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to do in the premises. How is this contradiction to be explained?
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to do in the premises. How is this contradiction to be explained?
The explanation, as we conceive, lies here: There are two aspects of the doctrine to which the reverend doctor refers—one the purely religious, the other what we may call the historico-theological. In regard to the first of these he feels, and, as we hold, is justified in feeling, unbounded certainty; in regard to the second, he does not feel so certain, and yet he can not help regarding it as essential to the integrity of the first. It is the latter to which he fears the solvent of evolution may be, if it has not already been, applied with disintegrating effect.
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The explanation, as we conceive, lies here: There are two aspects of
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the doctrine to which the reverend doctor refers one the purely relig-
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ious, the other what we may call the historico-theological. In regard
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to the first of these he feels, and, as we hold, is justified in feeling,
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unbounded certainty; in regard to the second, he does not feel so
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certain, and yet he can not help regarding it as essential to the integ-
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rity of the first. It is the latter to which he fears the solvent of evo-
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lution may be, if it has not already been, applied with disintegrating
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effect.
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Let us explain this further. The statement that we are the
chil-
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Let us explain this further. The statement that we are the
children
of God, in so far as it is an affirmation of consciousness, can only mean that we feel related to the highest object or ideal that our minds can frame. We may here make a new application of the poet's words:
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dren of God, in so far as it is an affirmation of consciousness, can only
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mean that we feel related to the highest object or ideal that our minds
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can frame. We may here make a new application of the poet's words:
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"
'Tis
fife whereof our nerves are scant
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{{block
center/s}}<poem
style="line-height:110%;
font-size:90%;">
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O
life,
not
death,
for
which we pant;
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"'Tis
fife
whereof
our
nerves
are
scant—
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More
life
and
fuller
that
I
want."
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O
life
,
not
death,
for
which
we
pant;
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More life and fuller that I want."
+
</poem>{{block center/e}}
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The "fuller life," for which we all, at one moment or another, pant,
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The "fuller life," for which we all, at one moment or another, pant,
is that which comes of subjection to the higher law. We feel that evil in our nature bounds and hampers us on every side; that through it our lives are rendered poor and incomplete. This thirst for a higher, fuller life, is as far removed as possible from mere self-worship, or any kind of moral ''dilettanteism;'' seeing that what we seek is not an addition to our individual forces for individual purposes, no mere higher form of culture, but rather the perfecting of our nature through conscious relation with that which transcends and yet embraces it. "We grow in elevation and nobleness of nature just in proportion as we merge our individual life and happiness in the happiness and life of others." These words of Dr. Caird's ("Scotch Sermons," page 36) contain, as we think, in germ, the whole philosophy of religion. Manifestly, it is impossible to conceive that evolution, or anything else, should ever destroy the forward and upward-reaching tendencies of human nature, or, in other words, affect, ''in its religious aspect,'' the affirmation that "we are children of God." Even those—and in the present day they are many—who through fear of being misunderstood might refrain from using these precise words, would still be prepared to understand in them the substantial and essentially religious truth of man's dependence on and affinity with a higher unity than that of his individual organism.
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is that which comes of subjection to the higher law. We feel that
−
evil in our nature bounds and hampers us on every side; that through
−
it our lives are rendered poor and incomplete. This thirst for a higher,
−
fuller life, is as far removed as possible from mere self -worship, or any
−
kind of moral dilettanteism; seeing that what we seek is not an addi-
−
tion to our individual forces for individual purposes, no mere higher
−
form of culture, but rather the perfecting of our nature through con-
−
scious relation with that which transcends and yet embraces it. "We
−
grow in elevation and nobleness of nature just in proportion as we
−
merge our individual life and happiness in the happiness and life of
−
others." These words of Dr. Caird's ("Scotch Sermons," page 36)
−
contain, as we think, in germ, the whole philosophy of religion. Mani-
−
festly, it is impossible to conceive that evolution, or anything else,
−
should ever destroy the forward and upward-reaching tendencies of
−
human nature, or, in other words, affect, in its religious aspect, the
−
affirmation that "we are children of God." Even those and in the
−
present day they are many who through fear of being misunder-
−
stood might refrain from using these precise words, would still be pre-
−
pared to understand in them the substantial and essentially religious
−
truth of man's dependence on and affinity with a higher unity than
−
that of his individual organism.
−
It is otherwise, however, with the same affirmation in its historico-
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It is otherwise, however, with the same affirmation in its historico-
theological
aspect. The doctrine of evolution can only deal with facts, with these it does deal. If authentic history can show that the human race is descended—by procreation, as Dr. Abbott says—from God, in the same way as the Romans claimed to have been descended from Æneas and his band of Trojans, well and good; evolution can have
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theological aspect. The doctrine of evolution can only deal with facts,
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with these it does deal. If authentic history can show that the human
−
race is descended by procreation, as Dr. Abbott says from God, in
−
the same way as the Romans claimed to have been descended from
−
iEneas and his band of Trojans, well and good; evolution can have