, 1877-04-28

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had in common, and again classifying
himself with them. His method was to
seek first what he had IN common with
those men, unite with them in this
and atterward strive to impart to them
the advanced lessons which he had
learned, OF which they were ignorant.
Now, | am n thorough believer in
Paul's method. believe this the true
way for a Christian, to approach per-
SONS who believe in another religion.
Indeed, l think it the only possible way
to convert devotecs of other religions to
Christianity. Seek the common ground
first, talk of difference afterward, for the
only avenue to conviction is through
reason, and if we tell man first OF all
that We think he is fool, he will not be
disposed to listen farther. The way then
for Christians to deal with persons of
another religion, is to seek common
ground as Paul did, seek what truth
there is in that other religion, give that
our hearty sanction, then unfold the Sill
perior merits of the faith we profess.
This method by which Paul preached
the Gospel to the Athenians is, we be-
lieve, the true and only way to approach
the adhercnts of any other faith, whether
it differs from ours little or much, and in
this way we would approach our subject
in these lectures.
There is common ground on which
oil religions meet. After deduct!ng all
the points Of difference from the sum to-
tai of the teachings of all the religions
OF the world, there would be something
left that is common to all We may say
all are builded on common foundation,
but better figure is that of growth.
Ind this will make cleai the distinction
that I wish to impress upon all your
minds between religion and religious.
Let US say then that religion IS great
tree with its root in the needs and ycarn.
ings of our common humanity, and the
various religions of the world are the
branches. This is not saying that the
branches are all equal. In fact this tree
of religion, like most natural trees of the
forest, presents no two equal branches.
To say that religion is a tree, and the
various religions are the branches, i'm
plies similarity of fruit, and yet in
quantity and quality the fruit is very
different. This comparison is not fault
less in every particular, but in many
points it will serve us well. Every re.
ligion is divided into sects or schools,
and these again into parties or classes,
and these again into yet smaller parties,
and SO on the division continues till we
reach the individual who in some sense
always has faith Of his own, differing
in some minor points from the faith OF
every other man in the world. This is
well illustrated by the tree with its di-
verging branches, which separate as they
grow and subdivide again and again till
at last you reach the separate individual
twig bearing, it may be, a single leaf or
flower, and in some respects differing
from every other twig or branch on the
entire tree. Yet the individual leaf or
twig is not entirely separate tiom or in
dependent of the tree. Though each
leaf draws portion of its nourishment
from the air, under the influences of the
sunshine, it is yet dependent upon its
connection with the branch on which it
grew for certain portion,
Just so the individual soul, though it
is able to absorb from its natural sur =
roundings spiritual food that will great
ly assist its spiritual growth and devel-
opment, is yet dependent for another
portion upon the fixed and ancient chan
nels OF inspiration, the forms and tradi-
tions of the religion in which he was
born and educated. That stem Of this
tree of the worlds religion which grows
straiehtest and highest, which spreads
its leaves in purest air and clearest light,
and bears richest, ripest fruit, is Chris
tianity beyond all doubt.
This is the religion of the great ma
iorty of the most intelligent Of the hn-
man family. 1t is the religion Of all
those nations that have made and are
D,ol,;r,, crrnotost ,ro1ress of all kinds