The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-22
RESIDENT FoRoEs.'

DIR. ABBoTT's article in our Chicago
"American Journal of Theology" on
"The Need of New Theology"
draws the fire of the Independent.
We transfer the following editorial
article from that journal of last week.
1t deals with the evolutionary theories
of DR.. Abbott and the catch words
associated with the philosophy of
evolution, especially the "immanence
of God" and the doctrine of resident
forces," in trenchant manner. The
distinction made between the natural
and supernatural, and the explana-
ton of the latter, is particularly
clear and forcible. We take it that
very few will accept the statement
that many, if not most, intelligent
scholars do regard miracles as viola
tions of the laws of nature" A mira
Gle may be above nature and beyond
it, but it does not necessarily follow
that it violates nature or is against
nature. 1t may be nature mot un-
derstood" by us in its higher develop
ment. With this abatement, the ar
ticle in "The Independent" goes to
the root of the matter, and is worthy
of study, especially by those who are
so carried away by the evolutionary
philosophy as to apparently exclude
God from the wide dominion of ma
ture which he has established. The
article from the Independent follows:
We take the expression resident
forces" from Professor LIE Conte, as
quoted and commented on by DIR. Ly-
mon Abbott, in an article on 1.-THE Need
OF New Theology in The American
Journal of Theology. Professor LIE
Conte says that all life is continuous,
progressive change, according to certain
laws, and by means of resident forces"
and this DIR. Abbott calls LIE Conte's
definition of evolution. Now life and ev-
olution have their resemblances. but are
different things, although DR.. Abbott
calls this at one time definition of life ,
and at another, of evolution. He says:
"Not only the student of the natural
sciences accepts this definition of life as
an axiom, but the literary and philoso-
phical student no less accepts it. The study
of history, of literature, of sociology, of
philosophy, in it's various forms, is the
study of continuous, progressive change,
according to certain laws and by means of
resident forces.''
The same thing, DR.. Abbott goes on to
say, is true of religion. We must create,
he says, new theology" an evolution
ary theology" The old theology. he tells
us, treats the religious life as "due not
to resident forces, but to successive in
terventions; it is. in word, cataclysmic,
not evolutionary" In the new theology
everything must be evolutionary. must
be explained by resident forces-crea-
ton, sin, redemption, revelation, regen-
Grafton. pardon, all under the control Of
resident forces, all natural, no interven-
ton.
DIR. Abbott is quite carried away by
the glamour of the word evolution. and
he imagines that it will explain every
thing. But the forces of life by which a
tree grows, or the forces Of evolution by
which an oak has developed out of a
minute silurian plasm, are resident
forces OF very different sort from those
which create history or sociology. In
the latter there come the forces by no
means resident but often extraneous
which our Wills and other peoples Wills
exercise. Indeed, purpose. will, may