The times., 1901-03-31

stricting its influence, are these:
40 Humanitsriauism: O. The Historical
Spirit: CD Science. tD NaJionalism. 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
viii reveal the progress of the Kingdom
OF God in the world
The first Of these motives -humanitar-
ianism-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
eeuth 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 Whitefeld, in
tentative efforts for the abolition of
slavery GIopkins 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 IT 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
shah 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
great hindrances and long reverses. over
coming obstacles which would have been
insuperable without Christian faith. Ia
the nineteenth century the movement
toward human freedom seems almost 10
have reached its 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-
traorGinary achievements. 1t might be
5ustis designated as a missionary age.
So intense and persistent has been its
devotion to the gospel Of Christ as essen
tial for man that when the century closed
it might be truly said that the round
world had been girdIed with Christian
missions, whose results are more sig
nificant 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
uentous changes yet 10 appear
The sentiment Of humanity has operated
As a motive ia the study OF human his
tory. giving to historical enquiry a new
interest and impetus. No age has been
50 fruitful IN the results Of historical re
search. with conclusions Of vital impor-
tance for every department Of life, but
chiefly this, that an independent place has
been indicated for humanity. as having
= 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 ia
the essential truths Of religion. opening
up as # has done. the deeper knowledge
Of the nature Of man to which the re-
Igion 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 accu-
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 a new
department Of enquiry-the philosophy OF
history CHegel and many others. Differ
as do these attempts at a 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. tt was applied with inn
Dortant results 10 the study Of ccclesias-
tical history. by Schleiermacher Neander.
.5ieseler. Baur, Rothe, Bunseu. and many
others. by the Roman Catholic Mohier, in
his "SymbOlik" and b. John Henry New
man. In however one-sided and imperfect
manner The doctrine Of development
found its classic formula in the lines Of
Tennyson:
Yet. I doubt not through the ages
one increasing purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men Widened
With the process Of the suns.
The influence Of the doctrine Of devel-
opmeut has been felt in the study of Scrip
ture, leading to a recognition of progress
fEeuess in the divine revelation. whose
record has been preserved in the Old and
New Testaments (Mozey, Ruling Ideas
in the Early Ages'D. BY means Of this |
truth have been overcome. tin they now
seem unworthy, the objections 70 the Old /
Testament on the ground that IL gave
sanction 10 cruelty, deceit or an imperfect
lowed that the revelation Of God 10 hu-
mauity must be searched for in the sacred
records and even by the light Of close
critical scrutiny. II the divine utterance
is 70 be distinguished from crude misap- /
prehensions or misapplicauous Forms Of /
literary expression, current usages. the /
historical environment Of the time-for |
these allowance must be made as their /
influence is recognized. The science Of /
biblical criticism has gained from the /
study Of general history a larger knowI- 1
edge Of the nature Of man. which. in turn. 4
has made the study OF the Bible more
profound and thorough. because more real !
and human than were the biblical studies |
Of the eighteenth century. The primary |
question which II has been found neces- |
To asy ss.