"WHAT IS MAN?”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 116, 2 May 1919, Page 7

"WHAT IS MAN?”

I “ London Turn’s’ ” Correspondent. I

It is long since the Psalmist asked tins question : and since his time it has been answered in many ways. There an’ those who dwell on man’s insignificance ; that is the most natural and obvious view—one which did not escape tlio Psalmist, “When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy iinger u , the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained—What is man?” And modern astronomy, with its amazing ret chi tion of innumerable worlds, intensifies man’s depreciation of himself. Copeinietts, it has often been said, dethroned the earth and with it also dethioned man. Man seemed to bo reduced to a mere speck on an unimportant planet. It tippearod as though another blow, perhaps even heavier, had been dealt at tho human race when its evolution from lower forms was proclaimed by modern science. “For his successful progress throughout the savago state, ’ says Euxiey. “man has been largely indebted to those qualities which he shares with the ape or the tiger.”

At the other extreme wo find Humanity set up as an object of worship. Comte was the founder anil high priest of the “Religion of Humanity.” generally known as “Positivism.” Comte proclaimed that theological and metaphysical stages ot thought were found. Ruling out tho question of God ;-s something unknown and unknowable, he found in the moral and spiritual qualities of man tho highest tables ol the universe, and therefore declared the one object worthy oi worship. “Our thoughts will be devoted to the knowledge of humanity, our affections to her lovo, our actions to her service.” So tho question, “What is man:'” remained by him unanswered. Mau appears on the earth, as it has been said, “a moral Melchizedek, without father, without mother.” And a similar tendency was to bo seen in Huxley, who sets man against Nature and proclaims that all ethical adi ance consists nor. in following but in eombntine the “cosmic process.” But bo also leaves untouched the question as to how out ot this unmoral or immoral cosniie process. of which he is a part, a moral being could have emerged. Theologians have sometimes tried to get oxer the difficulty by declaring that man is a "special creation." Bui modern science is shy ot "spis ial creations.” admitting tto break m the ciulutionary process, and theology is also shrinking from them. Wo snail be wiser il wo remember Arislotle’s doctrine of the End as tlio ultimate piittciplu ot explanation, hi other words, “rhe nature ol a power at work in an.v ptoeess is only revealed m the process as a whole, ft is revealed progrehwveJy in the different stages, tint it can not bo fully and truly know n until the final stage is reached. . . Now man is, from this point ol view, the last term in the series, ami the world is nor complete without him. . . Tlio intelligent being is. as it were, tho oiiiaii through whicn tho universe beholds and enjoys itself."

Tliis is whav J’lotcssor Bringle Pattison means by saying that man is “organic tv nature.” not- some lorttiiiute or unfortunate accident, but. supplying the final term, the goal or consummation ot the ei olutiouary process; and, if this be so. then ive shall find in tlio moral and spiritual qualities ot man the true index to tlio rueanin of tho universe and the nature, and character ot God. 1-t this sense we may use the old words which i-peak ot man as '•made in tho imago ct God.” And this is unn meaning or the Christian doctrine er the .Incarnation. For. “whatever else it may mean, n means at least this, that in the condition ol th<- highest human lite tie have nm as nowhore else, to the inmost nature of the divine.”

| And perhaps this thought, old as it • is. is one to which wu need to cling very ftrmlj’ in our own day. .For we ! are tempted to lose faith in human | nature. “The earth is full m’ darkness - and cruel habitations.” Tim news- • papers record deeds ot atrocity in Russia and elsewhere which make the heart sick. -Men are behaving like wolves and tigers. We do not hlanm ligers and wolves tor cruelty. It is, we sav, “natural." But in man it is deeply ‘‘unnatural." “When he came io himself, he said. 1 will arise and go to my father.” We must believe that men may yet “conic to themselves. ’’ W<> must beware ol pessimism. }et also we must equally beware ot the besotted optimism which complacently expects a. “new and better earth.” as tho result ot tho war and oi “making the world sale tor democracy. ’’ The only true progress is that which comes Irinii a change iu tho hearts ol men. We must believe in human miriirc, hut. w<> must also remember that tlio doctrine oi “tlio Fall” expresses a prolound truth. The Ja<t ot -in remain l -, by wliati ver name wo may eail it, ami though, by the giace ot God, humanity may attain gioiiter than it has yet* uatlitd. it will “njihill to the end.”

And what will “the end ' be.- "Who can sav:-' The Christian religion does not encourage us to believe that a perfect society will ever be seen on earth, and physical science teaches that a day will conm when this globe will no longer ho inhabitable. So. then, from the naturalistic point ot view' the age-long drama will end— hi nothing. But religion. while also proclaiming the end to this visible order or things, believes that man's true destiny lies ehewheso, and looks ‘‘for a eitv winch hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”