The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03
A NaturnIis.,s Religion.

| futlam SOnS.)
A NaturnIiSt's Religion.
A little book of essays, under the title
1.-THE Light Of Day." by John Burroughs,
has Just appeared. and will interest many
readers from the fact that it is a new de-
parture for the veteran naturalist. It con-
tains several essays on religious questions
as seen from the naturalist's point OF
view
Mr.. Burroughs arguments are. as he
says, aimed at theology rather than re-
ligion. He says:
Theology passes; religion. sentiment or
feeling of awe and reverence in the presence OF
the vastness and mystery of the universe. remains
The old theology had few, il any, fast colors, and
it has become very faded and under the
fierce light and intense activity CT our day. Let
it go; il is ontgrown and outworn. What man
kind will finally clothe themselves with TO pro-
| tect them from the chill of the great void, or
whether not they will clothe themselves at all.
but become toughened and Indifferent, is more
than i can pretend to say. For my own part the
longer live the less feel the need OF any sort of
theological belief, and the more l am content to
| let the unseen powers go their own way with me
and mine without question or distrust They
| brought me here, and i have found 1t well TO be
here; in due time they will take me hence, and l
| have no doubt that will be well for me, too.
| We are like fgres which some great demon
| strator draws upon the blackboard of Time. A
| problem is TO be solved. without doubt; what the
| problem is, we, the figures, cannot know and do
| not need to know; all know is that sooner
or later we shall be sponged off the board and
other figures take places, and the Gemonstra-
| ton 20 on
| That have served purpose, that we have
positively appeared. that something has been ful.
| filled in us-is not that enough? To have played
| a part with other figures, and to leave the board
| clear for other forms that TO embody higher
results and more far-rcaching conciusions-is not
| that enough?
The essays in this book are rot in the
nature of a connected argument. being sep
arate papers. gathered and arranged into
| one volume. However. they cover most
| of the ground. when taken together. They
are characterized throughout by cain and
| c1ear-sighted judgment, by broad-minded
tolerance, and by earnest desire for truth.
Mr.. Burroughs is not bitter against any
| body. He is inclined to be a little satirical
| in his remarks on the work of Prof. Henry
| Drummond, which he dubs an attempt to
prove that
in the laws and processes of the physical universe
| that which is sciencr at end 10 Scotch Pres
byterianisn at the Other.
] Here he puts his finger on exactly the
weak point in Drummond's work. 1t is
| all right to try TO reconcile science and
! religion. for at their Utmost they are one;
but Drummond tried to reconcile Darwin
with Calvin, and 1t would not go.
Mr.. Burroughs idea of natural law in
| the spiritual world is something slightly
different. He says:
| Science knows God, too, as law. or as the force
and vitality which pervade and uphold all things
il knows Jesus a great teacher and prophet,
AID rs the Saviour o! men, Howl By virtue OF
| the contract made in the Council of the Trinity
as set forth in the creed Of Calvir.isn? No: but
by His unique and tremendous announcement OF
the law OF love, and the daily illustration of it in
His life Salvation by Jesus is salvation by self
remuneration, and by gentlensss, mercy, charity,
purity. and y all the divine qualities lie Illus
trated. He saves when like him-as
tender, as charitable, unworldiy, de-
voted to principle, as s,lf-sacrihcing. His
life and death do inspire in mankind these
things; fill them with this noble ideal. lie
soul impressed, perhaps other soul
had been, with the oneness OF with God,
and that the Kingdom Of Heaven is not a place
but state Of mind. Hence, coming to Jesus is
coming to truer, better selves, and conform
ing our lives to the highest ideal.
How does this compare with the gospel
of love and mercy as defined by the Rev.
Mr.. Blagden? Which is the chilliest and
most unnatural and material? Yet Mr..
Burroughs would probably call himself
materialist.
Mr.. Burroughs view of creeds is this:
That the emotions and promptings of the
soul, Of deeper birth than reason, are true;
that this sentiment takes on various forms,
which may or may not be correct, and Il at
the instinct tends more and more to purify
itself and rises more and more 10 the
conception OF the fact that the Kingdom
of Heaven is within, and not without
THE Kingdom of Heaven is within"
m and God arc essentially prpat
announcement of Jesus was the law of
love. That is Mr. Burroughs idea of re-
ligion.
Il believe in the Immaculate Conception;
the crucifxion, the resurrection, the as
cension; the resurrection of the body"
That is part of the Apostles Greed.
Which is nearest the teachings of Christ?
In the essay Natural Versus Supernat-
ural" Mr.. Burroughs discusses the mira
cles, vicarious atonement, baptism, and
other things bearing on the supernatural.
He asseverates over and over again that
the actual teachings of Jesus do not en-
phasize the necessity of belief in the SUI
pernaturaI and that the elaborate system
of theology which is called Christianity
is not part of the real Christian faith
But some may ask, Why, then, did a just
God allow all this mass Of myth and
miracle to become mixed up with it? This
is what Mr.. Burroughs has to say on that
point:
think it is in accordance with the rest of our
knowledge that Christianity could not have made
its way in the world, its superior ethical and
moral system could not have gained the ascend
ancy without the cloud Of myths in which il
was enveoped. What seal OF naturalization is
put upon it by the myth OF the resurrection OF |
Jesus, How this fact stuns and overwhelIns the
ordinary mind! Was it Taileyrand who replied
to some enthusiast who proposed to start new |
religion, that he advised him TO begin by get
ting himself crucitod and to rise again on the |
third day7 AZ a cult founded upon reason |
could not have COPIED with the supernatural re- |
hgions that then possessed the world. Mems |
minds not prepared for it, and it is probl- |
bly, equally true that the Of mankind are |
NOT vet prepared for a religion based upon natural
knowledge alone. But the time is surely coming, |
and natural science is to he the chief instrument |
in bringing it about. The religious sense OF man
is less and less dependent upon thaurnatursical !
aids. II is beginning TO hear God in the still, |
email voice.
1t would probably astonish some of the |
orthodox people who have SO much to say
about belief in miracles being essential. to
be told that they are Of the general on
which demands a sign, while this man Of
science. who SO quietly asserts that the
Kingdom of God is within you is the real
Christian, but it certainly looks like that.
Mr. Burroughs denies that there is any real
feud between religion and science; he COM
pares the reasoning and the intuitive pIrt
of mans nature to the different colors Of
the solar spectrum, his thirst for exact
corresponding to the red rays q
the spectrum, and the violet rays, at the
other end, being analogous to that part of
his nature which call the spiritual But
it is all one, and faith. after ALL is science
The only war which he recognizes Is that
between true and false science; between
the rational religious faith Of today. recog-