The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-22
Tho Decline of Faith and Its Cause.

Tho Decline Of Faith and Its Cause. !
The discussion on the immortality Of the
soul or OF conscious personal existence
after death, which has been going on so
long among our correspondents, has filed
much space, but we still continue to receive
daily letters asking for its continuance.
Many Of the contributions to it now
coming in. however, able as they may be,
simply repeat arguments and assertions
which have been presented already in tho
letters published, and, accordingly, to print
them would be like threshing over old
straw.
In saying this. we do not mean to imply
that the discussion has necessarily ended
In The Sun, for there Is always room in
these pages for any novel and val liable
presentation Of n subject so important
which appeals to the interest and deserves
the consideration OF our readers. AS we
have said often before, we do not recognize
any bar to the discussion of questions of
religion in THE SUN. They are the greatest
themes with which the human mind can
occupy Itself and to shut out their consid-
grafton from this newspaper would be to put
admiration upon its proper field wholly in
consistent with our conception of editorial
wisdom and duty.
Incidentally to this particular question Of
Immortality, however. there arises the
great subject for examination OF the actual
effects upon religious belief and practice Of
the unquestonable decline OF faith in the
Bible among both clergy and laity. The
teachers of the new school OF Biblical criti-
csm and analysis, 1t is true, make at least
ures gain in consequence by the treatment
OF them "as a literature" Bishop POTTER,
for instance, has spoken Of their scientific
investigation as having established the
Bible as Incompatible and precious" by
separating 1.-The chat from the wheat" but
how is it with it's supernatural authority as
Divine revelation, wholly apart from
purely literary and scientific criticism and
nnalysis2
We are convinced that Bishop POTTER Is
wrong and that he deludcs himself, for We
are receiving evidence daily that the con-
sequence OF popular knowledge of the sur
render OF even clergymcn themselves to
this critical school Is tending TO destroy re-
ligious faith to an extent never before ap-
preached in the history of religion. Practi-
cally this criticism eliminates supernatural
influences In the production of the Bible, or
at least relegates them to "a level with those
which are indicated in literature generally
with what we call genius as manifested in
writer's formerly accounted secular and
human purely, as contradstinguished from
the heavenly inspiration accredited to the
writer's OF the Scriptures only The Rev.
DIR. LYMAN ABBOTT. for example. has classed
the Hebrew Prophets In the same category
with LINCOLN and other statesmen, giving
. purely natural explanation OF their pro-
phecies as poetic insight, statcsmanlike
provisions, rather than inspired predictions
OF divine and supernatural authority.
1t is true that this scientific school OF
Biblical criticism is about half century
old, and it's conclusions have been long
familiar to all scholars and theoloEians who
have pursued the subject but they were
new to the great mass OF the public when
DIR. BRIaGs. a disciple OF the school. brought
them into general knowledge, and they
were burned into the popular intelligence
by his Presbyterian trial and conviction
and by his subsequent ordination in tho
Episcopal Church. Now everybody under
stands more or less loosely what this school
has done-the defects. Inconsistencies, per-
versions and superstitions which 1t claims
TO have demonstrated scientifically in the
Bible: and II must be remembered, upon
the Bible our whole religious faith is
founded, for II the Bible falls, 80 also
falls the Church which declares its divine
authority.
All this seems to US very simple and
obvious So soon as science claims the
domain, 1t excludes faith, the two being
opposed essentially. On the one hand Is
faith in the unseen and unseeable based or
belief In a dogmatio assertion Of infalli
bility; on the other is the rejection o.
everything which cannot be- proved natu
rally, or at least the refusal to accept any
thing as established which cannot be 81
demonstrated. Inldelity and faith, &C
cordingly, are brought into collision by thi
new school OF Biblical criticism more com
petely than ever before In religious history
for practically it eliminates the super
natural, belief in which constitutes tn
basis of all religions.
Now, what has been the effect on the pub
lie mind OF this new presentation OF tn
Bible to 1t? Mr., AMAsA THoRSIoN testihe
that II is giving great comfort to the Al
arohistS and other infdel extremists. Co
respondents write to us OF the decline
church attendance. VievS ~ to the oblig