The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31

Il ly enhancing its power or by re-
stricting its influence, are these:
~ umanitsrianism: ~ The Historical
Spirit 90 Science; "a Nationalism. AL
though the course of religious history has
varied somewhat in different countries as
well as in the different Churches, yet it is
possible to form an approximate picture
of the resultant of these forces which
will reveal the progress of the Kingdom
OF God in tive world.
The first of these motives-humanitar-
ianisn-has powerfully influenced the
Christian world by asserting the rights
of man. liberty. equality. and the spirit
of fraternity, the sense of human brother
hood. The germs of the humanitarian
movement may be traced in the eight
zenith century as in the teaching of Les
sing, and Herder. and Rousseau; in re-
ligious movements like the great awak-
ening in the United States, the revival in
England under Wesley and Whitefield, in
tentative efforts for the abolition of
slavery QIopkins and Clarkson), and
prison reform (John Howard. But the
nineteenth century has been distinguished
above all the other Christian centuries in
the results achieved by the sentiment OF
humanity. II has led to the abolition of
slavery under English rule. in the United
States. and in Russia; TO many reform
movements of every kind and degree,
wherever there existed actual or latent
tyranny. which robbed humanity of its
Inherent privileges.
The humanitarian sentiment is Chris
tian in its origin, derived primarily from
the conviction of the incarnation OF God
in Christ Christ appears in history as
the leader of humanity in the struggle
for freedom Slowly but surely. ever
since his advent the world of man has
been moving forward TO the attainment
OF the ideal Of humanity revealed in him.
'Ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free. And if the Son Of
God shall make you free, ye shall be free
indeed The progress toward freedom
inspired by him who taught the father
hood Of God and the brotherhood of men
has been accomplished in the face of
graf hindrances and long reverses, over
coming obstacles which would have been
insuperable without Christian faith In
the nineteenth century the movement
toward human freedom seems almost to
have reached it's elimination. Within
the sphere of religion the progress is
most manifest in the spread of Christian
missions, which stand out in any review
of the century as one Of its most ex-
traordinary achievements. 1t might be
Justly designated as a missionary age.
So intense and persistent has been its
devotion to the gospel of Christ as essen
tiaI for man that when the century closed
it might be truly said that the round
world had been girdled with Christian
missions, whose results are more sig
nificsnt for civilization. as well as for
religion. than any statistics can reveal.
The missionary has been the pioneer. it is
becoming increasingly evident. Of mo-
mentous changes yet TO appear.
The sentiment Of humanity has operated
as a motive in the study Of human his
tory, giving to historical enquiry new
interest and impetus No age has been
so fruitful in the results of historical re-
search. with conclusions OF vital impor-
lance for every department Of life, but
chiefly this, that an independent place has
been indicated for humanity, as having
q life of its own distinct from and above
the natural order of the physical world.
The study of man as he appears in his
tory has tended to strengthen faith in
the essential truths Of religion. opening
up, as it has done. the deeper knowledge
of the nature of man to which the re-
ligion of Christ appeals; for the modern
method Of studying history, as compared
with earlier methods, consists in seeking
for those inward subjective moods of the
human soul which lie beneath creeds or
institutions. and not solely In the aecu-
rate description of the objective fact. The
facts of human life call for Interpretation.
and for this the historian must search.
Thus has been born what is almost new
department of enquiry-the philosophy Of
history CHegel and many others. Differ
as do these attempts at philosophy of
history they yet possess one ruling idea
the conviction of a development in the
life of humanity when viewed as a whole
The idea of development controlled the
higher intellectual life OF the first half
of the century. 1t was applied with inn
portant results to the study Of ecclesias-
tical history. by Schleiermacher, Neander,
.iieseler. Baur, Rothe. Bunseu. and many
others. by the Roman Catholic Mohier, in
his symbolic" and by John Henry New
man. in however one-sided and imperfect
manner The doctrine Of development
found It's classic formula in the lines OF
Tennyson:
Yet. / doubt not through the ages
one increasing purpose runs
And the thoughts Of men are widcned
With the process Of the suns.
The influence Of the doctrine Of devel-
opment has been felt in the study of Scrip
ture. leading TO a recognition of progress
iYeness in the divine revelation, whose
record has been preserved In the Old and
New Testaments (Aiczley, Ruling Ideas
in the Early Ages'D. BY means Of this
truth have been overcome, til they now
seem unworthy, the objections to the Old
Testament on the ground that it gave
sanction TO cruelty, deceit or an imperfect
morality. But the Inference has also fol-
lowed that the revelation Of God TO hu-
mainly must be searched for in the sacred
records, and even by the light of close
critical scrutiny. II the divine utterance
is to be distinguished from crude misap-
prehensions or misapplicauons. Forms OF
literary expression, current usages. the
historical environment OF the time-for
these allowance must DE made as their
influence is recognized. The science Of
biblical criticism has gained from the
study of general history a larger knowl-
edge Of the nature OF man. which I'm turn.
has made the study of the Bible more
profound and thorough, because more real
ana human than were the biblical studies
of the eighteenth century. The primary
question which II has been found neees-
sary TO ask IN regard 10 any doctrine or
institution Is not whether 1t is true-for