The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-08
.,,s,,r THEOLOGICAL UNREST.


.ny,,neasiness In religious
There u LOW II Is a day OF theo-
mought ) us' have just been
logical nhse sadress delivered. recently
reading al Felix Adler the noted
BY P profess In which he treats OF THIS
free tn'nns while dealing with his usu-
matter, am, vim the fond convictions OF
slcouru',, NV considers them after AL
rels, mperfectly cultured anu uese
o w. According to b'm reiision nus
opeo good part bat isinow reauy 70
Play aside that we may use pure
Oea 'u There are some otners
ethics not consider religion so gener-
who ~ -. onenly condemn II as hin-
ousy' human progress. There are.
drance re christians who see In these
again. Intellectual turmoil the appar-
times =. ,,ng over of all the ancient
enl 'opp ho mourn the good old days
fal'n .Sa word of the church was un-
wheh "a who sing In tears the hymn
barnard of Cluny:
sThe world Is very evil,
The times are waxing late.
$50
Now. both of these classes the non
rs,,s,an optimists on the one mana ana
~ ~ cbristian pessimists on the otner,
u NJ nrecisely the same mistake-that
man ,,irg non-essentials for essentials.
u III ,heology and tradition Is certain
Muen 70 pieces; but that Is far diff
So from the downfall Of the religion
isi. rsr,st itself. The true view Is to
y, the optimism of the one with
vV sai.h NJ the other Glass;. not TO con-
IA nroeress as doing away with re-
s ,'u'a, bnt religion as doing away by
, ,rooress with forms no longer
I'.,od 20 its growth. The present pangs
sro merely growing pains" The re-
a., az ~ Jesus is not a set form; 1t Is
nrircinle of human development. AS
:, masters one age 1t forms certain
hoav or shell for itself out OF the cur
ront notions of that age. Perfectly true
ard nure in itself, yet Ii must get such
'n,narfect form as the imperfectly
sorred ideas of that age may furnish,
hoying as Paul says, this treasure In
- oortben vessel" By and by, when
/. has grown and lifted men up into an
ether plane of thought. coming into
larger age, the old shell becomes TOO
narrow II cramps its contents, the form
that formerly protected its growth now
hlnders its growth. Then like the chick
IN its shell it picks and picks till II
comes out into the fuller life for which
q is prepared. That picking is what
wa call doubt. All advance in thought
life begins in skepticism. Not the IT.
reyerent sort which revolts at religion
because it forbids sin. but the reverenl
sort that longs for a deeper, truer wore
for the growing idea. This is what
Tennyson meant when he wrote:
"There lives more faith in honest doubt
Believe me, than in half the creeds."
The history Of the church illustrates
this God has been always calling
chosen few But He called them TO de
yelop: they constantly misunderstood
Him, thinking they were called to sc
curity They were elected to progress
they thought II a fixed state Of divin
favor. So He has always been at las
rejecting those whom He called AM
raising up others. Thus He selected tn
Jewish nation to develop the idea
God among men. When they persist
entity construed their privilege to
merely selfish heritage because the
were better than gentiles He cas-
them off. He raised up then the churc
that through this the influence OF HI
spirit might develop men. The churc
made the same mistake, thinking II wa
segregated to be secure, not to progress
II conceived itself to be a colonizatio
society TO transport a few souls from
hopelessly lost world into HEAVIER
Therefore in these times we see Go
doing great works outside of tn
church, through Christian, yet monde
nominational agencies, such as the
M. c. A. and the thousands OF chariti'
and humane institutions. While churcf
ly dominancy as such is on the wan
the ideas the church stands for nev'
had so much vitality. Thus He col
stantly chooses and lays aside His agel
cies, as they obey or disobey Him. o.
of the old comes the new. What of 1
Thou fool, that which thou sowest
not quickened except 1t die"
In theology, or our intellectual a.
prehension of God, the same growth
manifested. He is the same foreve
Our conceptions of Him change wi
our growth. That is the intention.
change not from but to Him. His pu
pose is to change us. He Is alwa
saying: go Ont" Come up higher
Let us not mourn the old garments
the real body is still strong and health
Unfortunately some minds are so co
stituted that they cannot doubt reli
iously; that is, they cannot leave an
form without rejecting also its co
tents. l speak for myself when l s
that 1t seems better for me to hold
TO and preach through the tradition
forms of ancient faith, endeavoring
NIL them with new meaning, to suffr
them with spiritual meaning, not
lending the belief Of the weak, not
lowing my good to be evil spoken
rather than violently to unsettle
many who cannot distinguish betwe
clothes and body. Above all. che
parading of "liberality," an abuse
earicature of old and dear modes
thought merely for the sake of the 81
sation 1t will create. seems to me
pe wrong. Let us be liberal modest
IN all generosity and thoughtfuln
Tor others. and not parade liberal
With brass band. Thus did Chr
and Initiating Him, thus did Lut
and Wesley and Bushnell, trying tn
a..