New-York tribune., 1901-01-06
HISTORY OF RELIGION
THE PEOPLE. NOT THEOLOGIAAS.
NOW LARGELY SHAPE CREEDS.

The history OF religion in the nineteenth CEN
tury does readily lend itself to analysis. 1t
is marked by many puzzling counter currents
and some OF it's most noteworthy tendencies
have not yet reached a stage where their real
meaning and import be understood One
fact stands out cIearly-it has been largely
shaped, If it has not been dominated, by the
people, and not. as in nearly every preceding
age by the theologians. Even the Reforma-
tion, though its impulse primarily due TO
the plain people. finally crystallized into num-
ber Of rigid ecclesiastical organizations, with
body OF dogTnas and traditions which came to be
regarded as sacrosanct and immutable. But in
the century now drawing to a close the people,
and not the theologians. have taken the largest
part in shaping the thought of Christianity. Its
great currents of religious life have been fed
and I'm many cases guided, by the impulses OF
the multitude often vague and underlined, but
the less irresistible. We may gauge the
strength OF this tendency by noting the Ire-
quency and vigOr with which it has been repro
bateG by ecclesiasts and theologians who saw
in il a deplOrable drift to heresy and intidelity:
But the radical character of this nineteenth
century tendency will be realized still more
clearly IL contrast it with the religious llre
of the Middle Ages Then the Church dominated
the conscience and the reason. and not only did
the people not object to this domination. but
out OF their loyal desire to believe even to the
uttermost they extended and developed many
OF the formal dogmas of the Church. They thus
exaggerated the teachings OF the theoogians 10
such extent that the Church often felt
Obliged TO protest against the gross credulity OF
the popular theology. But on the other hand'
the almost uniform tendency of the people in
the nineteenth century has been 10 minimize lle
creeds and traditions OF the Church. Naturally
enough the one notable exception 10 this is
found in the Roman Catholic Church. when mas
added two dogmas to the faith, that Of the i'm
maculate conception, declared by Plus lA IN
1854. and that OF the infallibility of the Pope'
proclaimed by the Vatican Council in lSto.
These DEGREES doubtless represented the thought
of the Church
MOVEMENT IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
The old Catholic schism which grew out OF
their PRONUNCIATION was never very strong. and
gives no Indication of vitality. But though the
Roman Church stands to-day apparently unaf-
fected by the moral and intellectual Commissions
OF the century. a school Of thought has grown
np in it which, while processing loyalty TO its
fundamental teachings would have the Church
put itself, far may be, in sympathetic re
iations with the great currents of thought ana
activity in the world Whether this school OF
thought will ultimately be condemned by the
Church or whether it will succeed in infusing
more tolerant spirit in its government is a ques-
lion that can only be decided by the future. AL
though il longer holds the intellectual leader
ship OF the world Roman Catholicism has SHOWN
much vitality. Its missions TO heathen lands
have been prosecuted with unfagging zeal, and
its growth in the United States has been great
Professionalism, especially in Europe, has, on
the other hand been profoundly modified by
the secular movements Of the age, but most or
an bv the new scientific and historical spirit
which has SO completely revolutionized every
department Of human thought and ACTIVITY Inc
crystaIlized creeds of Professionalism have lost
many Of their sharp outlines IN the alembic or
the modern time spirit. The new Biblical cLlti-
rism, which denies the popular beliefs or BlDll-
cal infallibility and inspiration has conquered
q permanent place for itself in every Protes-
tant body. The historical method has led
TO the modification Of many old eccieslastical
assumptions. Archaeology has, indeed, dlsap-
pointed those who predicted that il would over
throw the superstructure Of historic Christian
lty but il has shown that the point OF view OF
Tps5.T ,o1 1noS ,7nr
all the facts of the case, and that the testimony
of the monuments and tablets corrects or en-
larges many popular differences derived from
the sacred narrative.
It is needless to say that the remarkable
growth of science and investigation in the nine
teenth century has profoundly affected Prot
esrantisn. 1t is sufficient TO note here that
Darwin's theory of the origin of species de-
nounced when il first published, by every
conspicuous theologian as denial or Chrlsu-
auifv has come to be accepted by almost every
copspicuous theologian of the present day. But
the influence OF modern secular thought on
Christianity is. seen not so much in any iorInal
;ccentarlce of its concusions-for the Church
has ever shrunk from taking such a step-as IN
the attitude and temper Of Christians, clerical
and lay, in discussing questions relating TO re-
ligion. There is a tone OF modernity even IN
the sermons Of to-day that shows how Tar the
Christian world has drifted from the medieval
ages OF faith, when mobiles, burghers and serfs,
an distinctions being levelled by a common I'M
pulse, wont TO gather in the market place
o discuss the mysterious relations or the Irln-
itv or the Procession of the Holy Ghost
IL would not be possible to trace here the varl-
GUS movements of thought that have left their
impress upon nineteenth century Christianity.
There came to it from the eighteenth century
two great impulses which in its first decades
struggled for supremacy. One of these was that
which eliminated I'm the deistic movement and
found concrete expression in the fierce fnhdelity
of the French Revolution. 1t is mistake TO
assume that all the Geists were outside the
Church. Virtually many OF its leaders agreed
with them I'm minimizing or denying the super
time st almost seemed though the Church
were destined TO become little more than a
moral police agency. The other impulse, which
a passionate denial Of this theory, found a
ft leader i'm John Wesley, who, humanity
speaking, saved Christianity from the dry rot OF
Indifference and unbelief. Methodism, which
grew out of Wesley's preaching, by
nlonopolized his spirit and influence. They pro-
foundly affected the Church which antagonized
him, and, curiously enough, the revolt of Wesley
against Erastianism found expression in the
Oxford movement of 1852, OF which John Henry
Newman was for many years the leader. More
directly traceable 10 Wesley's influence was the
Evangelical movement, which inspired nearly
everything that is best and noblest in modern
Professionalism. The great modern missionary
activities Of Professionalism first sprang from
Evangelicisns and IL seems to many that its
decadence would mean their speedy collapse
But while the aggregate results of missions
have been enormous, il is to be noted that no
heather nation race has been Christianized
outright Even Japan, which seemed likely to
accept Christianity a few years ago. now seems
more disposed to make mosaic of religions for
itself.
NEW-ENGLAND'S POWERFUL INFLUENCE
The New-England theocracy for long time
completely dominated the religious world in
America, and to-day, though the pitiless
but logical theology OF Jonathan Edwards is no