The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08
theological thinking, for, however

theological thinking. for. however
slowly the Transformation has been
brought abou.. the reconciliation be-
tween religion and science is now To
hand. The opportunities and non-e*-
sentials of Christian doctrine have been
pruned away and Christianity has
slowly but surely become a religion
OF character. Two great pronounce
ntr,s tend to cover the ess'rtinls "f
Christianity: Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart,
with all thy mind and all thv sou';
this is the first and great NINA
ment, and the second is like unto II:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as tiny
self 81. Paul added to ;hiS: Love
worketh no III TO his neighhor, there
fore love Is the fulfilling of the Law
Faith. hope and love are nc cardinal
Christian virtucS. The whole tcnG-
cncy OF the churches since 1880 has
been to recapture some of the sim
plicity of Chr.st's " teaching ana
to learn His lesson of tn" Father
hood Of God and the brotherhood of
IA
II il true. Or. Harris admits, that
there is still in society race prejudice,
contempt and indifference; yet tie
sentiment Of right minded men and
women rebukes IL. The walls of
class, Of culture. of wealth, are to a
great extent broken down. There is
an enlargement of faith in the grow
ing principle of human brotherhood,
which cares for no artificial distinc-
tons but ministers in all places and
at all times to human need. Religion
Is coming more and more to he un-
derstood as "a life, not a set of opin-
ions about entirely u~nknowable mat
tiers. We recognize a Christian by
what he does. not by what he says he
believes. Faith In Christ Is "A trans
forming mora power. those who are
touched 10y the record of His lie hate
their sins and hope to conform their
lives I'm some sort to His teaching.
The chief sign of the enlargement and
the simplicity of Christianity Of to-
day is the spreading desire for Chris
tian unity. UNCONVENTIONAL rivalry
is almost dead. Everywhere the
churches are uniting for social service.
for civic Improvement. for the promo
ton of the brotherhood of man and
the lntTttSt Ol ltltI tIh h'l' III Wv
Fatherhood of God, that Is, in an ulti-
mately benign purpose in creation.
! To-day "a very vital interest In re-
ligion permeates the atmosphere, not
an interest in creeds. definitions and
inhibi,ions. but an interest In the es-
sentials of religion. in hope OF iminor-
| tality. in faith in the solace and re-
wards OF the spiritual life, in loNe
that includes all humanity.
DIR. Harris has a tragic postscript
TO set to his book in December,
1914. a war surprising in magnitude
and destruction all the wars of his
tory is setting backward Christian
civilization. The one hope of civil
ization is that this war may
break the backbone Of militarism and
Imperialism. that democratic govern
ment may spread over the entire world
and that in the end Christianity may
be promoted 10y this terrible infringe
ment of all it's principles.
As civilization was, after all. pro-
NOTED 10y the wars Of a century ago
when once before might was declared
to be right. so to-day may the present
awful catastrophe serve to deliver
men from false doctrine.
DR.. IIarris's book is Il slight but
interesting contribution to the his
tory of the growth of the religious
sense in the last century.