The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-10
OUR CONTRIBUTORS.
"THESE BE THY GODS"
BY JACOB STRAUB, DID.


IT is said that Mrs. Ward, of Robert
Elsmere fame, is desirous of seeing
return to faith-laying criticism for
time aside. What induced her to
this state of mind is not said. Nor
was it intimated what was to be the
faith, or the basis thereof, to which
she commended a return. Might it
be in the abstract and with ref
erence to nothing, or induced by
some objective condition of things9
To believe, simply without be-
lieving anything, or in anything,
would not be worthy of so gifted
person. However, it might be faith
in things generally with reference to
nothing in particular. 1t might be
this. Certainly she has supplied
little of tangible character upon
which the heart of man might repose
in its longings for infinite kinship to
the unending self. But, on the con-
trary, she did much to unsettle what
with precious care and economy has
been erected, for hopeful and happy
walk through life often needing a
realization of more help than fellow
mortals or any earthly conditions can
supply.
1t happens that Professor John
Fiske, too, is credited with similar
observation. 1t is more prediction
with him. And still he has done as
much as any one this side of the
Atlantic to disquiet belief and lead
off from its foundations or to destroy
them. His philosophy is natural
ism and of the same religious value
as atheism. By an almost matchless
jugglery of words, he made the i'm
preston on many that his works are
of wonderful religious importance,
relieving religion of the absurdities
besetting it under the rulings of su-
pernaturalists.
No miracle, no interference with
the spontaneous action of nature by
Deity, no special revelation or mani
festation of God, no special word
from him to any one or for any one.
The religionist sits down and figures
out the psychological facts pertaining
to human life, its origin and destiny
according to evolution, and inciden-
tally discovers that all is a living
whole, and all the time working its
way toward general good result for
man. This prospective fact excites,
or should excite, emotions. 1t is re.
ligion on a scientific basis. The
working out of the great scheme in
cidentally involves the evolution of
the mind through the ordinary pro-
cesses of scientific education in the
various departments of learning.
Little beyond this is deducible from
the theory of Prof. Fiske touching
religion. A God is spoken of in
something of religious phrase, but it
is essentially the same Infinite and
Eternal Energy" device of Herbert
Spencer, in his feigned capitulation
to Theism. His position in his own
formula, though he protests dis
tinction, is in effect pantheism.
While 1.-The world of phenomena" is
the manifestation of an Omnipresent
Energy that sis none other than the
living God" and the tendency seen
in the manifestation, when regarded
on the subjective side he calls
purpose" he is from start to finish
opposed to 'the argument from de-
sign," and characterizes it in un-
sparing terms. And his "quasi-
personal God" is 80 identified with
the world of phenomena in the fixed
order of its procession as to be wholly
limited thereby, without the power
to consider, or in any way to sense or
choose, and is practically blank.
What nature says is all that God
says. What it has said and its ordi-
nary procedure is every word that
prophet, seer or Son of God has ever
had from him. Mans helps have
only been from nature; and his pray
ers have fallen upon simply the air,
with no ears beyond to hear, and no
heart but the imperfect heart of man
to be touched.
Mr.. Fiske is the disciple and propa-
gandist of Spencer, and Processes his
theism to be "similar in essentials"
to that of the great transatlantic
nhiloaODher. who sets forth in his that