The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-14
NEWS. OF BOOK WORLD
Fundamental Christian Questions Dis
cussed by DR.. George A. Gordon
j. t. IrowbIidge's Autobiography

Fundamental Christian Questions Dis
cussed by DR.. George A. Gordon
j. t. Trowbridge's Autobiography
New Book Of Verse.
If the scientist, with his theory that
life is a fermentation, with his experiment
to show that the movements Of an emul-
sion upon glass plate are like the
squirmings of protoplasnic matter, with
his test tubes, BunSen burners and micro
scope, is tireless in his efforts to solve
the riddle Of the universe, notices. tlreless
is the theologian In his search to know
the will Of God toward men, which is only
another approach to the same riddle.
"More light is the cry Of both, and more
light are both giving to men. Surely out
Of the laboratory and the study of con-
scientious searchers after truth must come
truth, tho often tinctured with error. And
a book which is a powerful reputation OF
the thought that Christianity may be
taking second place, or is in any de-
gree ,surrendering it's claim to first place.
as a promulgators of the highest truths, Is
ultimate Conceptions of Faith, by George
A Gordon, minister of the Old South
church, Boston. The book is made up of
lectures delivered last fall at Yale uni
versity. F.
In it's chapter on Faith and It's Cate
gories'' there are things to which the
orous exception, possibly-but, for all
that, there is no reason why the Calvinist
should not be intensely interested in the
book. To this, for example, the Presby-
terrain would doubtless object: h.
/ Predestination expresses the relation of the
Absolute will to the universe and to mankind
But the absolute will is absolute in goodness;
therefore the deduction that God is on the side of
some men and against others is Illogical de-
duction. The derivation from this will Of abso-
11fo vnn ~ two ofc 1vo.
ton for certain portion Of mankind, and an
other of reprobation for the rest of the human
race, is a supreme instance of bad logic. =.
This sounds like universalism. The
and closes the chapter thus:
The scheme stands for intentional uniyersalism
| on the part of God. 1t is the will Of God that
all men should be saved. But a con-
| sistent scheme is not the same thing as reality;
| intentional universalism is not universalism in
fact. The battle is on, and God has organized
his grace for absolute victory; but the issues
are still undetermined and those who hope in
| God are worse than trihers, they are bias
| phemers, unless they fight under his banner,
unless they strive to win the enemy to the
| Divine side. s.
S Of the tIndividual Ultimate-Per-
sonality," DR.. Gordon says:
Human life GIBBS and flows, contracts and ex-
pands, Is now more, now less: 1t is history OF
mutation and difference. Still within the un.
| certain circle there is somewhere permanent
center. : The sense of real abiding, self
identical life is the final fact in consciousness.
There is no absorption into a great all
no loss Of identity, in that.
From this to the Social Ultimate-TIu
mainly" the Religious Ultimate-Jesu!
Christ" the Universal Ultimate-Th,
Moral Universe" the absolute ultimate
Cod" the steps are natural and gradual
All Of these subjects are treated with thu
vigor and lucidity that characterizes tn
above extracts. Two brief additional ex
i tracts will suffice: e.~..s~z
For the world that wants to live to live wor
thily, royalty and endlessly, there is no rival il
leadership of Jesus Christ. .
Our God, then, is person whose life is al
infinite content of meanings. These meaning
are In man and mans world; and he lifts then
into an Eternal Person as their logical issue an
assurance. This is the absolute ultimate amon
the conceptions of faith.