CREED AND LIFE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 15

CREED AND LIFE.

, The.Bampton Lectures for 1907, by tho Rev. James Ueile, M.A. ! , just published by Longman's, arc entitled "The ileproach of the Gospel — an encjuiry into the apparent failure of Christianity as a geheral rule of life and ponduot; with special reference to the present lime." .Reviewing tho book, the. Westminster Gazeito writes :-- • >• " Certainly things are moving on, when ,in his, cheery and confidential Preface a Bam'plon Lecturer-, tau-- w*cite: "I am told- that I . have entirely mistaken tho character ,of the Ritschlian. philosophy; :j»rid-T think it is very ps-obable." And, in'decd, th 6 frank uftconv'sntional tone adopted throughout is'notvthe least attractive ot tho writer's credentials. " We '.believe^ that the University"' Church was crowded ' ; with , unde'rgra-cruates . when these., le(#ures were ' delivered — a great testimony, to their .worth; .for the average undergraduate is mu^, less a cowtented sermon-hearer now than he was forty years ago, when-Liddon's famous Bamptons were preached. Mr. Peile's thesis in the first • lecture vis cnat. in v return to the simple* and practical teaching of >Christ lies the hope of the future.' 'repudiates the notion that a new ' roligion is possible: "We' are' sure that [" a i^orld-fdith ca'ii .never, spring from tho ' travailing of self-cpns9ipus intellect." I He-repudiates also as impassible .''the rbcasting of dogma in- the language of the twentieth century^" while -he admits that some' kind of' "restatement," so long as it means that oufr conception of l Gd3'-taust develop "<yitlrf he 'mental and .moral, growth' of each succeeding gen 1 eration, is' "not only desirable; but' inevitable/ But Christsfnf,..life U/ ! £ne" real-.basjs for. Christian iwitU : "The.road, tbiiKuth , , . lies through reform of' conduct— a journey infinitely slow,- and in r its early stages > bitterly distasteful." To ■ the -second lecture, on the "His.toric Basis of Chwstian^Belief," a few words are'' prefixed in criticism of tho^ "pragmatism" which, '"in its exttem'o formy 'declares,; like Mr. .Topts, ttiat "it! is^f ' no conseflue-nco" ,^^ethet there W t any historic " basis at all.j — "The cenfir*' and .essence of Christianity lies in^'tho' Person, of- Jesus Christy -and ,1 believe j •that. "to 'nine-tenths of the human race it would' be idle to goffer what the philosophermay call an 1 ideal, but tho 'plain mzp. Would call- an" imaginary Person. Thfe'v/riters whose view 3we have" beeii' discussing virtually atteitapt'to shoW^tliKt if tho Gospels should be proved a 'myth,' it wpuld make no difference to Christianity. 'T'ani not of llieir, opinion." Bnl a little earlier, he .gives a welcome, to another- side qk "ppagmatisw" :— -'.'lt is valuable as denouncing' the fiction of pure reason ajpart frora'-wilj and emotion; • and rejecting its long-standing claim' to be' the sole guide bf life and instriimeht. of belief. It is very yaluable in 'tip I insistence, on right ac^ion'^ as the proof of right' belief,^ in jta" aot'lanriefided ,Kemin4er t^iai (in, the words, "of 'Mr. F. r C. S. Schiller), 'All^ our .postulates mus,t,>.. stand tho .test of practical workf, ing?,befoi'o' theip cjaim to, truth can . be [ admitted. Whatever our faith,,' it-must^ be 'confirmed 'by works, and- so prave it" 'dbjeciiyely valid 1 . 1 /' I . <i The wisd,ohn^df "this discriminathig.' criticism is/obWous, and it is;characte)ristic"6f the lectured ai a whole. "' . '!'..,