24. A DISMAL PROSPECT

Christianity, and is, in fact, not worth saving. If it were, Dr. Aked's remedy would certainly hasten its demise, for that remedy consists, so far as disclosed, mainly in repudiating every important item of Christian doctrine. This popular preacher declares that "the old motives and sanctions and prohibitions have lost their hold: the new are not sufficiently grasped by preachers nor understood by the people."¹

It is true that the old sanctions, etc., have lost their hold upon many preachers, though not yet upon all. It must also be conceded that the departure from the old faith which Dr. Aked, Mr. Campbell, Dr. Gordon, and other popular leaders so loudly proclaim, and in which they openly rejoice, has made rapid headway in a very short time, and seems still to be gathering strength and speed. But the matter of chief interest to us at this point is, not what these leaders are leading their followers away from, or how numerous are the religious crowds that are following them, but to what are they leading them? As to this vital matter Dr. Aked has nothing definite to tell his hearers. He can only inform them that "the old" is gone, and that for "the new," they must "wait the larger prophecy, more spiritual vision, and virile preaching of the coming days."

This surely is a dubious and cheerless state in which to be left; for the blind followers of this blind leader are not told how long they will have to wait for this

¹ Appleton's Magazine, August 1908.

"larger prophecy," etc., or whence these misty creatures are to come, or what they will be like when they arrive.

But to return to Rev. Newman Smythe, whose vision is decidedly clearer than that of Dr. Aked. The former, after noting the process of the decadence and disintegration of Protestantism, now far advanced, turns his attention hopefully towards Modernism, and speaks approvingly of what he calls the Modernists'—

"appeal to the Pope for reform and liberty, and for the reconciliation of the Church with modern thought."

Mr. Smythe is fully persuaded that the salvation of the "Church" depends upon such radical modification of its doctrines and observances as will make it entirely satisfactory to "the world." The latter long ago recorded its judgment upon Christ, and put that judgment into bloody execution. Whatever changes have since that day taken place in the world, there has been none in respect of its hatred toward Christ and toward all who are true to Him and to His teaching. Its settled determination may still find apt expression in the saying, "We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke xix. 14). But the world is quite willing and even eager to arrange a compromise with a Church which has abandoned Christ and His doctrine; and there are many who think that, upon this condition, the world would even submit to be ruled by a religious system bearing the name of "Christianity." The writer, however, is not of that opinion, for the

"TITANIC INDUSTRIAL FORCES"

Scriptures indicate that the "Coming Catholicism" will not be Christian even in name.

Mr. Smythe states the case thus:—

"A WORLD of titanic industrial forces is not to be ruled by a Christianity divided in its own house against itself" (p. 33).

We call particular attention to these words, because they very aptly and forcibly set forth the predominating characteristics of the modern world. Its forces are "industrial," and their scale is indeed "titanic." The imperative need, then, is for a Religion which is adapted to a world given over to industrialism on a gigantic scale; and the judgment of the best religious experts, based upon the sure test of experience, is, that the ecclesiastical systems which have hitherto existed, Catholic and Protestant, are utterly unsuited to this imperative requirement. The requirement, therefore, must be met by means of constructive religious work on a scale commensurate with the titanic industrial forces which the genius of man has brought into operation. We have every reason to believe that a need so pressing will be met, and that speedily.

Touching the prospect of there being devised a religious system such as the characteristics of the age require, Mr. Smythe has much to say. And indeed, when one considers what Man has done in the industrial field, there seems no reason to doubt that the "spirit of the world" (1 Cor. ii. 12) is equal to the evolution of a religious and ecclesiastical system which shall meet satisfactorily all the requirements of the case.

Mr. Smythe, in this connection, quotes an Oxford lecturer who describes himself as looking for—

"the rise of a new religious order, the greatest that the world has known, drawn from all nations and all classes, and what seems stranger yet, from all Churches" (p. 36).

This expectation is well founded. Indeed, one is struck by the language in which this seer describes his vision. His language resembles (though he, of course, was quite unconscious of it) that employed by the seer of Patmos: "I saw a beast rise up out of the sea." "And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations: and all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the slain Lamb" (Rev. xiii. 1, 7, 8).

Mr. Smythe defines the Modernist movement as—

"an endeavour of loyal Catholics to adapt the Roman Church to the thought and life of the modern world."

And he says that some Protestant observers who are in close touch with it believe it is destined to be—

"the greatest religious movement since the time of the Reformation."

Mr. Smythe is a judicious commentator on current events. Although greatly impressed with the vital force of Modernism, he does not expect to see the

MODERNISTS "IN THE STREAM"

"Programme of Modernism" fully carried out. Nor is this needful to the end in view. In a situation where there are many bodies moving simultaneously along lines which are, in a general way, converging, there are likely to be, before the final goal is reached, some meetings and coalescences between those bodies that are contiguous to each other; and such occurrences would be likely to produce changes in form, mass, and name. Such a meeting and coalescence of two bodies might seemingly bring their respective movements to an end; but in reality those movements would proceed under another form, and possibly with even increased momentum.

Mr. Smythe regards Modernism, not as a finality, but as a mediating movement; and he accordingly divides his treatment of the entire subject into three parts, which he, with pleasing alliteration, entitles respectively "Passing Protestantism," "Mediating Modernism," and "Coming Catholicism."

Of the origin of Modernism, Mr. Smythe says that it—

"had its early spring in Biblical and historical criticism" (p. 55).

Springing from such a source, we should know about what to expect as to the results and ultimate destiny of the movement.

The Modernists, says Mr. Smythe—

"are in the stream; they are afloat on the world's present thought and life."

Many such passages emphasize the fact that the great value of Modernism, in the eyes of this Protestant observer, is its powerful influence in breaking down completely the distinction (which has in many quarters long ceased to be a reality) between the Church and the world, and in bringing about the thorough identification of the former with the ideals and aspirations of the world and its god.

Coming to the heart of Modernism, that which constitutes the essential doctrine of the Modernists, Mr. Smythe makes the following important statement:—

"They are influenced by one of the profoundest and most vitalizing faiths which are now pervading and renewing the Protestant world. In its simplicity this is the belief that GOD IS IN MAN; that the Divine is present in the thoughts of men, to be known in the experience of men."

We must perforce yield assent to the statement that this profound faith ("the depths of Satan") is indeed pervading and transforming the Protestant "world." This profound faith is, in fact, simply the essential doctrine of Humanism, i.e. the divinity of humanity, which has now so often come under our notice, and which will be encountered wherever there is perceived, in apostate and corrupt Christendom, any manifestation of real religious activity.

Again, Mr. Smythe says:—

A RADICAL ARTICLE OF FAITH

"In this faith in God's manifestation of Himself in and through human experience, progressive Catholics are certainly in the same stream that has vivified and renewed our whole modern theology."

These statements are very explicit. They stand in no need of explanation. If Mr. Smythe has rightly observed current events, and has correctly reported what he has seen, modern theology as a whole has been renewed and quickened by a single article of faith, namely, the simple belief that God is in man, and that the doings of corrupt humanity ("human experience") are the manifestations of God.

What is the source of this radical article of faith, and upon what authority does it rest? The assertion of man's divinity is made again and again, by this and other popular religious writers, and with the utmost assurance; but never yet has the present author heard of any evidence, or anything even purporting to be evidence, being offered in support of it. When the prophets of old came with instruction for men, they declared that their message was from God. "This we say unto you by the word of the Lord," was the sufficient reason why the saying should be heeded. But the messages which those men brought—and which, instead of receiving large salaries for bringing them, they themselves paid for in persecution, imprisonment, and death—invariably proclaimed that man, so far from being divine, was full of corruption and violence, unrighteous, ungodly, under condemnation, had gone out of the way; and that the doings of man, so far from manifesting God, were unequivocally evil in His sight. Those messages, purporting to come directly from God Himself, so far from announcing that "the Divine is present in the thoughts of man, declared explicitly that "God is not in all his thoughts" (x. 4). On the contrary, they expressly declared of an that "every imagination of the thoughts of his part was only evil continually" (Gen. vi. 5).

No one will deny that a cardinal doctrine of Christianity has always heretofore been that man is by nature a sinner, separated by his sin an immovable distance from God, who is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity (Hal. 13). This doctrine rested for its support upon the Book which has always, until within recent times, be regarded among professing Christians as the Word. God. There thus existed at least a valid and sufficient reason for the acceptance of the doctrine of the corruption of human nature. Moreover, it is quite inconceivable that a doctrine so utterly repugnant to the natural man could have had a human origin. The natural disposition of man is to think well of himself and to find plausible excuses for his shortcomings; and man's books always present him and his doings in a favourable light. The account which the Bible, in its parts, gives of the nature of man, his character is his