The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-23
THE RIDDLE OF EXISTENCE.

Ihh hlUDLE Vi EAlSIENUE,
UNDER the above title the Saturday
Review of recent date takes up and
discusses in its well known vigorous
way, Prof. Goodwin Smiths latest
book, "Guesses at the Riddle of Ex-
istence."
With such a title it is scarcely
necessary to say that Prof. Smiths
book deals with the riddle CT exist
ence" from the scientific and moral
point of view, rather than from the
orthodox or biblical side. His attitude
toward the questions and his discus
sion of it are we'll defined by the Sat-
urday Review in these words: "The
| frame of mind revealed in these essays
is. perhaps, trihe out of date on this
side;it represents the tone and trend
of English opinion in the third, rath-
er than in this last quarter of CEN
fury. In the present generation there
has been a marked reaction toward
religious belief; or perhaps it would
be more accurate to say that the eff
| fects and criticism upon belief have
been discovered to be less destructive
than at one time was thought The
recent movement of the best German
criticism of the New Testament in
conservative or orthodox direction is
very remarkable phenomenon, only
paralleled by the similar reversion of
so cautious scholar as Harnack
himself to older views in the field of
historical research. Nor is it now
held that the foundations of Chris
tianity have yielded to the solvent of
science so completely as at one time
it was supposed"
In this statement the Saturday Re-
view clearly indicates the answer to
most of Prof. Smiths criticism of re
ligion. Prof. Smith seems to have
surrendered his belief in supernatu-
raj religion, and having found mo-
dus UiUendi fairly satisfactory to him
self, it is to be presumed, proceeds to
discuss the probable effect of gen.
eral disbelief in revealed religion. 1t
is unnecessary for us to speak of this
attitude toward religion today. AS
the Saturday Review SAYS, it belongs
more properly to the third than to the
last quarter of this century, and Prof.
Smith having made the mistake of
surprising that what has happened to
himself has happened to nearly every
body else, naturally arrives at conclu
sions his readers, the majority of them
probably, do not accept. He talks as
a philosopher throughout the fine es-
says of the volume without much
clearing up of the question he dis
cusses.
When Prof. Smith parted company
with his belief in the supernatural in
religion, it doubtless gave him a
stranded feeling such as it will give
to any one, philosopher or not; and
it is not to be wondered at that his
discussion of the question of immor-
tally is vague and unsatisfactory.
The preposterous claims so freely
put forward in behalf of science in
its relations to religion quarter of
century ago, are no longer ad-
mitted. and are in reality of no more
terror to the we'll informed Christian
man of today than the Malthusian
DOGGY at which DIR. Smith takes
fright. The ablest scientist of today,
Lord Kelvin, is able to reconcile the
teachings of science and religion, but
in doing so he is careful to distin-
guish the facts of science from its
theories. With evolution still to be
demonstrated as to its vital points
touching the origin and development
of man, it is quite possible Prof.
Smiths views may be of value to
scholarly, thoughtful men like him
self; but as working theory, or as
an explanation of the riddle of
existence" they are very nebulous,
to say the least.