The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18

wan the Nrat Zine In the history OF the world
thai q religion had appeared which liberated
men from their bondage to the letter, to fixed
andihelastio external acts and observancos, and
allowed them freely to 1nd their way to moral
ideals through an innor experience basod on in
dividuul puctilinrities Of character, temperament
or genius. Such q religion was as great an ad.
vance In the moral sphere on all that had gone
before It as the free reason Of man was over the
fixed. rigid and inelastio instinct OF the brutes
in the intellectual sphere. II we ask why tho
morality OF Jesus was ideal, why IL demanded .
self-ronuncihtion as difficult for the unregoner-
ate heart to reach as II In for the unframed In
tslligenco 70 reach the high ideals OF poetry and
art, Mf. Croziof's answer To-: Il was due to the
belief that tho kingdom Of God was near at
hand. 10 believe otherwise, and to imagine
that society could have been kept at such a high
pitch OF tension for long centuries. would
be TO credir poor humanity with a higher
degree Of virtue than it can fairly mako
claim for. In our authors opinion. II 10
probable that, in preaching n morality Of
the spirit and not OF the lcttor. Jesus had In
view tho salvation Of the individual only as 1t is
unlikely. with His belief that the kingdom Of
God and tho end Of the world wcro almost within
sight. he should have given a thought to the
effect OF His gospel on the long evolution Of soci-
city that WIS 10 follow. BE this ms 1t may. It Is
CoTtn1n THAT Inc same 0OctTlne tnHt IcQ 10 inc
salvation OF tho individual lcd. when once en-
braced, to tho salvation of society also, and so
revoiutionized tho world. BY tho very logic Of
its ideal aim. Christianity. which was always
being approached but never reached, was
pledred to open up before men an infinite hori-
zon, and to give FREQ and untrammelled range
and expansion to the human spirit. Now
we sec why 1t 10 that Christianity in it's
essence, as It existed in It's founders
mind, not only offers no obstruction to the
direct preaching of political, moral, and social
reforms for themselves alone. and without refer
enco to religion. but actually encourages such
preaching; and why, when tho purely secular
reforms which took their rise in the scientific
spirit bepan To be aeitated. Christianity was
a. 81. 80. ..u-i.,, -, -. aa...
nrov,ded alvnvs of course that these reforma
could be shown to lead directly. and nv their
ovn naturea IN the amel;oration NJ tho material
social or ~spiritual condition OF man. Although.
howover Christianity nv reason NJ the nature
of its moral ideals. has in effect Withdrawn
morality from the fixed and positiye doemas
and precepts of religion. and has handed II over
to knowledge and experience. the fact Is not to
he lost sipbt NJ that in ita origin this
morality WINS neither scientific nor secu.
lar On III, contrary. like all other
etnlCAl SNBICIlS OF inc unCltnI NOTlQ. OlTtSIlAn
morality grew nm under the wing and nrotection
of religion. and IL ia not too much TO saw that
without the burning homes aroused nv the bclief
In tbe coming nj tho kingdom Of God In the life.
time of men then alive. IL could never have rot
!, foothold with the masses NJ men Mt all. So dif.
rcrlt Ia u and an vast an eXnendi,pr. ~ sunor.
natural bonos md foars 10 pecess,rv for human.
i,v IN tato ey.n tho sra,,cst atom In mor.l;tr
Tho trutn 20 cbrist;an;tv In snite NJ a.. b;,h.r
representation NJ God os a Father and God NJ
love was NOT az much n npre,v idea, re,;oion aa
n vas a nnroIv ideal moralitv adant.S N all
tines bu+ growinr nm under the stimnlus ~
the now ontgrown be,ief IN the immedi,t 70 rom.
Inc ~ Tho Messiah IN o.,.h,,sh NJ, .,r,h ,ho
tinadom ~ ca
H.. n. ,roo,;o, WAS ca... ;,s.,,. - .,n.
reader. u,d not thu r,orou,v ,nd nrno.nt. ~
Jesns hecn n,icina,c tod NV Rnddhismf NJ CO
zier,s renIv ia tba, buddhism denvin, aa u ala
the existence ~ all Gods whatever as VOL ma
the existcnce ~ souls In mon was ra,ber s,.-
tenn nj oth.istic nhiIosonhv than a re,ioion and
n. so,e aim and ;nsniro,ion was tho nrreIv n.o,.