The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-28

fAch proves itself. In reAty, knoWleoge
has nothing whatever 90 do with religion,
IL IL the intelligence Of the heart that
judges. IL was to the intellectually
ignorant that ST Francis and Wesley APP
pealed. because. having small intellect.
theology was no stumbling block to them;
and these two great revivers 81 religion
had themselves little more theology than
Jesus had When the world Is entirely
rid 90 the fallacy that science has any-
thing 20 oe nth religion. the spirit ~
religion will appeal To- men Of intellect
with full forca Then will come a new
revival 81 rNigion; and II - among
intellectual men that its operation will
be most evident.
A theologian. like a politician. must
assume that his system IL right and that
all other systsms are wrong This ~
what the Jews did. thus saving their
church. and in the course Of tim" out of
that church came such a. Jesus and Paul.
II u the fashion. however, To say that
belief has nothing 20 do with religion;
that reli gion - An AFFAIR 81 the emotions
Yet belief certainly has something TO
do with conduct. and it must be admitted
that in some way conduct and religion
A. men grow they outgrow this system.
vet the human need for a system re-
mains The feeble and imperfectly de-
valoped natures which constitute the
bulk Of humanity must have a theology
and a church To lean upon But II u the
strangeet paradox in history that re-
hgion loses itself without the church
and its fineness is always destroyed
within The priest Stays the prophet
and betrays the church, vet he maintains
it's existence until the saint in ready to
redeem IL
All religions have their origin in the
sentiment Of fear and the desire for self
preservation. and a man who feels at all
feels himself 10 he a part Of a whole whic h
lies beyond the realm Of his knowledge
Every religion appeals to th.s. santi-
ments and 20 the desire for safety from
after death. In a lengthy
exposition Of Paul's theology and methods
Mr. Macphail shows how he promptly
and adriotly, adapted them TO the needs
and tastes Of his hearers tin that respect
setting an example for the followers 81
the school he founded, and how in par
ticular when the Greeks were repealed
by the unpleasant details Of Lazarus
raised in the physical body he instantly
abandoned the resurrection IN the flesh
and devised the new theory Of a spiritual
body. thereby SURE nderlng the very
Of his doctrine Il requires only
the slightest capacity for the perception
of absurdity TO appreciate how feeble
Ia the fallacy that the dead body u sown
a natural BODY and il raised a spiritual
body.
To be quite frank. says our autsor, Pauls
appeal to tho Greeks does not touch
40 nearly Our belief rather IL that that
which lives forever has never died. cannot
lie When tho Greeks really took hold %
Pauls theology they soon fashioned IL into
= system Of Religion which they could com
prehend because OF it, righteousness.
Ior they had suhlimated Christianity into
more elaborate mystery than their
,wn Eleusinian rites Vet both we're aX-
IN the same terms. or at least IN
erms which were interchangeable When
he Christian body began 20 grow tnwarily
-o!d in the seS-ond century u became neces-
AIRY 10 strengthen Ia" spiritual force by
exterior bonds by thc authority Of the
institutions and ~ the sacramental rts .
The word Of God then Welded plA.-n to the
word Of the Bishop. discipline took the
,lace Of fraternal love. obedience 81 in
piration This suits the average man
Who will take the easiest way. and reliance
Ipon an official or a church - much easier
han individual invests CATION Of the proper
me Of conduct II ~ one Of the little
ronies 81 fate. however that Protestant
SIN has become the last refuge Of dogma
n tho Roman Catholic Church a new
logma may te promu gated al any mo-
mont which may affect the old. and II
'aiholc asks What - TRUTH he has
or reply the teaching II the Church.
shich hates above all things to be Obliged
n define or affirm everything that must he
elieved. and when forced to proclaim u
IogmA renders IL inno~uous by qualifca-
ons because IL u reluctant 10 ask a man
D believe more than il actually necessary
bat the Protestant IN like case II referred
n book The Roman Church pre-
imposes personal experience which
a. an important bearn upon disposition.
onduct ami character Protestantlsm
Insists upon a knowledge which supplan;s
aith and doctrine replaces living eNperi-
'nCe Catholics and Professionals are
9th right. and they are both wrong
Having thus A. hs phrases It, created
n image 81 erIdition out ~ thes. various
hreds and scraps 81 learning which any
no may pick up at will Mr. Nacphau
roC"eds 10 apply to present conditions
no considerations which have been put
orwArd Religion cannot exist without
{ least an implied theology. and IL would
I" nearly as tru" to say that rel gion can
~ aNist sid. by slds with theology.
eigion. theology and ecclesiasticism
r. three different things. and neither
heologians nor ecclesiastics have appre-
ended that simple fact. thosgh IL IL not
npossible that n man may unite all three
1 his own person. a. Paul did. a. Jesus
Id not Tho worst possible preparation
" the ministry OF God IL a course Of
lstruction confined 20 any ono n many
ystems Of theology which have gained
redenc.. II fixes the students mind
nd encourages him to believe that he
IN Possession Of IN" truth. Theology [
exactly comparable" to history On. :
an not know on" theology without know
W all theologieE II IL the business Of