The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-23
Materlali,m and Easter Sunday,

Mr.. GOODWIN SMITHS letter to-day
discusses a subject which has a more
serious interest for the older generation
OF which he Is 30 distinguished a repre-
sentative than for a newer generation
less disposed 10 wrestle with questions
Of religion.
When he was a young man at Oxford
University and afterward during the
period Of his professorship Of modern
history the so-called Oxford or Tractarian
movement had stimulated there the deep
est interest In the religious question. II
was the one subject Of thought and con-
versation among the men with whom Mr..
GOODWIN SMITH was associated in that
university community. The search then
was for supernatural and ecclesiastical
authority.
Now, in his ripe age, the tendency Of
minds like his, little less in the Church
itself than In the world outside, Is 10 search
rather for scientific authority, for a ma
terial explanation Of the riddle Of the
universe, and ignore the supernatural
explanation as product Of an outgrown
superstition. This change has involved
a revolution in thought and conviction
which has brought pain and misgiving
to men Of his generation and Of his
serious views Of the obligations of human
existence. Having been forced, as he
says, TO give up belief In the divine reve-
latlon Of the miscellany Of Hebrew
writings, many Of them Of doubtful au-
thorship and date, some Of them plainly
mythical he is distressed by his in
ability TO find a new warrant for spirit
ual life, for any hopes that we may
have cherished Of existence beyond the
grave, for confidence in a divine order
Of the universe Throughout the
skeptlcism Of which Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH
is a representative there runs dread Of
the consequences TO society Of abandon
ment Of an old faith without the sub
stitutlon for II Of more than a grossly
material hypothesis only, The old Bit
terness Of the assault Of inhdelity on
religion has been replaced by alarm at
the completeness Of the destruction Of
faith which science has effected In such
minds
1t is probably true, however, that In
the newer generation Of more educated
minds there Is little distress on this 40
count, little thought about the future
life, no concern about the questions Of
religious controversy which agitated
Oxford so violently In the middle Of the
last century. The spiritual agonies Of
that period have been succeeded by indif-
erence, OF, at least, the questions then so
disturbing are set aside as insoluble, and
therefore not worth thinking about The
material world offers questions enough
TO absorb the thought Of such men IN the
complex life Of the present.
Meantime the formal observance Of
the ceremonies Of religion is at least as
general as it was In the days Of Mr.,
GOODWIN SMITH youth. The celebration
Of Easter to-day will be more imposing
than ever, and larger part Of the COM
munity Of New York will pay heed TO IL.
The Passover viii also be COMMUNICATED
by practically the whole body Of the
Jewish community, although in 1t the
advance Of the mAterialism discussed
by Mr.. GOODWIN SMITH may be said TO
be peculiarly great, II not general.
There may be less Of the essence Of
religious faith than formerly, but more re-
gard Is paid TO religious formAlities. The
beliefs on which religion rests may have
been shattered or completely destroyed
by materialism In many minds, but, as
he says, the churches are still momen-
tous part OF the social organization.