The times., 1901-03-31

|
| Now that the smoke Of the battle has
| cleared away, while many tragedies are
| disclosed. it does not appear that the
| Churches have been weakened by the
strife or have yielded any essential truth
| or conviction. The belief in God. and in
his creation and government OF the world.
| the incarnation of God in Christ. the
miracle for which Christ stands. and pre-
| erninently the miracle of his resurrec-
tiOIl-in a word the supernatural inter
pretation of life. remains mistaken. 1t is
unjust to charge, as has sometimes been
done, dishonesty and a spirit of evasion
| against those who while the fierce battle
was in progress. kept silence. unable to
defend by cosent argument what yet
they cherished still as true.
| In the latter part of the century there
| came efforts at the reconstruction of the
| ology in order to a better adjustment of
| the increase Of knowledge regarding the
| nature Of God and his relation to the
| world. The doctrine of God as immanent
| in the world, and not only transcendent
or above aud apart from it, has proved
valuable in reconciling many of the dis
| coveries of history and of natural science
also been made to simplify theology by
| the reduction of the large and complex.
| even conflicting. mass of Christian tenets
| and beliefs, given in history or repre-
sented in various Christian sects. to a
few simple principles in which all must
agree, resting for their confirmation not
| on metaphysics, but on the genuine
Christian instincts as revealed in the
New Testament. There has been at
tanned also better philosophical method
for meeting the difficulties and perplexi-
ties Of the age
But these attempts at the better inter
probation of revealed religion and the
formation of more consistent theological
systems have found a temporary rival in
efforts to create first of all, a better Sys-
tenn Of natural theology" as it may be
called, which shall take account of the
doctrine of evolution and other discov-
cries of natural science since Paley's
time and the day of the "Bridgewater
Treatises.' Those who aim at recon-
ciiiation of religion with science treat the
idea of evolution as a mediating prin-
ciple by which the conflict between
science and religion may be overcome
This effort Is the more significant in
view of the popular interest in evolution
"A word which has become almost the
watchword of the age. From this point
of view the invasion OF religious terri
tory by scientific men Huxley. Tyndale,
Haeckel. and others), and the counter-in-
vasion of scientific territory by- philoso-
pliers and theologtans, give promise Of
some mutual understanding in the future.
".
IT remains now to turn 10 another most
pot mt motive which has affected the for
tunes of religion in the nineteenth cen
tury. 1t may be called Natioualism.
meaning by the term that higher concep-
tion OF the life of the state or nation,
slowly but most effectively asserting itself
throughout The nineteenth century, never
apart from religious convictions, always
indeed in their support and furtherance
In illustration of this point, We turn again
to the French Revolution, as giving the
momentum, both directly and by way of
reaction, to the conception of the sacred
ness of the State, as an ultimate fact in
Gods government OF the world. In that
fearful outburst of the French people,
their long pent-up Indignation was vented
no less against the State than against the
Church-the one device of kings and
lawgivers for holding mankind ia subjec-
ton, as the other was scheme for the
same end by a designing priesthood. The
humanitarian sentiment received in con
sequence at this impressive moment a di-
rectiOn of antipathy to nationality as an
evil to be overcome, or at least to be kept
in subjection to some higher principle, if
the rights of man were to be secured.
Something even of this negative mood
entered into the formation of the Ameri-
can Constitution. where there is to be
noted a singular omission of any refer
ence TO deity as the author and preserver
of the national life. On the Continent of
Europe there was the phenomenon of Ma
poleon building on the ruins of the French
Revolution, while yet preserving the de-
structive motives which inspired it. Ma
poleon revived the dream of empire, in
whose expansive embrace the nations of
Europe were to be subordinated, If not
suppressed altogether. He proposed to
reconstruct the map of Europe. as though
nationalities and crowns were purely
human artificial arrangements to be dis
posed of at his sovereign pleasure.
The failure OF the French nation, its
demonstrated inability to do the proper
work Of q State, as well as the fact that
the career of q Napoleon was possible
indicates inherent weakness in all the ma
tions Of Europe at the beginning of the
nineteenth century. They existed either
in repose, and even stasnation. after the
long turmoil Of the age of the Protestant
Reformation, averse to change distrust-
fuI of enthusiasm, or were content to
strive for purely selfish aims In accord
ance with the principle that the people
existed for the State, rulers followed their
personal wnims, Indifferent to moral
sanctions. needless of the growing evils
calling aloud for redress. Such in partic-
ular was the condition in France. 1t was
better in England, but even there the ma
tional selfishness, hardness and cupidity
were so strong that England became Of
fensiye to the world, and especially to the
American colonies, so that after the Ianse
of a hundred years the dislike of England
still remains deeply rooted in America.
and it seems as il any alliance between
these peoples of common descent were
forever impossible. However this NAV be
there has been a reaction against nation
ality during the nineteenth century. The
nations have been forced to struggle
against this opposition. and through the
struggle they have attained their p,riti-
cation.
The subject is connected with the
fortunes of religion in many wavs. The
indifference to nationality, the distrust
of the nation as incompetent for the
eXlgencieS of life the placipp az ON III