1880. 

 THE SABBATH. 1 



IN the opening words of a Lecture delivered in this 

 city four years ago, 2 I spoke of the desire and ten- 

 dency of the present age to connect itself organically 

 with preceding ages. The expression of this desire is not 

 limited to the connection of the material organisms of 

 to-day with those of the geologic past, as set forth in the 

 doctrines of Mr. Darwin. It is equally manifested in 

 the domain of mind. To this source may be traced the 

 philosophical writings of Mr. Herbert Spencer. To it 

 we are indebted for the series of learned and laborious 

 works on ' The Sources of Christianity,' by M. Renan. 

 To it we owe the researches of Professor Max Miiller 

 in the domain of comparative philology and mytho- 

 logy, and the endeavour to found on these researches a 

 6 science of religion.' In this relation, moreover, the 

 recent work of Principal Caird 3 is highly characteristic 

 of the tendencies of the age. He has no words of 

 vituperation for the earlier and grosser religions of the 

 world. Throughout the ages he discerns a purpose and 

 a growth, wherein the earlier and more imperfect 

 religions constitute the natural and necessary precursors 

 of the later and more perfect ones. Even in the slough 



1 Presidential Address delivered before the Glasgow Sunday 

 Society. 



2 Fermentation : Fragments of Science, vol. ii. p. 253 

 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. 



1 



