The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-16
MUHLFELDER BROS.

e41-643 CHAPEL ST.

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using the force which is necessary to
humanise and elevate this chaos of
blind and brutal instincts which is such
threat to the future civilization of
this continent.
The first and almost overwhelming
impression Is that Professionalism
whether 1t has been in the past is now
at least, an obvious failure In ex-
PLANTATION of this situation the author
states that Professionalism has had
three stages In its evolution and Is
now we'll advanced In third period
of It's lifetime" (P, a. The first period
was period of protest, the second of
construction and this is what the
learned author seems to regard as the
most distinctive and peculiarly Protest
ant characterlstic-th age of theology.
Having done its work Professionalism is
now approaching Its end an this full
| filment of It's providential mission lies
the sign of the passing of the Protest
ant age" (P. 100. One of the chief rea-
sons for the passing of Professionalism
Is, that to Dr. Smyth II seems to have
lost authority. rs religion" he asks.
tho master passion of Protestant COM
munlties." (P. 1D. He admlres the au-
thority which the Roman church exer-
cises and deplores the absence OF 1t In
the Protestant churches. We are I'M
able to eympathize with him on this
point and It is a mistake to identify
authority with religion as he seems
to do.
The contrast between Professionalism
and Romanism may fail in the point
of church authority, but If the whole
breadth, of civilization is compared
which is represented by these two dom
iEant forces there are few English
speaking people who will feel apooget-
ic or deplore the absence of the ecclesi-
astical atmosphere. DR. Smyth seems
to be impressed by the fact that the
Romanist no matter how Indifferent he
has been in his lifetime returns at its
close to tho bosom OF the church. II
religion has any ethical basis whatever
we fail to see the significance Of this
fact. The author OF our volume is
much impressed also by the wide
spread interest In religion outside the
churches In the Protestant countries
and seems to feel that in some way
or other this is a manifestation of the
failure OF the Protestant churches. If
the churches had failed go slgnally,
II they had In reality discouraged or
disguised men with religion would
there have been this very real spread
of religion outside the churches? Is
II not a fact well authenticated that in
Roman Catholic countries the revolt or
Indifference or separation OF indivld-
uals from the church ends not in n real
though underlined religious life but in
intellectual and oftentimes moral athe-
ism? If this be so and the present
writer Is badly informed. If 1t be not,
the apparent failure Is w no wise so
dIscouraging The real fact Is that DR..
Smyth is vivid and passionate IDEAL
list and the contrast between his
dreams and the hard facts of life
sways his Judgment.
We have touched but briefly upon a
few of the salient points in this first
chapter which to us is the most inter
eeting of all as a critique which most
of us are In the position to verify or
dispute within the limits of our own
knowledge. The MOVEMENT which IL
called Modernism within the Roman
church excites the most fervent ad.
mration of the pastor of Center
church. He sympathizes with its intel.
lectual aims, its moral and spiritua
purposes, the fine atmosphere Of tt
: best spirits and we cannot help feeling
: that he sympathlzes above all with The
/. spirit of freedom which finds itself II
, revolt against that church authorit,
= which has ouch an impressive air un
a til 1t crosses the path of light and pro
gress. The account here given is bre
, but clear and contains doubtless al
, that is essential to real understand
}. ing of this very significant movement
To DR.. Smyth it seems like forerun
ner of q great movement towards
great reunion of all the Christian
churches Of western Europe and 1t Il
q the suggestions and reasons for th
), hope which occupy the last chapter o
'. the book, a chapter which Is filled Will
= noble hopes and lofty anticipations.
: In all of these we most heartily shar
but there are reasons, very real one
too, why we cannot share In any belle
l. that there is present prospect Of an,
: such end The chief reasons why W
e cannot go with the author of this bool
G is that we hold opinions both on Pro
), testantism and Romanlsm which max
II l. impossible to believe the main con
h tentions of this book are fundamental
l. ly correct We believe that Protest
, antism was a complex and not sim
!, pie phenomenon, as no doubt ID
Smyth does also. Some of its mai
. factors can be easily distinguished
- There was first the great intellectua
impulse which was changing foreve
the outlook and atmosphere of tn
% mind of man, secondly, there was tn
;" realization after many centuries of tn
sense of nationality, the growt