The sun., 1901-04-14

! head Of Christ seems to rest on the Nlcens
| Council In the life Of Christ VIC see re-
| duCed to a natural occurrence the miracle
of Gadara, where the devils east out Of
! the men enter into the herd of swine. II IA
| needless 10 say that with the miraculous
| element of these occurrences their value Rs
evidence for the supernatural disappears.
Scotland generally remained fast bound
| by her Westminster Confession, There
| had been period of liberalism marked by
the appearance of Jupiter" Carlyle, Robert
son the historian, Dugald Stewart, and
other philosophers and men of mind. But
the Church Of Scotland being democratic.
it's faith was in the keeping Of the people,
/ who were impervious to criticism and
naturally opposed 10 innovation. Az last.
! however, the thaw came. hastened perhaps
! by the collision between the state Church
| Of Scotland and the Free Church. The
| Westminster Confession it seems, has now
| been taCitly laid aside and Scotch theology
has had its Robertson Smith. whose critical
views on the Old Testament earned him
removal from his PROFESSIONAL chair.
| Another book which in its day startled the
| NOTlu anu dWdheneu dll TIE ctIlOrs vi OIluO-
dox alarm was Buckles History OF Civtl-
zation." in which the characters OF nations
and the progress Of humanity were traced
TO physical influences, excluding the moral
and by implication the theistic element.
Its thesis was supported by an overwhelm-
| ing display OF learning. Though not ex.
pressly 1t was In it's tenor hostile to religious
| belief. or Buckles work less is now heard,
| but it had an influence in its day. perhaps
more In America than in its native land.
| Americans. 1t seems. were captured both
by the bodness Of the theory and by the
imposing display Of erudiuon.
| In the line OF learned and dispassionate re-
| search France has produced Renan, whose
life OF Jesus" especially made a vast i'm
preston on Europe and still probably
exercises an influence by virtue not only
| Of the boldness OF the speculation and
the intense interest OF the subject but
Of the extreme beauty OF the style. Tho
work. however. Is one In which imagina-
ton acts strongly on history. 1t lacks
critical basis; not that the author fails
! fully 10 set out his authorities, but that in
his narrative he fails to discriminate
among them. One incident Is treated as
real, another as mythical, to suit the
requirements Of poetical conception with
out reason assigned for the distinction.
There seems no reason. for example, why
the miracle OF the raising Of Lazarus should
be treated as historical though In the
sense Of imposture or illusion. while
other miracles are treated as totally un.
/ la L. o..
French and slightly sensuous cast. From
the whole body OF Remains histories Of
Israel, Of Christ and Of the early Church
| the supernatural Is entirely excluded.
The Roman Catholic Church has not
suffered from criticism. historical. literary,
or scientific, In tho same way as the
| Protestant Churches, that is internally
| because IL depends not so much on In
tellectual conviction, "a on ecclesiastical
organization. and rests comparatively little
on the authority Of the Bible. Its priest
hood has not been affected like the clergy
Of the Church OF England or the ministries
OF the Protestant Churches. But it has
everywhere been losing the educated classes,
or retained a part Of them not 30 much
from conviction, still less from specula-
tive conviction. as because its alliance Is
congenial 70 political and social reaction
Its inability 10 come 10 terms with science
has been shown by the recent case OF ST.
George Miyart, and scientific eminence
among Roman Catholics Is rara In Italy.
the centre of the system. while the poorer
classes still flock TO the hQuefaotion OF
the blood Of ST. Januarius at Naples or
theeXudatlon Of the bones Of St Andrew at
Amalh. still climb the Holy Staircase on
their knees. or make pilgslmages to the
House Of Loretto. the general tone OF In
telligence Is described rs sceptcal. though
aristocratio families, more especially those
Of Papal creation. adhere 10 the Papacy
on political and social rather than on re-
ligious grounds Near TO the shrine Of Ig-
natius Loyola stands the statue Of Giordano
Bruno. on the spot Of his martyrdom by
fire. dedicated 10 him by the age which
he foresaw." Attempts have been made
to liberalizethe Church Of Rome and enable
i 10 float with the current Of the day. but
they have failed. Pho Mono for time
put himself at the head Of the popular and
liberal movement IN Italy. But he soon
found. as Cariyi said. tha, It was an alarm
ing undertaking. Lamennais's attempt al
liberalization ended. after long Intel
lectual agony, In his own secession. The
combined attempt Of Lacordaire TO liberal
ize enthusiastically and OF Montalembert
70 liberaize politically had a scarcely less
melancholy result; both Of them died under
the shadow Of Papal displeasure or Of that
Of the Jesuit party by which the Papacy
was controlled The def1antly reaotionary
spirit of Ultramontanism De Maistre has pre-
vailed. The Jesuit has ruled at the vati-
| can. Under his guidance the Papacy has
proclaimed the infalhbilty OF the Pope
and the Immaculate Conception OF the
Virgin. thus breaking completely and
finally with reason and with all who, like
the :" Old Catholics In Germany. remained
IN some degree within that pale. 1t las
gained In its own despite in respectablity
and influence by deprivation OF its temporal
power, against which the Prisoner o, the
| Vatican still hopelessly protests.
In France the national religion. abolished
and prosecuted by the Jaoobins, was re-
stored for a political purpose by Napoleon.
The new Charlemagns was requited with