of man, and its institutions
become as enduring as the family
and society.
Evolution is the result of the effort
of organism to adjust itself to the en-
vironment. The optic nerve is devel-
oped under the influence of light;
the auditory nerve under the infu
ence of sound waves; the lungs under
the influence of the atmosphere;
reason under the influence of truth;
the social nature under the influence
of society, and the religious nature
under the influence of God. Gods
existence and presence is the only
fact that is correlated to mans relig
ious nature as light is to the eye and
society to the social instinct. His
existence is the only thing that could
make the growth of religious facul
ties necessary to adjust man to his
environment. His existence creates
the only relation that makes religion
necessary and out of which grow re-
ligious obligation and duty.
If evolution be true God as really
and as truly exists as man or the ex-
ternal universe. Thus the want of
the finite reveals the existence of the
infinite. The human demand proves
the existence of the divine supply
and the nature and wants of man re-
veal the presence and power of God.
Evolution proves the superiority of
Christianity to all other forms of re-
ligion. 1t is the latest form and
therefore the highest according 10
the law of evolution. 1t is the per-
feet flower and fruit of the tree of
development. All that went before
it was a preparation for it. 1t was
not evolved from the ethnic religions,
but from the nature of man, and for
this evolution the older religions had
prepared the way.
Neither Christ nor his teaching is
Christianity. Christianity is doc
trine and life evolved from mans
nature under the influence of the life
and teaching of Christ.j
Christianity with Matthew, Mark,
and Luke is largely ethical and as
such addresses mans conscience.
With John it is system of spiritual
mysticism and appeals to mans spir-
itual intuitions and affections. With
Paul it is system of theology and
appeals to human reason. The teach
ing of Christ was not the cause of
Christianity as it exists as a doctrine
and life in the church of today.
The cause is to be found in mans in
tellectual, social, moral and religious
nature. The teaching life and char
acter of Christ presented the super
natural revelation under the influence
of which Christianity with its doc
trines and institutions has been de-
veloped. 1t is superior to the ethnic
religions because it has been evolved
under better natural and supernatur-
al conditions Christ was the great
est religious teacher the world ever
saw, and he taught the highest form
of moral and religious truth; hence
the moral and religious movement in
human thought, feeling and action
which resulted from his teaching is
the purest and most benefcent that
ever blessed the race. The law of
conditions will explain the difference
in religions as presented in history.
Christianity is the result of the in
depreciation of the teaching of Christ,
as science is the result Of the inter-
probation of nature. And to this
work of Interpretation science, phil
osophy, literature, history, law and
other systems of religion make i'm
portant contributions. They are
a part of the environment in which
Christianity as system of theologi-
cal and ethical truth has been evol-