The Dominion. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1910. CHRISTMAS AND CRITICISM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1910. CHRISTMAS AND CRITICISM.

So much has been written every year about the social aspects of the Christmas festival and its message of peace and goodwill among men that very little that.is new remains to be said from that point of view. It is, therefore, tho intention of this article to_ approach the matter from another side and to make a brief survey, in tho light of modern thought, of some of the foundations on which the Christmas faith and tho altruistic sentiments of the season ultimately rest. In a newspaper article ono can, of course, only deal with'such a subject in its broadest outlines, and what follows will.be little more than a,brief review of tho general tendl- - of recent criticism and' of the opinions of gome of tho most distinguished scholars of the present timo. The Quest of the Historical Jesus, to quote tho title of a recent and much-discussed book by Dr. Schweitzer, a distinguished German critic, has been tho fascination and despair of some of the world's keenest intellects ever since the days of St. Paul and the author of the Fourth Gospel—whoover ho was— who by a brilliant stroke of intuitive religious genius identified tho historic Jesus with the Divine Word or Reason, and thereby changed a small Palestinian sect into a world religion and provided a formula which eventually captured the intellect of the Greek and Eoman world. The splendid efforts for tho last hundred years or so of many of the leading minds of tho most progressive races to lay bare tho Personality of' Christ by the most microscopic examination of the early Christian documents and tho most exacting sifting of all the available cvidcnco form ono of tho finest achievements in the intellectual history of civilised nations. Still the goal has not been reached, and after this most relentless process of scientific criticism there emerges, as one iresiewer.oLDß.. Schweitzer^...book

formity with human standards and. human psychology, who challenged tno world and loolcod beyond it for the good time coming," and who still means something to us because 'a mighty spiritual force streams forth from Him and flows through our time also." The noble army of modern thinkers who have thought it worth their-while'to devote the best part of their lives to the great quest," includes men of world-' wide reputation, such as Strauss, Bauer, SciiliElermacher, Harnack, Zahn, Renan, Sanday, James.Drummokd, Burkitt, Gore, Denny, and others. It is a wonderful story these writers have to tell and its fascination for the Twentieth Century is quite as intense as it was for the first six centuries of the Christian era. , And what is the result of all this research ? One thing is certain, and that is that finality has not been rcached—perhaps it never will bo reached in this world. One of the ablest and most level-headed of English scholars, Dr. Sanday, the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford, tells us in his recently published book on Christologies Ancient and Modchi that contemporary thought on this question tends to crystallise in two types, the one he calls "full" and the other "rcduced" Christianity. He states the position in this way:

Those who hold the form of Christianity which I have called "reduced" practically isolate themselves here in tho Twentieth Century and ask: What verifiable facts can wo lay down? What der monstrablo propositions can wo commit ourselves to as modern men? Tho others do not feel that they can isolate themselves in this way from their predecessors in time or from the corporate teaching of the body to which they belong. They are conscious of an organic connection or solidarity with the Church in the past, and they desire to maintain this connection. They have a respect for scieace, and are prepared to put their opinions to the test of sciencc; but in certain cases where tho continuity of the old and the now is' involved they are content with lower degrees of proof if higher are not to be had.

The centre of controversy to-day, as in the_ early days'of the Church, is the divinity and humanity of Christ, and'it is decidedly. encouraging 'to those Tvho are hoping for a better understanding between the representatives of tho "full" and "reduced" schools of thought, to find that Professor. Sanday is able to acecpt tho following carefully-weighed statement by Dr. Schmeidel, one of the most uncompromising of German critics:

It is' not for an instant doubtful that Jestis must be considered as man in tho full sense of the term, and that anything divine may be sought in Him only under tho condition that His humanity is not put in question. .. •

Dr.' Sanday states. that tho Church itself has asserted this from the Council of Ohalcedon onwards ancl has condoraned any theory of divinity that would make perfect humanity *» impossible. Professor Gardner, .an English scholar'---of- the modern school, states ..that the first three Gospels give us a picturo of One who partook in every way of human nature and was bounded by human limitations;-but there are other facts—facts of history and actual human experience, which from tho historic point 1 of view are even better attested—which can-only -. -be explained-by the' continuous operation of a divine Personality. -Professor Gardner contends that it is. quite., unscientific to , ignore , these facts. Indeed, after the investigations' of Jajies and other modern psychologists, it is impossible to pass them over, and Dr. Sanday has illustrated in a very striking manner the use to which recent research in psychology can be' put in solving important religious prob-' lems. .

In dealing with those great themes scholars are, o£ ; coursc, beset with mystery.. on., every, side,. but. mystery is not confined to theology. A century or so ago scientists really thought they were going to rid tho universe of all i its ' mysteries and explain everything by physical and mechanical laws, But things have changed since then, and Professor Huxley frankly admitted that the mysteries of, tho Church are child's play compared/with the mysteries of Nature. One of the foremost scientists of tho present day states that instead of science explaining the universe, "of real origin, even of the simplest thing we know nothing." Scientists and philosophers are' now practically agreed that the most real thing in tho world to us is our own conscious experience, and it' is personal experience that forms the basis of religious belief. According to William Jajies the facts of psychology show that this personal religious experience has its roots and centre in mystical states of consciousness which, when " well developed, have the right to be' regarded- as "absolutely authoritative over'' the individuals to whom they come." So far as our ideal impulses originate in this mystical region—and most of. them do originate in it—"we belong to it in a more intimate sense than that 'in which we belong to tho visible world, for we belong in the most intimate sense wherever our ideals belong." This conclusion of the most advanced modern psychology gives ample justification for the faith of countless millions of men and: women in all ages, arid it is Just as true to-day as ever it was. There is, therefore, no reason to fear that modern thought is going to banish religion from the world, for it has been a permanent; element in man's nature'from the very beginning of human history,' and the most recent psychology places our spiritual instincts at the very centro of our being. The Chnstmas_ message and tho Christmas faith still stand 'firm on the surest foundation the human mind can find—the foundation of experience. They embody an ideal which.tends to the betterment of humanity and. to increase the worth of life, Experience has proved their value; they work out in practice; and, in tho words of the latest school of philosophy, that which works is true.

.The secretary of the 'Wellington Hospital and- Oharitablo Aid Board desires to acknowledge the' following further Christmas donations: —Miss M. E. Stuart (bbing the result of 'a salo of work by tho Misses Doris Kirkcr, Marjory Stuart, and two others), £2 175.; Messrs. T. Ballinger and Co.,,Westport Coal Co., Ltd., Atkins and Bacon, and Campbell and ißutlco, £1 Is. each; R, Stewart and Co., J. Flygcr and Co., 10s. Gd. each; Samuel Brown, Krtiapoi AVoollen Manufacturing Co., United Asbestos Co., and W.E.8., 10s. each; E.J., D.D., D. and J. Ritchie, A. R. Ilornblow, R.11.W., Crabtreo and Soils, Hill and Parton, ss. each; C. Nees, 2s. Also tho matron of the Wellington Hospital wishes to acknowledge tho following gifts:—Flowers, Roso and Carnation Show and' Wchb Street Primitive Methodist Sunday School; ■ Christmas presents for Victoria Ward, Miss Coates; toys,' Doris and Mark Lowis, .Alkcstt HarloWj.-ih^Econ^icj^'andJUrs.,