THE NEW THEOLOGY, 



321 



pre-eminence to any form of faith, and tests the validity and the suf- 

 ficiency of a faith by the salvation it secures and the activity it in- 

 spires. With the Old it accepts all Scripture given by inspiration as 

 divine, and interprets Scripture by Scripture, but it holds in abeyance 

 all biblical utterances which seem unreasonable, and rejects all which 

 are in conflict with the nature of things or the course of Providence, 

 and aims to understand and to coiToborate the written word by the 

 works of !N'ature ; and it maintains that no portion of the Scripture 

 can be a revelation of God to man except to the extent that it is 

 understood and conforms to the laws of being. 



One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the New Theol- 

 ogy is its respect for science, indicated by its effort to put all its state- 

 ments on a scientific basis and submit them in a scientific method, and 

 to question the value or utility of any doctrine which does not come 

 under some general and harmonious law, or which can not be scientifi- 

 cally presented ; and, were this the only claim of the New Theology, 

 it would entitle it to a respectful hearing, as well as put it in striking 

 contrast with the Old. It does not insist that any of the great doc- 

 trines derived from the Bible could have been discovered by scientific 

 investigation, but, being disclosed by divine inspiration, as claimed, 

 they are, when philosophically considered, recognized as reasonable 

 and essential, and to be in accord with the constitution of things. It 

 contends that the dogmatic teachings with respect to the trinity of the 

 Godhead, the divinity of Christ, the atonement or human redemption 

 in Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, the immortality of the 

 soul, salvation by faith, the operations of the Holy Spirit, human pro- 

 bation, the eternity of divine rewards and punishments, and other 

 biblical doctrines, are no longer to be announced as abstract truths to 

 be received by a stultified credulity and denied at the peril of the soul, 

 but are illumined under the light of philosophy as natural and essen- 

 tial, and can be as rational y believed as any other inexplicable state- 

 ments of experience or observation. 



As a corollary to this respect for science the New Theology has an 

 antipathy to authority, and insists on personal freedom in investiga- 

 tion, and personal responsibility for conviction. It concedes that au- 

 thority is necessary as a guide in immaturity, and that most of the 

 knowledge acquired by individuals is derived, but holds that no ipse 

 dixit is final, and that all communication is to be received tentatively 

 and subject to amendment or rejection ; that authority is merely me- 

 chanical in its action and in its effect, and that they who submit to it 

 without question are mere machinery propelled like an engine by 

 steam, capable of valuable service for a season, but neither develop 

 nor improve, and are deprived of all the pleasures of progress and of 

 increasing vigor and usefulness. It goes further, and charges that 

 commanding authority dwarfs growth and weakens ability, and is, 

 therefore, largely responsible for the general inability to distinguish 



VOL. XXV. — 21 



