The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14

| the will of God ana fDr the sake of ever
| lasting happiness" This is the theistic
| view. Opposed 70 ii, is the Unitarian
/ system, generally connected with Ben
thams name. which finds the sole and
sufficient motive and reward of virtue in
1 the promotion of our well-being here. So
long as a system aims at perfection and
beauty of character which transcend tenn
! poral happiness there is in the philosophy
theistic element, patent or latent. But
Of perfection and beauty of character the
Unitarian philosophy in its thorough
going form takes no account.
The weakening OF religious belief rs a
social influence on the conservative side
is very marked and excites the fears of
statesmen, some of whom, even If they
are Protestants. are inclined to look with
complacency on the Papacy as a buwark
against social revolution. The drudge
rested in dull contentment with his lot
while he could believe that hereafter the
parts of Dives and Lazarus would be re-
versed and full amends would be made to
! him for his privations in this life. This
hope having vanished he is resolved, if
he can, to have share of the good things
of the present world. That this sentiment
helps to set boiling the caldron of social
! istic and communistic agitation, all who
are familiar with labor literature must
be aware. 1t would probably be found
that anarchism and atheism generally
went together
As the natural consequence OF the loos-
ened hold of religion over the nations,
there has been a general tendency in Eu-
rope toward disestablishment In Italy.
the seat of the Papacy. disestablishment
is complete. In Spain, while Catholicism
is still recognized as the exclusive religion
of the nation, the immense revenues OF
the clergy have been secularized, monas-
teries have been dissolved and religion
has been almost reduced to a department
of the State. In France the process has
gone still further than in Spain, and reli-
gion may almost be said to be not only
department. but despised department, of
the State. In ireland the State Church
has been disestablished. A bill has been
brought in for the disestabiishment of
the Church in Wales, and In England dis
establishment seems to be approaching,
its advent being hastened by the COLI
sion of ritualism with the anti-Roman
and ant-sacerdotal spirit Of the nation.
Popular education has everywhere been
largely sccularized. and that process is
still going on. Sunday schools or other
secondary Influences can scarcely coun-
tervail the general Punishment of reli-
gion from the training of the child.
Religion passed from old to New England
in the form of a refugee Professionalism
of the most intensely biblical and the
most austere kind, 1t had, notably in
Connecticut, a code of moral and social
law which, IL fully carried into effect.
must have fearfully darkened life. 1t
produced in Jonathan Edwards the philo-
sopher of Calviriism. from the meshes of
whose professionalism logic it has been
found difficult tsoescape. though all such
reasonings are practically rebutted by
our indefeasibls consciousness of freedom
of choice and OF responsibility as atten-
dant thereon. New England Purltanism
was intolerant. even prosecuting; but the
religious founder and prophet of Rhode
Island proclaimed the principles of per-
feet federation and Of the entire separa-
ton of the church from the state. The
ice OF New England Puritanism was grad
uaily thawed by commerce, non-Puritan
immigration from the old country, and
social infiuencesy as much as by the force
of intellectual emancipation: though in
founding universities and schools 1t had
in fact prepared for Its own ultimate sub
version. Unitariafism was a halfway
house through which Massachusetts, pass
ed into thoroughgoing liberalism such as
we find In Emerson, Thoreau. and the cir
Gle of Brook Farm. and afterward into
the inconoclasm Of Ingersoll. The only
Protestant Church of much Importance
to which the New World has given birth
is the Universalist, natural offspring
of democratic humanity revolving against
the belief in eternal fire. Enthusiasm I'M
illuminated still holds its camp-meetings
and sings Rock of Ages in the grove
under the stars.
But the main support of orthodox Pro-
testantism in the United States is now an
off-shoot from the old country. 1t is
Methodism, which. by the perfection of its
organization. combining strong ministe-
rial authority with democratic partici-
patton of all members in the active ser
vice of the Church. has so far not only
held its own. but enlarged its borders
and increased its power; its power perhaps
rather than its spiritual influence, for
the time comes when the fire Of enthu-
siasm grows cold and class meetings lose
their fervor The membership is mostly
drawn from a class little exposed to the
disturbing influences of criticism OF
science; nor has the education Of the min
listers hitherto been generally such as to
let in heterodox lights upon their minds.
The character and intensity of the move