The Portland daily press., 1886-01-14
THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF CHRIS
TIANITT.
Rev. Mr.. RIanchard's Seventh Lee
ture.

Rev. Henry Blanchard delivered the sew
enth lecture of his course on "The Divine
Origin of Christianity, indicated by its His
torical Effects on Tuesday evening, in the
vestry of the Congress Square church. He
spoke substantially as follows When Gut
tenberg invented the printing press, the first
publication was the Bible. That is signifi-
cant fact. When Prof. Huxley writes about
popular education, he strongly approves the
use of the Scriptures as means of intellec-
tual Improvement When Goethe spoke of
the book of Ruth, he pronounced it a master
piece of literature. These statements would
serve as notices for the lecture of the even
ing on ''The influence Of Christianity on the
Mental Culture of Mankind"
Attempting to prove that this influence is
a mighty one, no scholar desires to ignore
the influence of the literature of Greece.
That was literature which was not indebt-
ed to religion. But the briefneSs of the great
age of Greek intellectual activity is very
remarkable fact In ChristendOm, we see
an increasing intellectual power as the result
of Christianity,
Its own books arose from oral tradition.
They show the development produced in Pc
ter John and Paul. To these documents the
Christians added the great writings of the
the influence, through Christianity, of all
the Scriptures. Surely, it is easy to see the
intellectual development OF peasants chang
ed into apostles. Surely, we can see the in
tellectual greatness of Paul in his great epis-
ties.
Moreover, the student sees that Christiani-
ty won converts from the Greek philosophers.
The fathers" were often learned men. One
continued to wear always his philosophers
cloak as sign that in becoming follower
nf Hhricf h<aA ~ fn,- 10 NH Inv
Christianity, then, is historical, literary
religion. 1t uses book made up of many
books. Other religions have books. Some
OF these are very noble, but the noble parts
are small; the additions of commentators,
making up the great bulk, poor.
Mr.. Blanchard here dwelt somewhat in de-
tail on the sacred books of China, India and
Persia, and on the Koran.
For nearly thousand years, however,
Christianity was submerged under the power
of an hierarchy who didnot favor inteflectu-
al development Luther broke its power.
The Scriptures, read by him, in his convent,
flashed new thoughts upon his mind. Intel
lectual development under the influence of
Christianity, is marked from Luther's time.
His German Bible, the English Scriptures of
Scotland and England, greatly stirred the
intellectual life of Europe. Scotland, espe-
cially, is marked example of the power of
the Bible to educate people. The Puritans
and Pilgrims show the same great fact. The
should include instruction in the history and
literature of Israel and early Christianity
The intellectual results, in his opinion, would
be great and valuable. The lecturer next
dwelt at length, upon the great educational
power of preaching, of hymns, OF music, OF
art, of architecture; all OF which came so
largely from Christianity.
The religion of Christ stands almost alone
in its institution of preaching. This is an
appeal to mems intellects. When one thinks
,Nf s4ar ha hnr IN
agent preaching has been in the intellectual
development of the world The Missionary
spirit of Christianity has done much to in
crease knowledge. Think of strange lands
visited, strange people addressed, new Ian
guages mastered, translations OF Scriptures
made, and then measure the prodigious in
tellectual activity required to do these things.
See, too, how the students of today are
making researches in the interest OF better
knowledge Of the Scriptures. Archaeology,
Philology, Philosophy, History are all earn
estly studied. Christianity is the impelling
power.
Considered above all, the intellectually of
Christ's teachings. This has been admirably
shown by Phillips Brooks. The great word
of the gospel of John is truth. That belongs
to mans intellectual nature. Christ's intel
lect saw, however, that truth cannot be gain
ed by the intellect alone. That must be en-
ergized by affection and by will. His great
sayings show us how clearly he apprehended
=
fact is not an intellectual man. Christ saw,
also, that reform must begin from within.
Not precept merely, but principle, establish
ed in mans mind, is the power that leads to
improvement.
The intellectual men of today are those
who revere Christ Ernest Renau, Matthew
Arnold, DR.. Storrs, ChaS. l.. Brace, DR.. Uhl-
horn, author of 1.-THE Conflict between
Christianity and Heathenism;" Canon Far
rar and host of others bow down, in love
and reverence, before the human author of
Christianity. On the one side, therefore, we
see the great company of scholars. On the
other, we see few brilliant, but unscholarly
men-chief among them, Ingersoll. AS he
contemplated this fact and the great series of
facts he had presented in the lecture, the
speaker felt the overwhelming conviction
that the intellectual influence of Christianity
on mankind was one great proof that it had
come from Deity.
Oc4l