The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-27
THE SECRET OF CHRISTIANITY.
The Last lecture in Rev. Mar. Blan.
ehnrd's Course.

The vestry of Congress Square Church was
filled last evening, despite the disagreeable
weather. The lecture on the secret of Chris
tianity was fit termination to Mr.. Blan-
chard's instructive course and was of great
interest. The following is an abstract;
The object of the course has been to speak of
the religions extending from that of the
people in far-off China around tue globe
to Mexico, doing full justice to them all
while showing by comparison the superiority
of Christianity. An exam ination OF the diff
ferent beliefs shows that many of them are no
longer held and, with the exception OF Chris
tianity, all of them which exist today are des-
tined to succumb to the sway of better opin-
ions and creeds. Two propositions will show
wherein lies the secret of the power of Chris
tisDity. The first Is that man needs the love
Of an ideal Of human excellence; and the sec
ond, that his must recognize and appreciate
human need of divine assistance. These two
necessities make perfect religion and in sup
plying them Christianity becomes such.
A study of the worlds different religions re-
veals the influence OF the forms of nature
in shaping the opinions of mankind In H.
dia, with its sudden geographical and CHI
matte changes, there arose religion in which
man from his constant contact with nature g
widest and most tumultuous appearance I'M
duly exalted the spirit which had created all
this grandeur and debased his own existence
until he accepted the belief that nothing exist
ed save the one controlling power. But in
Asia, with its milder climate and even sur
face race of men was produced who, with
their perfect physique and great strength,
came to disregard all reverence for the gods
and sank into life of sensuality which soon
made way for the overthrow of their religion.
Both India and Greece possessed enc of the
two necessary elements in religious beliefs.
The religion of India was imperfect because,
0F
spirit, it ignored the power of man. The
Grecian faith succumbed because it failed to
reverence the Divine power. With both ele-
ments the two religions might have endured;
without them they both persisted.
The history of the world, as seen in these
two religions, shows the necessity of blend
ing of love for an ideal of human excellence
and an appreciation of the Divine power in
the control of human affairs. The apostles of
Jesus Christ had no knowledge of the creeds
OF India and Greece, and the doctrines in re-
gard to the personality of Christ arose after
they were dead, but by teaching faith in Him
as man they established that requisite love
for perfect human ideal, and from that love
arose that reaching to be like Him, which in
itself enforced the need of human aid in the
lives of men.
Then came the rise of that church which is
known as the Roman Catholic. 1t was this
belief which converted the men OF Northern
Europe, the self-reliant descendants of the
Norsemen, who had said that their own battle
axes were their Gods. But after the CONVEX
sion there came a reaction towards the
other principle and the people of the dark
ages abased themselves and lived in perpetual
terror of the devil and the end of the world.
Thousands of so-called Christians today suffer
from similar fear of death. Again there
came reaction and in the reformation the
world emerged from this degradation and sla-
very, although Luther and Calvin could not
quite rid themselves of fear Of nature.
The tendency in the religion of today is to-
wards the Greek standard. Men are exalting
themselves to the exclusion Of all else. There
are numerous signs however of a healthy reac.
ton from which shall arise a proper recogni-
ton of divine power This is shown in the ae~
lions even of the atheists who are seeking to
solves the mysteries of the future; it is evil
deneed in the proclivities of al churches. The
Roman Catholic church is steadily teaching
reverence in France where free thought has
had its greatest sway. The Spiritualists are
striving to the same end whether or no they
have any foundation for their belief and even
the untenable theories of the faith cure practi-
TONERS are but false step in the right diree-
ton.
The lecture closed with an appeal to young
men and women to make a study of Christiani-
ty, and an expression of the speakers belier in
the final triumph of Christianity as represent
ed by Piety and Philanthropy.