THE SABBATH. 29 



the world, and all things therein, whether visible or in- 

 visible, in the space of six days, and all very good." 

 Judged from our present scientific standpoint this, of 

 course, is mere nonsense. But the calling of it by this 

 name does not exhaust the question. The real point 

 of interest to me, I coAfess, is not the cosmological 

 errors of the Assembly, but the hold which theology 

 has taken of the human mind, and which enables it to 

 survive the ruin of what was long deemed essential to 

 its stability. On this question of " essentials " the 

 gravest mistakes are constantly made. Save as a pass- 

 ing form no part of objective religion is essential. It is, 

 as already shown, in its nature fluxional. Posterity 

 will refuse to subscribe to the Xicene creed. Eeligion 

 lives not by the force and aid of dogma, but because it 

 is ingrained in the nature of man. To draw a metaphor 

 from metallurgy, the moulds have been broken and 

 reconstructed over and over again, but the molten ore 

 abides in the ladle of humanity. An influence so deep 

 and permanent is not likely soon to disappear; but of 

 the future form of religion little can be predicted. Its 

 main concern may possibly be to purify, elevate, and 

 brighten the life that now is, instead of treating it as 

 the more or less dismal vestibule of a life that is to come. 

 The term " nonsense," which has been just applied 

 to the views of creation enunciated by the Westminster 

 Assembly, is used, as already stated, in reference to our 

 present knowledge and not to the knowledge of three 

 or four centuries ago. To most people the earth was 

 at that time all in all; the sun and moon and stars be- 

 ing set in heaven merely to furnish lamplight to our 

 planet. But though in relation to the heavenly bodies 

 the earth's position and importance were thus exagger- 

 ated, very inadequate and erroneous notions were 

 entertained regarding the shape and magnitude of the 



