New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-30
LIBERALISW N SCOTLAND.

When Professor Huxley. many years ago. was
FOR the first time invited to deliver q lecture on
science In Edinburgh he commented with char
acteristic humor In one Of his letters on the re-
markable fact that n bold blasphemer'' like
himself should be thus honored in the land of
religious orthodoxy. But in spite of its sup
posed orthodoxy Scotland took kindly TO the
great agnostic. and some years later he was
elected Lord Rector of st. Andrews. 1t was.
indeed, such unexpected recognition as this 10y
those least inclined to his way of thinking that
led Huxley to remark that he expected
yet to be a bishop. The fact is that the rigid
orthodoxy for which Scotland was once famous
is largely thing of the past and some of the
greatest theolog!ans of the Scottish Church are
decided liberals. Many years ago the late Prin-
cipal Tulloch. himself liberal leader in his
day, declared that the doctrine Of Justification
Protestant religion. was fading from the minds
of thoughtful men. If that was so then it is
much more SO now. and many other distinctive
dogmas OF the old Presbyterian Creed are shar-
ing the same fate in the popular consciousness,
among them the Calvinistic doctrine of election.
writer who discusses this decline of ortho-
doxy in Scotland In 1.-THE Fortnlghtly Review"
declares that. curiOusy enough, the drift from
the old beliefs has been most marked I'm the
Established Church Of Scotland. A priori. It
would seem rs though an establishment would
have the tendency to make the dogmas of the
Church more rigid. as self interest. II nothing
else. would suggest the desira bllity OF holding
firmly 10 the prescribed forms. But In fact the
tendency has been the other way. The leaders
in the Established Church. while conforming TO
the order of prescribed services. have allowed
themselves large freedom in questioning the
old interpretations OF dogma. While the Free
Church was also affected by liberalism It's lead
ers were not ready TO express themselves in
public, believing that the open discussion Of
most questions in theology would he unwise.
In the Independent Presbyterian bodies now
consolidated into the United Free Church. as
we'll as in the Established Church, there has
been. however for years general expectation
OF a religious revolution. which In the mean
while has been silently going on without any
action on the part Of the churches. Nor are
there wanting" says The Fortnightly" writer,
Signs Of a movement against certain of the
positions OF Presbyterian orthodoxy, which,
whether it takes the form of frontal or of a
flank attack. Is distinctly, though reverently.
nationalist In It's character. and tends 10 sub
"stitute n subjective for an objective standard
"of faith"
Three circumstances are Fastening this move
ment In Scotland to throw overheard the old
objective standards Of belief. The first is the
growth Of the agitation in favor of Greed re-
vision in the United States The second is the
alarm felt ut the great dlminution of candi-
dates for the ministry in the Scottish churches.
In the Established Church alone the number
has fallen from 245 to los In twenty years.
And. after making due allowance for the
greater material attractions Of secular callings
to-day. 1t is admitted that the main cause for
the falling off In the number OF divinity stu
dents is the dissemination of many young men
TO bind themselves to n Greed Outworn. In
the third place. in Scotland as well as else
where. the sociological side of Christianity is
coming 10 be emphasized The younger minis
tiers want to do something 70 improve the social
condition of the people. and. whether rightly or
wrongly, they believe that the great emphasis
laid on dogmas In the present creeds or the
churches is n hlndrance TO such n conception OF
Christianity.