New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
MR.. BALFOUKS BOOK.
A STATESMAN on RELIGION.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF BELIEF: BEING
NOTES INTRODUCTORY TO THE STUDY OF
THEOLOGY. BY the Right Hon. Arthur James
Balfour Svo PIP. viii. 1856. Longmans. Green

pressed the feeling with which every candid reader
will rise from the perusa Of Mr.. Balfour's book
None published during the last decade has
had a more vitality important message for
man than that contained in this volume. In
brefest terms. Mr.. Bafour's object is to rec
ommend particular way of looking at the
world-problems that face all men. whether they
are believers in religion not. He first adj
dresses himself to those who do not believe in
supernaturalism whose philosophy of life he calls
naturalsm. for convenience 1t Is the habit Of
the nsturalistic school to assume that its path
is clear and straight. even though II does ulti-
matey lead to tho blank wall of the unknowabe.
and that to theology alone belong the puzzles
and contradictions that are found In human life.
Mr.. Balfour carries the war into Africa by show
ing that the creed Of naturasm Is just as fun Of
difficulties and Just as much hedged about with
mysteries. as Is the creed Of theology.
Take. for instance the question of ethics II
we accept the creed of naturasm, have no
right to make any distinction between morality
and the coarses appetites. The ethical instinct
in man. that 50 arouses the enthusiasm Of many
agnostics. was evolved. Ike the passions and the
appetites from the slime and the ooze Of the
primitive protopasm simply to help the race in
the struggle for existence. The exaltation OF
morality therefore is as absurd as would he the
exaltation Of any Of the physiological processes
by means Of which life Is preserved and perpetu-
ated Moreover on the naturastc theory, man
is only an insignificant being on one Of the
small satellites Of one of the most unimportant
suns The uneasy consciousness that In this OBJ
scure corner has for a moment broken the con-
tented silence Of the universe Will soon be- at
rest. What is the use. therefore. Of erecting
mans vaporings about right and wrong into cter-
nal principles? Nothing that is in the eternal
sweep II time and space Will he one whit the
better or worse for all that the labor genius. de-
walton and suffering Of man nave s;rlvcn through
countless generations to effect Thus with
relentless honesty does Mr. Balfour prick the
bubble of naturais,n which strives II preserve
and appropriat" the beauty and the worth II
Nfc that sprang out ~ the Old falth. while &C
ccpting philosophy OF lite that makes any dis
tinctior between good ana bad. noble and base,
false and true. unmeaning and absurd.
Then again. naturalism cXllts reason - a place
~ supremacy. But from the point Il view II
naturalism itself. reason is poor thing. II is
simply one Of the many faculties tina, man finds
useful In the struggle for existence Not only ist
no, the supreme faculty nov. bui whom alu'ion
ba, created for man permanent grooves = habit
FOR all his ac,ivties there viii be 10 more use f'r
reason Its function will have ceased. ana the
race will each its destiny. whatever thar may b."
vi,hou, its blum lcrng aid Reason gropcs bin lly
In dark coll. and all II knows or can know = IN"
Reality outside Il 81 own imagining "a gained hr
a n,o.rentary glimpse Il The univ"rs" through
five minute p'nEo.cs tho senses. In the wills -
cell Tho m verse outside - the human race is 50
far az wo caa Judge. utterly indifferent - the
spread - what We cali enghtcnm"ni. uulces u
Improves our chances TN tho struggle f1r cNist"uc"
H. fact nature tries = d"stroy every "aligh'"n.ng
faculty the moment It ceases ~ benefit IA tn no
struggle for existence A instance - ih!s !s IA"
decay ~ animal instinct In animals that have
been domestca'ci
DO We realize what It means when we .ay that
reason can only see glimpse - the universe. So
70 speak through five minut" p!nhoios' II means
that there must be an IN definite number = as
poet. ~ Nature respecting which science can
never give us any Information. even In our
dreams We must conceive ourselves ~ feeling
our way about this dim corner - the llntnhle
world like children in a darkenei room. encom-
passed by We know not what, a little better on
dowei with the machinery r sensation than
the protozoon, yet poorly provided. indeed.
as compared with a being. T. such one
could be conceived. whose senses we're a1H-
qlate to the infinite variety Of material nature.
son. and that protozoa are not, But even reason,
on the naturastic theory. occupies ~ elevated OF
permanent position In the hierarchy 81 phenone
ma 1t is not the final result Of great process.
the roof and crown Of things. ON the contrary it
is-as have said-no more than one Of many ex-
perimcnts for increasing our chance Of survival,
and among these 10y no means the most impor-
tant Or the most enduring" /, follows, therefore.
that reason is not the ground II all existence al it
ought to be. II naturalism Is TO justify Itself, but
simply an expedient among other expedients for
the maintenance Of organic life. an expeiient.
which is temporary In It's character and
in its results.
From all this It is evident that the naturalist!c
creed. II logically carried out. is destructive VI
much that the race has hitherto counted as
among its most valuable possessions. IF nat
uralism be true or rather, If 1t be the whole
truth. then Is morality but bare catalogue OF
unitarian precepts. beauty but the chance oc-
cason Of passing pie Assure. reason but the dim
pa ssage from one set Of unthink!ng habits to
another Al that gives dignity to life. all that
gives value to effort shrinks and fades under the
pitilcss glare Of creed Ike this IT, then. nat
uralism is to hold the field. the feelings and Opn
Ions inconsistent with naturalism must be fore
doomed to suffer change and how. when that
change shall come about. it can do otherwise
than eat all nobility out of our conception OF
conduct and all worth out Of our conception OF
fe ! am wholly unable to understand"
Mr.. Bafour then goes from the negative to
the positive argument against naturalism. What |
are It's positive proofs?' he asks, and doubt |
less. his question will come a rude shock TO
many agnostic who has learned TO take ag-
Mysticism for granted. just as he takes the vsi- |
40 Il.lf.
however Il has no proofs: II has been shot out |
u a pistol" and is still waiting for n rational |
Justification. 1t puts forth the dogma Of it's |
own completeness and infallibiity, and excom-
all who refuse to accept II. Neverthe |
ess the whole superstructure OF naturalism IL |
built on pure assumptions. Nothing stands more |
IN need Of demonstration than the obvious. At |
the very root of our scientific system OF belief |
Of u,hIch NJ ga ha