VIII

THE LAW OF SINCERITY

"Cant" the Greatest Enemy of Religious Progress

W

in religion.

E are living in a new era. New ideals in politics. New standards in philosophy. New elements in society. New theories

New discoveries in science. New achievements in invention.

There are five new spirits in the world. In Philosophy, the scientific spirit. In Politics, the democratic spirit. In Society, the socialistic spirit. In Diplomacy, the conciliatory spirit. In Theology, the humanitarian spirit.

Growth, movement, expansion, advancement and progress are ours-fulfilling the epigram of Oliver Wendell Holmes: "And grow we must, even though we outgrow all we love." "If the stars did not move they would rot in the sky," said Horace Bushnell.

"Our little systems have their day,
They have their day and cease to be;
They are but broken lights of Thee,

And Thou, O Lord, art more than they."

I read everything. I am not afraid of new theologies, for all theology was once new. We must expect new phases of thought. No revelation of

truth is perfect in its original form. God has not given us a perfect system of theology, or a divinely perfect philosophy, or a model government, or an unerring text-book of science, or an unimprovable political economy. Man must reason, search, contrast, compare, analyze, cogitate and wait.

"I doubt not through the ages one increasing
purpose runs,

And the thoughts of men are widened

With the process of the suns."

We welcome new truth and thank God for every new phase of truth and for every needed emphasis on certain old and forgotten truths. We only ask for one thing whether in the chapel, church or cathedral, we would be sure of the general drift and tendency. Let the new emphasis be the right emphasis, justified by the needs of the hour and appropriate to the mental hunger of the times. Whatever you do, give us a sane religion, with the everlasting God for its foundation, the invisible realm for its master motive, immortality for its goal, the principles of the New Testament for its inspiration, Christ for its ideal, experience for its final test and life for its scope and application.

We have read both sides-dipped into poetry, touched science, sailed over the seas of theology, skirted the continents of history, viewed untold islands of philosophical speculation, travelled over the broad waters of human biography and entered the great harbours of certain self-evident truths-and there are two things of which we are absolutely sure:

First, the failure of Atheism. Second, the success of Christianity.

Honest doubt has broadened human knowledge, but atheism has failed. Atheism is a building without a foundation, a train without a track, a tree without a root, a body without a head, a circumference without a centre, a bloom without a blossom, a stream without a source, a business without a manager, an effect without a cause and-a universe without a God. Atheism has never been able to steady the heart, still the conscience, satisfy the intellect, explain the universe or account for the undying and inextinguishable aspirations of the soul. It cannot provide a refuge in the storms of life or rob death of its sting. Ingersoll has laid out the cold, still, silent form of modern atheism and covered it with the beautiful flowers of an orator's rhetoric. Listen to his words.-This is the best and brightest message which the most eloquent apostle of modern unbelief has to offer.—“Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights; we cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of a wailing cry." Atheism always fails in the presence of Death. No wonder Robert Hall exclaimed: "I buried my materialism in the grave of my father."

Christianity begins where Atheism ends. Christianity means Life, Love and Immortality. Christianity is the greatest fact in history. The perfume of Christianity fills the world. Christianity has placed a God on the throne of the universe, rekindled the

light of hope in the heart, furnished the mind with a master motive and justified a love which spans the chasm of the grave. I would not spend five minutes debating the question: "Did Jesus turn water into wine in Cana of Galilee?" He turned Paul the persecutor into Paul the Apostle, He turned Peter the coward into Peter the heroic, He turned John the thunder-blast into John the beloved, He turned Nicodemus the timid into Nicodemus the daring. He has turned slaves into servants, servants into masters, masters into heroes, heroes into saints, saints into martyrs, and martyrs into saviours. He has transformed the page of history. "The answered prayers, the realized deliverances, the transfigured lives, the transformed characters, the historic reformations of twenty centuries" leap up before us! The master miracle is the master man.

It is interesting to watch the onward march of Christianity in the world. The main thing which has stood in the way of Christianity's progress has been the perpetual battle between the priest and the prophet-between the formal and the vital. The priest recites, the prophet proclaims. The priest looks backward, the prophet looks forward. The priest resides in the valley, the prophet stands on the mountain top. The priest guards the fire on the altar, the prophet points towards the sunrise. Priests are many. Prophets are few.

The hope and plan of the priest is for the universal enthronement of an absolute religion, correct in form and perfect in doctrine. Study the history of Eng

land. The battle has been between Conformity and Nonconformity. The priest has stood for conformity. One church, one head, one place, one priest, one bishop, one service, one book of praise and prayer, one Christianity-one religion. One church, the Church of England. One head, the king of England. One place of worship, the dedicated church. One priest, the ordained rector. One bishop, the Archbishop of Canterbury. One service, the approved ritual. One book, the book of common prayer. We venture no reflection on that venerable institution, the Church of England-beautiful in its ritual, rich in its material equipment, glorious in its history, splendid in its achievements. We venture no criticism on any institution when we affirm that you will never have a universal religion, in form, service and creed, so long as social conditions vary and human temperaments differ.

The evolution of religion has been threefold: Symbol-Creed-Character. The symbol led to idolatry. The creed led to bigotry. The charactertest of the present hour tends towards sincerity. We are still battling for our creeds, but the symbol has passed. Symbols are not vital. Ordain a man—is there any difference in his preaching? Confirm a child, is there any difference in its character? Baptize a convert, is there any difference in his experience? Add a "B. A.," "D. D.," "LL. D.,” or " B. A., D. D." to a minister's name; does he know more? Dean Farrar once remarked, in his generous way: "What matters it if a priest's robes be black