Orthodoxy: Its Truths And Errors Part 5

Equally satisfactory to the intellect, to say the least, and much more satisfactory to the best human instincts, is the view of G.o.d which sees him coming evermore into nature from above nature. This view says, "G.o.d is not only order, but also freedom. He is not only law, but also love. He is in the world as law and order, but he is above the world as thought and love; as Providence, as the heavenly Father. He comes to us to meet our exigencies, to inspire our doubting hearts, to lift us into life and light. He does not set a grand machine going, and then look on and see it work; but he is in the world, and with us always. The supernatural dwells by the side of the natural. Just as a wise and good father has rules and laws by which to govern his children-rewarding and punishing them as they obey or disobey; but besides that, does a thousand things for them, taking the initiative himself; so G.o.d governs us by law, but also often takes the initiative, giving us what we never asked for, and knew nothing of."

-- 10. Further Errors of Orthodox Supernaturalism-Gulf between Christianity and all other Religions.

Orthodoxy has erred, as it would seem, in placing too great a gulf between Christianity and all other religions. Christianity is sufficiently distinguished from all other religions by being regarded as the perfect, and therefore universal, religion of mankind. It is to all preceding religions what man is to all previous races. These are separated from man by various indelible characters; yet they are his fellow-creatures, proceeding from the same creative mind, according to one creative plan. So the previous religions of our race-Fetichism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, the religion of Confucius, of Zoroaster, of Egypt, of Scandinavia, of Judea, of Greece and Rome-are distinguished from Christianity by indelible characters; but they, too, proceeded from the same creative mind, according to one creative plan. Christianity should regard these humanely, as its fellow-creatures. The other animals prepared man's way on the earth, and since man's arrival we have seen no subsequent creation. So the ethnic religions prepared the way for Christianity, and since Christianity came no new religion has appeared; for Mohammedanism is only a _melange_ drawn from the Old and New Testaments, and may therefore be considered as an outlying Christian sect. So, too, the gigantic abstractions of Gnosticism were hybrid systems, formed of the union between Oriental thought and Christian life. The a.n.a.logy may be traced still farther. Man is the only animal who possesses the whole earth. Every other race has its habitat in some geographical centre, from which it may emigrate, indeed, to some extent, but where only it thrives. To man, only, the whole earth belongs. So the primitive religions are all _ethnic_; that is, religions of races. The religion of Confucius belongs to China, that of Brahmanism to India, that of Zoroaster to the Persians; the religion of Egypt is only for the Egyptians. Exceptions to this law (like that of Buddhism, for example) are only apparent. The rule is invariable. Christianity alone is a cosmic or universal religion. It only has pa.s.sed the boundaries of race, so inflexible to all other religions. Born a Semitic religion, it soon took possession of the Indo-European races, converting Romans, Greeks, Teutons, Kelts, and Sclaves. It finds the African mind docile to its influence. Its missionaries have made believers from among the races of America, India, China, and the Pacific Islands. It is evidently destined to be the religion of humanity.

But, if so, why should it be put into antagonism with the religions which preceded it? These are also creations of G.o.d, not the work of man.

Theologians have found mult.i.tudes of types of Christ in Jewish books and Jewish history. But they might also find types of Christianity in the so-called heathen religions. For as coming events cast their shadows before, so coming revelations are seen beforehand in shadowy preludes and h.o.m.ologons. The lofty spiritualism of the Brahmanical books, the moral devotion of the Zendavesta, the law of the soul's progress in Buddhism,-these are all types of what was to appear in a greater fulness and higher development in Christianity. First the natural, afterwards that which is spiritual. But these foregleams of Christian truth, irradiating the night-side of history, are all touching proofs that G.o.d never leaves himself without a witness in the world or in human hearts.

Instead, therefore, of placing an impa.s.sable gulf between Christianity and other human religions, we should consider these are preparations and stepping-stones to something higher. Nor will they pa.s.s away until Christianity has purified itself from the errors which still cling to it.

Judaism was not to pa.s.s till it was fulfilled in Christianity; and neither will the other religions of the world pa.s.s away till they also are fulfilled in Christianity.

Now, the common teaching in our churches and religious books and newspapers tends to depreciate all natural religion in the interest of revealed religion. It is commonly said that the light of nature helps us a very little way in the knowledge of G.o.d. "Look at the heathen," it is said; "see their religious ignorance, their awful superst.i.tions, their degrading worship of idols, and their subjection to priestcraft. This is your boasted light of nature, and these are its results-the Fetichism of Africa, the devil-worship of the North American Indians, the cannibalism of the Feejee Islands, the human sacrifices of Mexico and of the ancient Phnicia." "Then," it is continued, "look at the observations of the wisest intellects apart from revelation! How little they knew with certainty! Their views of the Deity varied from pantheism to idolatry; their views of immortality were wholly vague and indistinct; their ideas of duty confused and false."

To which we might reply, "Is not the same thing true among Christians? Are there no superst.i.tions among them? Were not witches hanged and burned during sixteen centuries in Christendom? If the heathen are ignorant, what mult.i.tudes in Catholic countries also do not read the Bible! How many are there even in Protestant churches who can give a reason for their belief?

If the heathen worship degrades mankind because it is a superst.i.tion, with fear for its motive, how large a part of Christian preaching consists also of an appeal to terror! Is not the fear of everlasting torment in h.e.l.l the motive power of much which is called Christianity? Consider Catholics eating their G.o.d: is that the worship of the Father in spirit and truth?

Think of the religious wars, of the religious persecutions: did natural religion ever do anything as bad as this? We cry out against Nero, who covered Christians with pitch, and burned them as torches in the amphitheatre. But how many were thus tortured? Perhaps ten, perhaps twenty, or let us say a hundred. But, according to Llorente, the Holy Office of the Inquisition, in Spain, burned alive, under Torquemada, 8800: under Deza, 1669; under Ximenes, 2536; in all, from 1483 to 1498,-that is, in fifteen years,-it burned alive 31,912 persons for heresy, and subjected to rigorous pains and penalties 291,450 persons."

It is not right to judge of any doctrine by the corrupt practices which have taken place under it, unless it can be shown that these are its legitimate fruits. We maintain that Christianity is not fairly responsible for these persecutions; but let us make the same allowance for the religions which prepared its way.

-- 11. Christianity considered unnatural, as well as supernatural by being made hostile to the Nature of Man.

If the nature of man be regarded as wholly evil, then Christianity is not merely a supernatural religion, but an unnatural one. This has been very commonly taught. Man's nature has been declared so totally corrupt and alien from all good, as to be radically opposite to the love of G.o.d and man. Christianity, therefore, comes, not to help him attain that which he is seeking after, but to change his whole purpose and aim-to give him a wholly new nature. This is the result of the doctrine of total depravity, so long taught in the Church as Orthodoxy. It has taught that all natural tendencies and desires in man were wholly evil, and to be rooted out. It has thus made Christianity unattractive, and has driven men away from it.

But of this it is not necessary to speak here, as we shall discuss this doctrine and its influence hereafter.

CHAPTER IV. TRUTHS AND ERRORS AS REGARDS MIRACLES.

-- 1. The Subject stated. Four Questions concerning Miracles.

In considering the truth and error in the Orthodox doctrine concerning miracles, we must, _first_, find out what this doctrine is; _secondly_, see what objections have been urged against it; and so, lastly, we may come to some conclusion as to where the truth or the error lies. There are, however, four distinct questions in regard to miracles, each of which may be considered separately. There is the philosophic question, or definition of a miracle, which asks, What is a miracle? Then there is the historical question, which asks, Did such facts actually occur? Next is the theological question, What are the value and weight of these facts in determining our Christian belief? And lastly comes the religious question, What are the spiritual meaning of miracles, and their influence on the heart and life?

-- 2. The Definition of a Miracle.

As the creeds give no authoritative definition of a miracle, we must examine individual statements, in order to get the Orthodox idea.

To answer the question, _What is a miracle?_ is not as easy as it would seem, as will appear from considering the different definitions given by different authorities, taking first those of the dictionary.

JOHNSON. "_Miracle._ A wonder-something above human power. (In theology.) An effect above human or natural power, performed in attestation of some truth."

WEBSTER. "_Miracle._ (In theology.) An event or effect contrary to the established const.i.tution and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event."

ROBINSON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY. "_Miracle._ A sign, wonder, prodigy.

These terms are commonly used in Scripture to denote an action, event, or effect, superior (or contrary) to the general and established laws of nature. And they are given, not only to true miracles, wrought by saints or prophets sent by G.o.d, but also to the false miracles of impostors, and to wonders wrought by the wicked, by false prophets or by devils." After giving examples of this from the Scriptures, Robinson adds, "Miracles and prodigies, therefore, are not always sure signs of the sanct.i.ty of those who perform them, nor proofs of the truth of the doctrine they deliver, nor certain testimonies of their divine mission."

AMERICAN ENCYCLOPDIA. _Miracle._ "It is usually defined to be a deviation from the course of nature. But this definition seems to omit one of the elements of a miracle, viz., that it is an event produced by the interposition of an intelligent power for moral purposes; for, otherwise, we must consider every strange phenomenon, which our knowledge will not permit us to explain, as a miraculous event. A revelation is itself a miracle. If one claims to be a teacher from G.o.d, he a.s.serts a miraculous communication with G.o.d; this communication, however, cannot be visible, and visible miracles may therefore be necessary to give credibility to his pretensions. The use, then, of a miraculous interposition in changing the usual course of nature is to prove the moral government of G.o.d, and to explain the character of it."

THEODORE PARKER. "A miracle is one of three things.

"1. It is a transgression of all law which G.o.d has made; or,

"2. A transgression of all known laws, or obedience to a law which we may yet discover; or,

"3. A transgression of all law known or knowable by man, but yet in conformity with some law out of our reach."

He says that a miracle, according to the first definition, is impossible; according to the second it is no miracle at all; but that there is no antecedent objection to a miracle according to the third hypothesis.

PASCAL. "A miracle is an effect which exceeds the natural force of the means employed to bring it about."

HUME. "A miracle is a violation of a law of nature."

DR. THOMAS BROWN. "A miracle is as little contrary to any law of nature as any other phenomenon. It is only an extraordinary event, the result of extraordinary circ.u.mstances; an effect that indicates a power of a higher order than those we are accustomed to trace in phenomena more familiar to us, but whose existence only the atheist denies. It is a new consequent of a new antecedent."

HORNE'S INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. "A miracle defined is an effect or event _different from the established const.i.tution or course of things_, or a _sign obvious to the senses that G.o.d has interposed this power to control the established powers of nature_ (commonly termed the laws of nature), which effect or sign is wrought either by _the immediate act_, or by the a.s.sistance, or by the permission, _of G.o.d_, and accompanied with a _previous notice_ or _declaration_ that it is performed according to the purpose and by the power of G.o.d, _for the proof or evidence_ of some particular doctrine, or in attestation of the authority or divine mission of some particular person."-Vol. I. p. 203.

"Since, as we already have had occasion to observe, the proper effect of a miracle is _clearly_ to mark the divine interposition, it must therefore have characters proper to indicate such interposition; and these _criteria_ are six in number.

"1. It is required, then, in the first place, that a fact or event which is stated to be miraculous should have an important end, worthy of its author.

"2. It must be instantaneously and publicly performed.

"3. It must be sensible (that is, obvious to the senses) and easy to be observed; in other words, the fact or event must be such that the senses of mankind can clearly and fully judge of it.

"4. It must be independent of second causes.

"5. Not only public monuments must be kept up, but some outward actions must be constantly performed in memory of the fact thus publicly wrought.

"6. And such monuments must be set up, and such actions and observances be inst.i.tuted, at the very time when those events took place, and afterwards be continued without interruption."-Vol. I.

p. 214 and 215.