OF THE SPIRIT. 379 



a religion of which the creed shall be science ; of which 

 the Faith, Hope, Charity, shall be real, not transcen- 

 dental, earthly, not heavenly — a religion, in a word, 

 which is entirely human, in its evidences, in its pur- 

 poses, in its sanctions and appeals." Such religion 

 professes to be science, the science of this world, of 

 humanity, and it is opposed to theology which is 

 represented as dealing with non- human realities and 

 resting on non-human hypotheses. 



As a third important point Dean Church lays stress oe. 



,. . ,. „ , Jloralityand 



upon the fact that we live in a surrounding of definite historical 



^ _ _ _ ° religion. 



moral ideas which have historically grown up parallel 

 with, and supported by. Christian Faith, and that it 

 is impossible to remove these from their historical 

 setting, and judge them independently and in the 

 abstract. And lastly, we have an indication at least 

 of a pessimistic outlook into the future in Huxley's 

 words : — 



" For my part I do not for one moment admit that 

 morality is not strong enough to hold its own. But if 

 it is demonstrated to me that I am wrong, and that 

 without this or that theological dogma the human race 

 will lapse into bipedal cattle, more brutal than the 

 beasts by the measure of their greater cleverness, my 

 next question is to ask for the proof of the truth of the 

 dogma." ^ 



But the whole discussion raises fundamental questions 

 which at that time had, in this country, only begun to 

 be treated in that critical spirit which abroad is classi- 



^ The passage with the ethical I mind of the writer is given in full 

 reflection which it suggests to the | {supra, p. 232). 



