St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-17
of the Redeemer, upon the new Ielig-
iOuS novel. "RObert Elsmere."

| lOuS novel. Robert ElSmere."
This is not the place to criticise the
book as literary production, tho the
opinion prevails with competen author
| tiles that it is one of the greatest books
| OF recent years. The story is that of a
| young English rector, who, through
| his scientific and historical studies, is
led to doubt the orthodox Christianity
| which he breaches. He is advised to
pray down his doubts, as if prayer ever
| settled a question of historical evil
dence. He is advised to work them
away, as if work could ever settle an
intellectual problem. In spite of all
advice Robert manfully accepts the bat
tie and fights it through. Questions of
fact and evidence are to be adjusted by
the intellect. The history, the reason
ing, the scientific opinions of those who
wrote our Bible, for example, are to be
subjected to the same intellectual tests
that any other documents have to
stand. Let no man cancel his rea-
son in dealing with them. The most
trying period of any ones life is
that time in which he is called upon to
part with cherished religious ideas. The
associations of many years-the most
sacred associations of life-are tWined
around them, and are broken and
Va oioNb 90 NliOO nhNh UbSAl CUP
porting tree goes down beneath the
Gghtning'S shock. But what can he do?
There is voice within his soul more
commanding than any voice OF friend
ship. He findS out what Jesus meant
by forsaking friends to become his dis
ciples. 1t was not desertion but sepa-
ration in thought. Elsmere had been
warned, as many to-day are warned,
that to leave orthodoxy meant moral
deterioration. But, friends who were
deeply reverent and morally strong,
came to mind and refuted the CHASTITY
SANDER. Elsmere's strong religious
nature asserted itself and worked its
way to other foundations. His thought
of God enlarged. 1t broke from its old
limits to develop. into some
thing greater-as bird breaks from
its shell and finally goes soaring
and singing to the very gate of heaven.
Science showed him God in nature as
he had never seen him before. History
showed God in other religions, and that
Christianity had no monopoly of the
Divine. The crisis through which he
passed revealed God in His own life.
How often we are told that in our views
of Christ we must regard Him as ''GOd
or an i'm postor." Elsmere did not find
himself obliged to take the miserable
alternative. 'What scOrn the heart,
the intellect threw upon itr' The ira
ditional views of Christ were given up.
He came to see that God was in Him in
larger measure, but not otherwise in
kind than in the rest of His children.
saying: "God was in Me, and the cOur-
age, the patience, the love He gave Me;
the scenes of the poor human life He
inspired have become by His will the
worlds eternal leSSOn-man'S primer of
Divine things" Thought and work,
care and labor for others, at last bring
Elsmere to the brink of death. His
wife had hoped that at this solemn
hour he would see that he
had been mistaken and return to
the fold. 1t has been said so often that
other principles would do to live by, but
that only orthodoxy would serve in
death. But the convictions by which
he had lived were the rod and staff that
comfOrted him in death. He died as he
had lived, brave and honest man, be-
lieving that the eternal Goodness which
keeps us here will not fail us when we
pass beyond. Whatever any one may
think of the conclusions Elsmere
reached, the lessons of his honesty. his
respect for reason, his resolution to face
his doubts will remain to benefit us all.
The spectacle of great soul, wrestling
with such problems as those of Elsmere,
refusing to blind the eyes of his
understanding through fear of con-
sequences, is one that must put courage
into many feeble heart. 1t is best to
know the truth at any cost. To the
man who is resolute and sincere, who
carries in his heart reverence for all that
is great and holy, the breaking up of
his traditional beliefs will only be like
the breaking of the ice in the streams
when the spring sun comes out in the
heavens, that the streams of reverence
and love may flow in larger and less
channels