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4
EX-PRESIDENT E
It is almost a wast
the "new religion"' wh
prophesied and which
true situation and of
vigorously exploiting,
probably got his idea
books," as the Bible
shelf. But a word or
And tirst ot all, tiie
far from new. Men 1
thousand years to pro
and they have failed i
as this new effort on
denomination in parti'
sessed of every facility
nal aggression, for i
ward propagandism,
sound system, with B
and center, has been
induce men to accept
distinguished ex-presi
old doctrines of his cu
further along today t
while those whose doc
ergetically opposed 1
of it over and over ag
And next, the so-ca
creed or dogma ! An<
and thinker goes on t
what principles will g'
what extended, and 1:
the dogmas, of the "n
creed! Chief among
this creedless religion
all "supernatural" elen
Another will be no pri
ity. Another will be
good-will as its discip
or six articles in this c
to know enough of t
know that it can not
without belief, that rz
arable. The very agn
ing because he knows
lief and it is his cree
doubts everything, be
declares the fundamen
one belief. Men will
they cease to have m
Dr. Eliot's substitu
is folly when the lif
thrown upon it. Cc
from some inward co
iousness. Paul made
people were too conte
city was wholly given
without supernatural!!
inates faith, which ma
secration, zeal, and o
mere development, an
generation, which is 1
cai in all the realm ot
it calls for the intervei
THE PRESBYTEJRIA
V
LIOT'S "NEW RELIGION "
:e of time and space to discuss
ich Ex-president Eliot has lately
many who are ignorant of the
the history of religion are so
The distinguished ex-president
is out of his "five-foot shelf of
is not included in that five-foot
two may be added,
j "new religion" of Dr. Eliot is
lave been trying for nearly two
pagate exactly what he outlines,
in all the ages as ignominiouslv
the same old line will fail. One
cular, noted for its culture, posy
for internal growth and cxternward
strengthening and outexcept
the one clement of a
oston and Harvard for its heart
trying for seventy-five years to
the fundamental points of the
dent, who is but revamping the
It. Rut that denomination is no
:han it was seven decades ago.
rtrines it has historically and enlave
multiplied right alongside
ain.
lied "new religion" will have no
d then the distinguished scholar
0 define what it will believe and
uide it! He gives a creed, sometys
down the principles, that is,
ew religion" which will have no
the articles of the creed which
1 will have will he one denying
aents. Another will be no ritual,
ests. Another will be no authorthe
development of co-operative
line. So here we have some five
:reedless creed! Dr. Eliot ought
he laws of the human mind to
exist and perform its functions
itionality and a creed are insepostic
who says he believes notli;
nothing expresses that one held.
The universal skeptic, who
:lieves that he doubts, and thus
tal nature to him of at least that
not cease to have a creed until
inds.
tion of "culture" for conviction
r It f nf J ?
,ii>. vApvniiiLc wi umiui^' IS
ilture and intellectuality, apart
nvictions, only tend to supercilfew
converts in Athens. The
nt with their learning. And the
to idolatry! And a real religion
sm means a religion which elimkes
of soul, spirit, life, love, conf
everv erace of the new life a
evolution. The principle of rethe
most profoundly philosophitruth,
is to be rejected, because
ntion of the supernatural!
t
lN of the south.
The long and short of it is
propagandist and prophet of
and according to the tenets
that faith is simply at best b
?. : ; i. _ ij
luiiciiuMii wmcn ne wouiu su
principles, in their last analys
those of Ingersoll, only that
blasphemy did more to shoe]
cious but not less dangerous
ex-president.
ADVANCED
From published accounts <
Pan-Presbyterian Council ret
we learn that "Probably the
sion of 'advanced views' was
Moffatt, of Washington and
his sermon before the Counc
''If the Church should go ha
its theology, as some have sn
ter fitted for the needs, of tlv
century."
If this statement has a de
the teachings of the aposth
which they believed to be t
thoritative, are not a suffici
rule of faith and life, for th
and that truth which has be
since the days of the apostle
(piate system of sound docti
right living. The speaker coi
"Let our scholars seek to
of the books of the Bible and
composition, even if their cor
verse all our traditional bel
continue to use their conten
purposes as before. System?
olutionized, if some of these
vail, for the Bible can then he
only as other literature is ap|
tnres can still be used effecti
hears on life." ,
Here we are assured that
so prevail and so revolutions
can he employed hv theolog
ture is appealed to. As we un<
ident, the teachings of the
only as an imperfect worki
liable to be seriously impaire
ern scholarship, even to the
ing abandoned as a sufficient
faith and practice. The mine
working his mine while the a
ysis of samples of the miner;
termine whether ore exists
whether indeed the desired
only what was supposed at f
It may he remembered thai
Dr. Moffett read an interes
garded as both able and cor
he was a member of the joint
the Articles of Agreement foi
Churches, and later was pror
of the Des Moines Assembly
absorption of a portion of th
1
August 18, 1909.
that Dr. Eliot is simply a
his own Unitarian belief
and logical conclusion of
ut a preacher of humanibstitute
for religion. His
is, hardly rise higher than
the latter's ridicule and
Ii the mind than the spe?
notions of the Harvard
VIEWS.
}f the proceedings of the
rentlv held in New York,
most outspoken expresthat
of President Jas. D.
1 Jefferson College." In
il he is quoted as saying,
ck to Apostolic times for
iggested, it would be bete
first than the twentieth
finite meaning, it is that
;s and of the Scriptures
rue and accepted as anient,
if indeed a reliable
e age in. which we live;
en discovered or evolved
rs, is essential to an aderine
and consequently to
ritinued:
determine the authorship
the circumstances of their
iclusions be such as to reiefs;
meanwhile we may
ts for religious or ethical
mc ineoiogy may Dc revcritical
contentions preemployed
by theologians
pealed to. Rut the Scripvely
for the doctrine that
critical contentions may
r.e theology that the Bible
ians only as other literaierstand
this college presPible
are to be regarded
ng hypothesis, which is
d by the advance of modextent
of the Bible's beand
authoritative rule of
r may prudently continue
ssayer is making an analil
deposit, in order to de
in paying quantities, or
mineral exists at all, or
irst to be a by-product.
: at the Liverpool Council
ting paper that was reiservative.
Subsequently
committee which adopted
" tllf1 Cfllllicil rvf Dof/->rmn/1
ninent in the proceedings
which consummated the
e Cumberland Church.