Civilisation at the cross roads; four lectures delivered before Harvard university in the year 1911 on the William Belden Noble foundation

Front matter

J

Class.

Book.

Preface

Mystical titles are not much in fashion. Yet I have kept the alternative names of each Lecture, because they suggest even more than they express of the nature of the book. Their apocalyptic associations may also serve to guard against misconception. The title of the whole course and certain criticisms in the first Lecture might seem to imply that I desire to controvert the main . thesis of the late Father Tyrrell's famous work. This, however, is not the case. Too greatly am I in debt to all the writings of that arresting author and especially to his posthumous work to have any such thought. But I do desire to point out that the problem can be studied from more standpoints than one. Something is crumbling all around us. That is clearer every moment. I write this on the day of the introduction of the Bill for a Minimum Wage. Is it Christianity that is decaying, or civilisation in its existing shape? That conventional Christianity is going or gone, no one will question. So much x PREFACE

the better. But on the whole it seems to me, that what is vanishing is not that peculiar kind of social life we call the Christian Church, except certain accidental elements inextricably bound up with the existing regime. Rather, we are in the midst of a process not unlike that of Western Europe in the Fifth Century, when the world-organisation was on its deathbed, and the Church alone remained unshaken. The more I contemplate the face of things the more does there come before me the vision of a whole order changing. In a few years, we shall, perhaps, be saying something like what Luther said three centuries and a half ago about the Holy Roman Empire : —

"Die Welt ist am Ende kommen, das romisch Reich ist fast dahin und zerrissen." This change is universal; but the Christian Church will survive it, on the very ground that it possesses many elements incompatible with our present system, and that its spirit is the scorn of all that is fashionably enlightened. That scorn will doubtless be the fortune of the present volume. Indeed this must be the case with any attempt to commend the traditional faith in an age which finds interest in any and every fantasy, but dismisses a priori the Catholic creed. I am not however greatly disturbed by this thought. The mental habit of our day,

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like other of its qualities does not appear to me so profound or lasting; and will undergo "a sea-change into something rich and strange" along with the other elements in our life. Thus if it should seem that these lectures are so many " Unzeitgemasse Betrachtungen," I should not grieve. They may not fit with the prevailing fashion among the "intellectuels." It is at least not inconceivable that the ground of this is that there is something imperfect in that fashion. A thing is out of date, because it looks to the future, no less than when it harks back to the past.

After this course was delivered, there was published in England a volume directly traversing that view of the nature of the Christian experience which is set out in the fourth lecture. Since the book appeared of some importance, owing to the controversy which it evoked, I have thought it well to devote an appendix to the general historical question which it involves. I suppose that no one who has watched the rise and fall of the uncounted historical theories, all plausible, which have appeared in regions far removed from the fever spot of Christian origins, is likely to be disturbed by Mr. Thompson's hypothesis. Since, however, these topics are oftentimes debated by persons whose acquaintance with general historical investigation is xii PREFACE

other than obvious, I have thought it well to indicate some points a little more at large. In that appendix I should like to have quoted pages from the Chapter on "Causality and Natural Law," in Professor Wendland's admirable book Miracles and the Christian Church. But I read it too recently to make that possible. I would also refer to some remarks of Professor James Ward in the earlier part of his new series of Gifford Lectures — Pluralism and Theism, which bear on the relation of historical knowledge and real individuality to all theories of inevitable, unbroken cosmic development, mechanically interpreted. Here I would only repeat with emphasis my persuasion that it is only after a judgment of the total character of the. Christian experience, that we ever can (or ever do) profitably approach the investigation of its details. This is true on both sides, and is shewn in the present controversy. It is precisely this total supernatural character, which I believe to be as firmly established historically as anything of that nature can ever be — and to be disbelieved only on account of presuppositions incompatible with its truth. In this respect and certain others these lectures may serve as a sort of sequel to the earlier course delivered at Cambridge on the foundation of Dr. Hulse;

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and may correct certain misconceptions, especially in regard to the third.

With slight alterations these lectures are printed substantially as they were delivered. Never a member of that company which regards a book as likely to promote the glory of God in proportion as it is ill written, I have taken pains to make it readable. But I cannot pretend to be satisfied with the result. Further delay, however, must not be thought of and such as it is, the book must go forth.

The Rev. Alexander Wicksteed is deeply my creditor. Owing to his kindness in reading the proofs and verifying references, I trust that the proportion of errors is less than has sometimes been the case with writings of the author; or than always would be without such aid.

Finally, I must tender my grateful thanks to the authorities of Harvard University, who by appointing me to this office of Noble Lecturer are "the only begetters' 5 of th,e ensuing pages: I would hereby assure them that I would the book were more worthy of its "domicile of origin 5 ' and that I shall not soon forget the days that I spent in the enjoyment of their proverbial hospitality.

J. Neville Figgis.

House of the Resurrection, March 21, 1912.