The sun., 1901-04-14
THE PAST CENTURY.
Its History in Great Sub
jects.
IsETOF REMARKABLE ARTICLES
Last Paper Of the Series Of -Four
Upon Religion.
PROGRESS OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.
PROGRESS OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.
No. ".
A LIBERALS SUMMING UP.
~ GOLDwIN SMITH. y. o. L.
cepy-tOh 1901. ~ ne 6s~ P-t~H~o end
PvbHsAfno Association.

fNooS"'NS A~~>''~'''
Tho history Of religion during the past
century may be described a. the sequel
Of that dissolution Of the medieval faith
which commenced at the Reforma-
ton. The vast process Of disintegration
proceeds by degrees. 10 varied by reac-
tionary effort, and gives birth to new
theories In It's course. In our day the COM
pletion Of the process and new departure
seem TO be at hand A sharp line cannot
be drawn at the beginning OF the last
century. the leaders OF religious thought in
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
having been TO a great extent the leaders.
and their works the textbooks. OF the
nineteenth.
At the Reformation Professionalism threw
of the yoke OF Pope and priest. priestly
control over conscience through the con-
feesional, priestly absolution for sin. and
belief in the magical power Of the priest
a. consecrator Of the Host. besides the
worship Of the Virgin and the saints. pur-
gatory, relics. pilgrimages, and other in
cidents Of the Medieval system. 0stensi-
bly,, Professionalism was founded on freedom
Of conscience and the right OF private
judgment. In reality. It retained Church
authority over conscience In the shape OF
dogmatio creeds and ordination tests.
II besides enforced belief in the plenary
inspiration Of the Bible, by which the exer-
else Of private judgment was narrowly
confined. Not for some time did 1t even
renounce persecution. In grimly Calvin
istic Scotland a boy was hanged for I'M
pugning the doctrine OF the Trinity at
the end Of the seventeenth century. The
Anglican Church. suspended BY the will Of
the Tudor sovereigns between Catholicism
and Professionalism, oscillated from side 70
side. producing by one Of It's oscillations the
great Civil War II burned heretlcs In the
reign of James I. All the Protestant
Churches except the Baptists. who at first
were objects OF persecution. fell under the
dominion OF the state, which repaid them
dowments, temporal privileges. and perse-
cution Of dissent
Though Professionalism produced a null
tltude OF sects, especially in England al
the time Of the Commonwealth, hardly any
Of them were free-thinking or sccptiual
those OF any importance. NJ all events
were in some sense dogmatic and we're
anchored TO thu Inspiration Of the Bible
Nor is 1t easy TO convict Hobbies hugbear
OF the orthodox as he was, OF scepticism or
even OF heterodoxy. The expression OF
heterodox opinions. indeed, would have
been a violation Of his own principle
which makes religion absolutely an affair
OF the state. TO be regulated by despotic
government and confines liberty 10 the
recesses OF thought. 1t is true that ir
making religion a political Institution
variable at despot's will. he covertIy denied
that II was divine
Under the Restoration religious thought
and controversy slept The nation was weary
OF those subjects. The liberty for which
men then struggled was political. though
with political liberty was bound up gious
federation. which achieved n partial trl.
umph under William Ill.
The Church Of Rome, 10 meet the storm
reOrganized herself at the Council Of Trent
on lines practically traced for her by the
Jesuits. A comparison Of Suarcz with
Thomas Aquinas shows the change which
took place in spirit ~ plainly as a Cumpari-
son Of the Jesuit = meretrCious fame with
the Gothic churches shows the change in
religious taste Papal autocracy was
strengthened at the expense ~ the epi.-
copate, and furnished at once with a guard
and propaGandist machinery Of extraor-
binary power in the Order Of Loyola
That the pienary Inspiration Of the Bible
In the Nulga,e version. and Including the
Apocrypha should be reaifirmcd was a
secondary matter ina,much as the Church
Of Rome holds that il il not she who derives
her credentials from Scripture. but Script
ure which depends for the attestation Of
It's authority upon her. She now allied
herself more closely than before with the
Catholic kings, with Philip H.. and after
ward with Louis XIV, who paid her for
her support Of political absoutism by SAN
culinary persecution OF heretics. She hereby
parted with her Hildrbrandic supremacy
over the Powers Of the world, though
she did not. like the nglican Church. rec
ognize the divine right Of kings. The In
eral and peace making movements which
had been set on foot or We're afterward set
on foot. within her pale, such as the Ora
tory Of Divine love. which held justin-
cation By faith and wished 10 compromise
with the Protestants. were cTectually put
down. JanseDism when it appeared
with Its half Calvinistic theory Of Grace
shared the same fate Gal,icanism after.
ward. having nationality 70 back f.
was more successful But II brought no
freedom Of conscience II was merely q
reparttlon Of the despojic power over con-
science between rho King and 'he Pope
In Spain, and for he most part in Italy
Rome, by the aid of the Jesuit and the
luquisition, completely succeeded in kill
ing free thought In France" where there
was no InQuis.uon. her triumph was not
50 complete. She succeeded only IN driv-
ing sCep'iciSm into Disguise and sub
terfuG" The Commonwealth of Holland
did France and the world in general the
immense service ~ acurdinc a printing
house for free thought which was on tho
confines of F'1nrr hut beyond tho reach
Of the French government n,srartes,
without directly a~saliug the flllh ~ the
Church, planted IN her face tie standard
Of thorough going reason ana entitled
himself 10 a place N the Indcy Growing
Gapsual,y and lnya of ,1nuaur, Lr,np ht