The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume 1, January, 1880

In Short

This volume is a collection of essays and theological arguments published in 1880, designed to defend orthodox Christianity against the rising tide of nineteenth-century materialism, Darwinism, and biblical criticism. By positioning faith as a rational response to the complexity of the natural world, the writers aim to dismantle the theories of figures like Charles Darwin and David Friedrich Strauss. It serves as a historical snapshot of a reactionary movement, illustrating how religious thinkers of the era sought to reconcile their scriptural convictions with the rapidly shifting paradigms of modern science.

The Story

The narrative arc of this journal is one of deliberate confrontation. It opens by establishing a posture of defiance against the "sciolists" of the modern age—those whom the writers believe have wrongly claimed a monopoly on intelligence. By invoking the intellectual giants of antiquity, such as Plato and Aristotle, the journal argues that modern thinkers have invented nothing truly new; they have merely recycled the materialistic, atheistic arguments of ancient Buddhists and Brahmins. The journal proceeds to frame the history of the world as a grand, unfolding drama where God is the central actor.

From this base, the argument shifts to the nature of divine revelation. The authors contend that the Bible is not merely a collection of stories but a divine history of God’s dealings with nations. They argue that to understand God’s character, one must look at the "background" of human suffering, war, and moral struggle recorded in the scriptures. In their view, these difficult passages are not contradictions of a good God, but essential evidence of His justice in action. Just as a physician’s skill is demonstrated through the treatment of disease, God’s justice is revealed through His interactions with a broken and often wicked humanity.

The journal then pivots to a direct critique of the "modern materialistic schools." It spends significant energy dissecting Darwin’s The Descent of Man and the philosophical works of Strauss. The writers characterize evolution as a "wild speculation" that lacks empirical proof, specifically citing the absence of transitional fossils as a fatal flaw in the theory. They mock the materialist position as a cold, "gloomy" philosophy that offers no hope in the face of death. By contrasting the hopeful promise of immortality with the materialist’s view of death as an "eternal sleep," the text seeks to emotionally and intellectually alienate the reader from secular thought.

The volume culminates in a call to restore the Bible to its place as the bedrock of Western civilization. It assembles testimonials from figures like George Washington, U.S. Grant, and Benjamin Franklin to suggest that the success of the American Republic is inextricably linked to Christian belief. The journal concludes that science, when properly interpreted, does not lead away from the Creator but toward Him. It posits that the "first causes" of the universe—intelligence, life, and moral order—cannot be accounted for by "blind force" or spontaneous generation. The final impression is one of steadfast certainty, urging the reader to reject the "dark waves of oblivion" and return to the established faith of their fathers.

How It Unfolds

The ancient precedent The editors argue that modern materialists are not original, as their skepticism mirrors the ancient teachings of Brahmins and Buddhists. They claim these old arguments have already been defeated by the endurance of the Christian faith.

The divine physician The journal introduces a central metaphor: God’s revelation of Himself through scripture is like a doctor revealing his skill through the treatment of patients. By this logic, the bloody and difficult history of Israel is portrayed as necessary evidence of divine justice.

The attack on evolution The writers systematically target Darwinism, focusing on the lack of "missing links" in the geological record. They argue that the complexity of living organisms, such as the differentiation of species, points toward an intelligent designer rather than random selection.

The failure of secularism The journal highlights the "gloom" of the secular outlook, particularly during funerals where unbelievers struggle to provide consolation. It uses these moments to argue that materialism is emotionally and logically bankrupt.

The anchor of the republic The argument moves from the cosmic to the political, insisting that the stability of the state depends upon religious observance. It concludes by demanding that the reader choose between the "slime of the sea" and the Creator.

The People

The journal centers on the divide between the "Christian believer" and the "unbeliever" or "materialist." The Christian is presented as one who uses common sense and observational science to confirm a pre-existing trust in God. They are portrayed as seekers of truth who find comfort in the promise of life after death. Their primary obstacle is the intellectual pride of the modern era, which they believe leads to a nihilistic view of existence.

Opposing them are the materialists, represented by figures like Charles Darwin, David Friedrich Strauss, and Colonel Robert Ingersoll. The journal views these men as "sciolists"—pretenders to knowledge—who lead the masses into a moral and spiritual vacuum. Darwin is criticized for his admission that the origin of life is a "hopeless inquiry," which the journal interprets as a surrender of his own theory. Strauss is depicted as a man driven to despair by his own philosophy, left "helpless and defenseless" in an uncaring universe. Finally, Colonel Ingersoll is highlighted as a tragic figure who attempts to offer comfort at gravesides but fails because his "night birds" of unbelief cannot replace the hope of the Christian gospel.

In Its Own Voice

"The pyramids, temples and palaces of Thebes are monuments of the ancient intellects of our race."

The author uses the architectural achievements of the past to challenge the modern assumption that scientific progress is a linear path toward greater wisdom.

"To-day there are more Christians in the world than ever before."

This observation is presented as proof that the faith has successfully survived the "fiery furnace of criticism" that the nineteenth century directed toward it.

"The blanket of oblivion, which Mr. Darwin and his friends spread over the difficulty, is 'millions of years.'"

This sentence captures the journal’s skepticism toward evolutionary timescales, which the author views as an excuse to cover for the lack of evidence in the fossil record.

What It's Really About

The fundamental tension in this work is the struggle to reconcile the "objective" world of material science with the "subjective" world of spiritual faith. The journal argues that science is not a neutral endeavor but a limited one; it can analyze the mechanics of nature but cannot explain the origins of life or the existence of moral consciousness. The underlying question is whether man is an accident of "blind force" or a creation of a personal Intelligence. Ultimately, the book asserts that human history is a moral theater where God’s presence is validated by the very existence of order, design, and the survival of the Christian religion against all historical opposition.

Why Read It Today

This volume is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the "science-versus-religion" conflict in the West. It provides a rare, unmediated look at the intellectual defensive maneuvers of nineteenth-century traditionalists who felt their cultural authority slipping away. Readers will find the tone remarkably combative, characterized by a mix of high-flown rhetoric, theological precision, and an occasional, biting dismissiveness toward contemporary secularists.

The experience of reading this is like stepping into a heated debate from 140 years ago; you feel the anxiety of a generation that saw the ground shifting beneath its feet. It is not an easy read, as the text is densely layered with mid-Victorian prose, references to obscure philosophers, and the occasional assumption that the reader shares the author's intense, singular focus. However, its value lies in its transparency. It does not hide its biases; it wears them as armor. You will walk away with a vivid understanding of how the religious establishment of the 1880s perceived the rise of evolutionary biology, not just as a new theory, but as an existential threat to the moral and social order of the world. It serves as a reminder that the arguments we engage in today often have deep, well-worn roots in the past.