The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-26
WHAT THEY BELIEVE.
Prominent Women and Their Views of Re
igion-Simple Lives of Faith.
IN v Herald


At gathering OF a literary kind in New
York the conversation fell upon the sub
ject of religion, and it was remarked that
women were religious as long as they
were domestic, but that the moment they
had a career outside OF the home they be-
came agnostics, free-thinkers or something
as radical.
1t was the opinion of several of the
takers, that women writers were almost
wholly independent of creeds and doc
trines, and few, if any of them, were
church members. "What was once true
of the theatrical procession exclusively is
now true of the literary one, was asserted
by noted newspaper editor, and his con-
clusion was approved by his listeners.
Asaresult of this discussion letters were
sent to several well-known women re-
questing from them a statement of their
religious views. One OF the most interest
ing replies was that of Mrs. Harriet
Beecher Stowe. who said:
GAS to my religious views tits embodied
in the apostles creed given in the episco-
pal prayer book. AS to the practical use
make of it refer YOU TO my writings
particularly "Uncle Toms Cabin" and my
religious poems. / have all my life sin
cerely endeavored to mould my life in &C
cordance with nv beliefs"
Nothing so terse and compact has come
in response to the request made, and the
characteristics of the woman are expressed
in its phraseology.
Rose Terry Cooke, the poet and novel
list. says of her religious views:
II have been a member of the congre-
gational church since lS43, until this last
summer. joined the episcopal church
because my husband preferred that form
of worship. You will find nv faith en-
bodied in the apostles creed l could
never have lived through my troubled
life without that earnest belief | could
not look forward 10 death under any other
prospect with the least courage. l desire
to record here that l have found the only
peace and help and strength of my life in
the gospel of Christ, and that believe
there is no hope in this world or the next
that does not spring from that gospel"
marion Harland, novelist, wife of the
Rev. DR.. L. p. Terhune, of Brooklyn, and
as widely known in her church and Sun
day-school work as in her social circle,
says:
$50 far as my religious views go, ] am
thorough churchwoman, a believer in the
bible as the word of God the only rule of
God, the only sure rule of faith and prac-
tice and guide TO heaven. i recite the
Apostles Creed sincerely and devoutly,
even the clause touching the resurrec-
ton of that which is sown a natural body
and will be raised a spiritual body, bear
ing the same relation 20 the worn-out cas-
ket laid away in the earth that Easter ill
lies bear TO the persisted bulb. / hold
this life to but the vestibule OF the temple
in which we are TO work and Joy forever
when these few preliminaries which we
know as mortal tolls and trials are ended.
But / believe that every talent and good
we have here will have use and place in
the fuller life, separated from this by so
thin veil that it is sometimes given to us
to see the light cleaning through. For
my own hope OF admission to the 'Perfec-
ton which is continuous advance / trust
humbly, gratefully and utterly in the
Saviour of the world the Christ who was
tempted like as we are, the Goodman who
is able to save unto the uttermost all who
put their trust in Him.
The solemn shadow Of His cross
Is brighter than the sun.
"This faith, transmitted to me bv gen.
erations of godly ancestors, some of
whom laid down their lives for il, | have
CAREFULLY and severely tested by all the
powers and lights / could bring to bear
upon it, and stand to-day more firmly in
1t than ever before.
I'm every event OF daily life, the least
even as the greatest, j seek to have but
one rule-that set forth so simply and
beautifully in Longfellow's dedication
hymns:
"And evermore beside him on the way
Tn unseen Christ shall move,
That he may lean upon His and say,
'Dost Thou, dear Lord, approves?
"This is, of course, ten times as much as
you wanted me to write, but from it you
extract the germ OF my creed Religion
is so much to me, would have it so much
10 others that | say too much when trust
myself to speak upon it"
Julia G. X. Dorr thus answers the ques-
ton: "You set me a rather hard task. III
you had asked me for my religious views
when was about eighteen. it would have
been easier to respond, for at that time
had much more decided views on most
subjects than / have now. One grows
humber as one grows older, and much less
sure OF things.
Two strains of blood meet in my spir-
itual as well as in my physical nature.
French catholicism is on one side, New
England unitarianism on the other. From
the one inherit love of forms and SYM
bols and stately ceremonials which make
one-half OF me sympathize with and COM
prehen6by intuition much that the other