The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01

,cstlgate was most severe. The guardians
we're unduly afraid that the sacredness of
the content was fixedly bound Up with the
sacredness of the word; and in its supposed
defense Protestant. Catholic and jew were
ranged side by side. No better and more
lasting example OF the power of truth to
prevail IN the end One point after another
was gained and the history Of Biblical crit
icism is the history of a steady advance all
along the line. Germany was captured first
then France, then England. We are still in
the midst Of the fight in America, though
the issue cannot be doubtful for one mo-
ment. Even Catholicism has shown signs
Of giving way; and st. George AIivarts's ar
tcles in the Nineteenth Century some years
ago looked as if the church were preparing
to welcome the prankish Biblical criticism
into its bosom. The Jewish Church has also
held out with much tenacity-more OF a sui
len, passive nature. But the signs are not
wanting that here, too, the ground is being
prepared for a positive acceptance Of all
that Bible study can teach us
OTHER BELIEFS.
This fearless criticism Of the Bible has
naturally turned the scholars attention to
the Bibles of other faiths Until now they
had only been partially known, and when
known only for the purpose of invidious
comparison. The discovery, so to speak, of
Sanscrit and the great literatures of India
created a healthy and natural interest in
nonbiblical religious systems. which was not
slow in spreading to Zoroastrianism, to No
hammedanism, to the religions Of China and
Japan, and finally to the beliefs of the I'M
tutored savage. To the purely pathological
interest a new one was added the anthro-
biological The attempt to understand the
growth of man from its earliest stages to
its highest development gave an additional
interest to religious beliefs and ceremonies
wherever found. Religions commenced to be
studied for their own sake; to be studied
with sympathy, with desire to appreciate
their good as well as their bad sides. Out
of this combined pathological and anthro-
biological study there grew a new science
the history of religions. The good which
this sympathetic study has done to those
who studied can hardly be overestimated. It
has produced a tolerance and a broader re-
ligious view which the older exclusive study
of one faith could never give. 1t has done
more than anything else TO spread the be-
lief in the fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man. 1t has proven that
| brotherhood by showing how identical are
the religious needs of man the whole world
over. And from the brotherhood of man
there follows as corollary the fatherhood
of God.
Theology was at first loath to follow in
the footsteps of scientific research. But it
has been gradually giving way. Though it
kept the old formulas, it has given them
in many cases q new meaning. A new mean
ing has always been a wider meaning; so
that, at least in the Interpretation of the
old, distinct advance has been made.
ONE OF THE RESULTS.
One advantage, however, was bound to
follow in the wake of this advance. AS
the bond of authority loosened its hold, the
| organization of the church was bound to be
! loosened with it. This had become quite APP
parent, and the end of the century sees a
certain longing and definite desire for
| stricter organization. In the Protestant
| Church strong attempt is being made to
unite the various bodies into one whole.
The tide of congregationalism, of in
dividual effort, must be held back;
the old unity must be once
more established. Whether this is possible
or not the future will show. But this long
! ing and this desire is also seen in my own
| Jewish Church. For to the strict Jewish
! churchman the Zionistic movement is an eff
/
gregational system has so eaten into the
Jewish body as to have made every single
! congregation law unto itself and to have
! paralyzed, in a large measure all attempts
| at combined action. Zionism, viewed purely
from religious point of view, is the at
| tempt to unity the Jews as a religious body,
to stem the disorganization and the individ-
Ual efforts which threaten the very exist
ence of the Jewish Church. Only in this
way, do religious Zionists believe, can a
healthy religious life be founded.
This attempt at unifcation is visible in the
| Jewish church in every country. The Union
| Of American Hebrew congregations has Just
now celebrated its silver jubilee 1t pro-
! yides common meeting ground for the Re
| formed Jewished Synagogue, as the Central
! Conference of American Rabbis does for the
| ministers of the synagogues The orthodox
| rabbis have also attempted to form a similar
| organization for their ministers Two rab-
binieal seminaries, one in Cincinnati, the
other in New York, train the men who are
to lead these two divisions Of the synagogue.
Similar unions exist in various parts of Eu-
rope, and every country has now its own
seminary for the education of rabbis.
1 cannot close this statement without at
least passing reference to the dark shad-
ow which covers many of the fair countries
of Europe. The newly awakened hostility
10 the parent faith and which tries to hide
itself under the designation ''anti-Semitism''
is the one blot upon the fair name of this
century of religious progress. This hostility
has in number of European countries end
ed, as 1t was bound TO. in acts of insult and
direct oppression. To all literally inclined
Christians this recurrence of ancient hatreds
must be as bitter and as disappointing as ii
is to the Jews. Let US hope that the blind
passions which have been once more raised
will soon be laid again; and the better and
finer natures will triumph over the baser
and more sordid. In spite of this, feel able
to say that viewing the religious develop
ment of civilized humanity as a whole, the
| advance made is worthy of the century,
which may deservedly be called the century
| of "Aufklarung'' in all directions
The Way of the World.
| Detroit Free Press.
This man baay a lyr,febf H. ,~~;,,