CHRISTIANITY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3070, 19 March 1892, Page 2

CHRISTIANITY.

I 10 THK KOITOR. Sin, —Your correspondent "Junius Hibernicus " appears—like the Rev. Mr Willis— tn attach great importinco to the quoted utterance of the hte Mr Lowoll, of whom writing in tho Athenaeum Theodore Watt says : " The incongruity between the Christianity of Christ and tho Christianity advertising itself from one end of America to the other, is the subject matter of all Lowell's humorous work. If the doctrines of the Now Testament wero put into general practice fur a single day in the country that, besides a few true Puritans, has produced Barnum, Jay Gould, and McKinlay, tho entire structure of civilisation would fall down like a house of cards. In America, as in England, Christianity is non-existent, as a practical creed : and this is by far the most amazing phenomenon that history has over shown, In the Buddhistic countries there is a real relation between the social doctrine and the social organism. It is the same with Islam ; but in the so-called Christian countries of the Western world the social doctrine and the social organism contradict each other at every turn. The incongruity is absolute, j Life in London and life in New York is ' one harlequinade. It is Lowell's apprehension of this incongruity which plans what has been called his blasphemy. A disciple of Christ making mouths at the blasphemous Jewish inob would be open to the same charge." With the main poition of "J.ll.'s" letter, and his emotional references t'i "intense outgoings " and "soul intuitions," I do not intend to trouble myself, they bearing too strong a resemblance to tho rhapsodical surroundings of the old metaphysical churchmen. Will he kindly tell us at what precise period of its history tho Church began not to need the " cover of darkness," and " desired not the mantle of ignorance." That she did welcome science and literature when "subordinated to herself" may be true; but will he tell us plainly what she did to the exponents of science and literature who did not "subordinate " their teachings to hers. Perhaps he will explain the nature of her welcome to Arnold of Brescia, Giordano, Bruno, Galileo, Copernicus, Campanella, Vanitil, and a host of other insubordinate*, many of whom but announced simple facts, now in tho possession of every fourth or fifth standard scholar. To this "J! H." will doubtless say: "Oh, but they did not 'subordinate' themselves to the Church, and assist the realisation of her self-glon-ous purposes." Will he also nauio ono or two instances, from the great many of which ho is aware, in which .science has encountered theology, and has been worsted. He asks : " Are the statements set forth by infidel writers respecting the Creator and His works true or false?" Let him seek his answer in the discoveries of astronomy and geology and the kindred science, and he will find it. Let him think—that is if ho is not too bound_ by the dictum, " Believu but not think "—of the scientific evidence accumulated during tho last fifty years, what it has accomplished, and what tests it has stood, and he will surely see the futility of such a simple question. Is the Christian citadel as strong as ever, now that its very walls are undermined 1 Nay ; for if it were it would speedily "subordinate " all teaching to itself, and there would bo an " active demand " for faggcts and racks, thumbscrews and iron boots, hot oil and branding irons. Imagine Christianity stretching forth her gory hand to erasp that of "Fair science" in "everlasting union." What an attempt to make a virtue of necessity ! What a selfish desiro for alliance where persecution and cruelty have failed to conquer ! Will "J. H." state definitely which is THK Church and who are the successors of Christ's apostles? Are they the ministers of the Roman, Greek, or the Protestant Church, and if tho« of the last named to which particular section of it do they belong! Also, what constitutes the Holy Scriptures ? When wero they written, and by whom, and on what grounds selected as being holy? He wants to know what comfort, what pleasures, I could enjoy in perpetual darkness ; to which I reply that, not being a mole, I cannot say—l only know that if there were no light I should not be hereto trouble myself about family or food, neither would "J. H. " be in existence ti sup,goat to me tho contemplation of beautiful phenomena—all in tho dark. He concludes by saying that "men can be found brazen enough to deny the Creator and all His works," which is, I suppose, an euphemistic method for styling them professors of atheism. So be it, for Bacon has truly said : " Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation, all which may ba guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion wero not ; but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy in the piinds of men : therefore atheism did never perturb states ; for it makes men wary of themselves as looking 110 further: but superstition hath been tho confusion of many states, and bringeth in a newpriinum mobile, that ravisheth all tho spheres of government.—l am, etc., Gr.BAN Kit. TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —A long and desultory correspondonce has latoly been going on in the columns of " The Waikato Timks " on the subject of Christianity, but it is difficult to seo what some of tha debaters are aiming at. One of them has evidently retired to his dwelling in the wilderness, disgusted I suppose with those who will not be persuaded to go and share his desirable residence. Several others have drifted away to "Nothing." Another who styles himself " Agnostic " still holds his ground, but in spite of his humbler signature he seems rather aggressive in his sentiments. Aggressivo agnosticism is some what difficult to comprehend. As " Agnostic " however, seems to know more than his name would give him credit for, will he tell us what he, and thoy who think with him aro prepared to substitute in the place of Christianity. It might also be interesting to known what he understands by Christianity. As he seems to have a taste for definitions, he might further favour us with definitions, from an agnostic point of view, of the following terms :— 1. Life. 2. Truth. 3. Goodness. 4. Sin I am aware that it, would be hardly fair to ask this of a genuine agnostic ; but an aggressivo agnostic should be able to throw more light on these subject than Christianity does.—Yours truly. Tor.KRANCK.