New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.


Christian Union, not only open to criticism
but III its Judgment radically wrong. " Ihey
(the visitors) condemn as fatal want OF precls.
ion and definiteness of statement: n hapiJ Oh
cOnceiving of truth sentlmentally anu poet
ically rather than speculatvely and philosoph-
ically. The conclusion Is inevitable tnat
precision and deiiniteness OF statement shonld
characterize all religious teachers that they
should teach speculatiyeiy, ana pnlIos0gpnni-
cally. not sentimentally and POLITICALLY. THIS
criticism condemns ITSELF for 1t lacks precls-
ion and deinteness of statement; but, II we
understand its meaning 1t proposes as test
what experience condemns. For the great
religious teachers have invariably conceived
of truth sentimentally and POLITICALLY. They
have seen it transcending all precision ana
deiniteness CT statement, and have taught
it by trope and metaphor. They have re-
allied it as a life and taught 1t as something
of God as the high and lofty One, thai in,
habiteth eternity whose name Is holy but
who dwels with him that is OF a cOntrite
and humble spirit, he conceves OF God SEN
timentally and POLITICALLY; Mhen Christ der
clares, Except We eat the flesh OF the Son OF
man and drink His blood ye have no life In
you' he cOnceives of atonement and regen'
Grafton sentimeDtally and POLITICALLY, religious
truth transcends precision ana dcnhltehess
of statement. The objection to croeds Is not
that they express toe much, but that they
express too little. No clear-cut DEFINITION
of sin can utter all-no, nor one 1.-THE OF what
there is in the awful experience OF one TO
whom Gods law has revealed the awfulnesS
of his own sin and guilt, and i'll whom Gods
Spirit has awakened the imperative heart
hunger of the soul for forgiveness and divine
favor. No definition OF atonement can voice
the joyful experience OF the soul Tor whom the
burden has been rolled away, and whose
exultant theme, Thanks be to God which
giveth us the victory seems all too feeble Tor
the bursting heart of gratitude and love ana
low And no one is fit to teach religious
truth whose experience does not 20 deeper
into human experience than plummet dell
nitions can follow, and ascend higher toward
the throne of God than earthly visions can
follow He who does not know tins meaning
of Paurs declaration, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heat
of man the things. which Goa nam prepared
for them that love Him. is not worthy to teach
the Gospel of redeemlng love; ana he VINO dOes
know that experience never can he guilty oil be-
httlino the un fathOmable riches of Gods grace
bv endeavoring to make full inventory OF
tGem i'm precision and dednlteneSs OF state
ment. Least of all can the teacher OF teachers
do this The teacher OF religion has something
more to do than to incucate a science; he has
10 inspire life. The object OF religion Is 10
make men better and men are made better
only when their sentiments are purlled ana
their motives are changed. The world wants
not new speculative phi losophy, but puIer
sentiments and nObler ana more poWeiluI
motives IL wants not greater precision Ill
thnnlnOIc1l StatemeIt, Out DOultl IMPULSES III
the divine life 1t wants not better scientific
definition of sin, but pIOfOundcr pcnltence;
NOT a comprehensive knowledge OF the alltn-
metic of eternity, but dominant sense Oh per-
sonaI accountability to Cod not new specu-
lative conception of Omnipresencc, but new
rvnerience of the living God IN the living soul.
Ana this need of the world Is the need OF the
church and of the ministry. ruin Is more
than sentiment; more than poetry put II Is
Also more than speculation OF phHosoPn1'
4. .tt.f.a far az
pleasant sentiments or pretty poetlciSm does
NOT conceive of truth at ALL. But he WHO
conceives of religious truth clearly ana pro-
foundlv conceives of that which can only De
expressed by poetry, ana must always NC
Unused by sentiment; that Is, he must con-
ceive of it sentimcntally and poeucauy."
A CLERGYMAN's VIEWS on THE CHINESE
OUEsTION-The Rev. w. Is. Hall, oil he I irst
EraShvterian Church of Newburg, \. Y, III
a sermon. delivered recently before lns con
1re0ation. discusses at great lenght the
moral and religious bearings OF the Cnlhese
question. One after another he meets me
ARGUMENTS advanced by the enemies oil Chi-
u, IL enumeration. He states his case not
only in a manner which carries conviction
with it, but presents also III anoyel llght
| several phases of the question when hlthefto
perhaDs have not received SUFFICIENT alien
| tion. To exclude the Chinese, he thinks, VIII
retard their evangelizatlon. hat DIS
honor to the name and Church OF Christ" he
exclaims. ave offer them the gospel with
one hand and with the other bar our gates
against them. We teach them the gospel OF
Christ and then practically and cmphatlcally
denv its spirit and principle III driving them
into the ocean," The claim that the Chi
nrse cannot be converted to Christianity
he believes to be preposterous. II this
were so, Christianity puts forth claims that
were false and av0wed intentions that could
not be realized. What was there in the char
octer of the Chinese that should occasion the
belief that they could not be converted and
their education, though not OF Il hISh ana no,
oralizinp order was more widely extended
i'm the Chinese Empire than i'll any other part
cf The world Their industry was simply
wonderful. They had in al unusual degree
the spirit of reverence. Obedience was
marked virtue-Lo nation Ill iact' had so
thoroughly observed the fifth commandment
AS the Chinese. They furnished, 1t might be
said. a striking Illustration of the fulfil
ment of the promise attached to that command
n,ent. $50 shall thy days be long upon the
land which the Lord thy G0d gwen thee.
This ancient country had produced ana pre-,
served the most ancient literature III had
given TO the world the mariners compass ana
had practised, thousand years before Ter
man mind conceived 1t, the ART OF pruning:
That they were alive TO the sentiilen.S o.
nity and compassion was shown III the none
iii of twelve thousand dollars which the Chi-
nese of California sent out OF their hard earned
savings to the yellow fever sufferers OIL the
South. :" And 1t Is Sucn Il people nc coh-
times. "with such II history, and with such
virtues, that it is claimed, cannot be CON
verted to ChTistia%y TnG 2ct% NTH history tns
ancient race the Rev. Mr.. Hall thinks, is amply
Sufficient to refute the argument that the
Chinese cannot he converted. Notwithstand-
Inc all the opposing influences, from unjust
treatment by Christian nations the gospel llad
Id considerable progress with them. Let
ms rive them" Mr.. Hall exclaims, "a
fair and equal chance with all in the
n ,%'r of lie, allowing them every oppor-
tunity of self-improvement, surrounding
them with Christian influences and seeking
80 win them TO truth and to God. BY this
method we shall find not only that the Gospel
IIi'1ii'. ". flllr cnIIser-