The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-07

ReliSion spring eternal in the human
breast, ike the hope" Of the poet. In
deed religion is founded, after love- up
on hope And while there life in him,
the man who is sound in spirit will
strain toward the infinite. The aspra-
tons Of the spirit are as true 10 natu-
ia. law as the attraction OF gravitation
which the body feels toward the earth
a man without spirituality in some de-
gree is no better than a clod on the face
Of the earth
But while this tendency to religion is
as old as the soul in mankind. it is IS
various in its manifestations and as
susceptible TO evolution as any other
quality in the human composition.
From fire worship 10 p2ntheism, and
from that to Christianity was long
step. and from the cropping faith Of prim
five Christianity into the understanding
faith Of to-day is as long a one,
One Of the great beauties Of the Chris
tar religion is that Il IS susceptible of
reconciliation with science. It is ada nta-
bic for instance. TO tho principle Of evo
Iution. Any en'iShtened man with the
: theory Of evolution for key. can find
new. illimitable wonders in the Book OF
Gsnesis
II seems to he in this spirit that Or.
Coe has written The Religion Of a Ma
;pre Mind " a notable book. clear strong
Ctdtl anu lllpSL ilf'tlIbl- I iblil liIt- S1tAii-
pie viewpoint urged upon him By his
mother when his mind was hoyisll thai
the very impulse 10 pray was Gods man
hesitation OF Himself within him he has
gone on TO the argument OF a mature
mind for aggressive Christianity
The church at large he writes. has
TO emerge from the do--natic and emo
tioral attitudes essentially character
! tic OF youth into the equilibrium Of a
spiritual maturity. which shall include
II once intellectual freedom AM iIiurni
nation. emotional health and practical
eScressiveuess.
Indeed. the Keynote Of this book Is its
declaration that the heart OF modern
man is hungry for fresh. original eX-
J,erience of the divine. The demand IS
for somthns more than a mere recon-
struction of doctrine; the personal reli-
cicus life must he reorganized The
great nlovenlznt Of modern civilization
have involved "a certain cominG-of-age
: the human mind wlich necessitates
|, like maturing process in Christian eX-
rnrience, conduct and modes Of propaga-
Lon.
This advance toward the religion Of
nature mind. the author maintains. does
rot require us to resist the tendencies
OF ,he modern mind. or even 10 recon-
Gle Christianity with them but rath-
nr 10 carry them forward and deepen
ihcm For. when We reach their foun-
dation in human nature, we discover that
they have a certain kinship with rel-
lion and specially with Christianity. The
Christian should be most uncomprornis-
inrly scientific. most vigorously ethical,
most radically modern In and through
the scientific attitudes and the ethical
assumptions Of modern mind are assimi-
lated they lead forward profounder
inner. observation-disclosures because
loss dependent upon temperament, cir
constance and age and more nearly re-
presenting the immanence OF God.
The book Will go far toward satisfy
i. the demand, on the one hand, that the
Christian life assimi'ate modern progress
ard, on the oth5r hand. that the pc
ciat1s heritage from past Christian life
al.d experience be not sacrificed TO
merely superficial enlightenment