The Portland daily press., 1888-11-14
ROBERT ELsMERE.
Rev. Henry Blanchard Lecture on
Cladstone's Critic SIN.

The Rev. Henry Blanchard delivered a
lecture last tvening in the vestry Of the Con-
gross Square church on sir. Gladstone's
criticism of Robert Elsmerc. Instead of the
usual lesson from the Scriptures, AIR. Blan-
chard read selection FROM Robert Elsnere,
in Which the hero OF the st'ly, arhing tie
crisis of his life, makes passionate declara-
tion If his faith in God and Christ, while
abandoning the old belief in Ch.ist as the
God Nan. In beginning the lecture. the
speaker pronounced a glowing ea'asium on
the character and services Of Mr.. Gladstone.
| He was thankful that such man gave time
| and thought to the subject of religion. He
| was an example to be initiated by the states
| men of America. Mr. Blanchard found
| himself in sympathy with Mr.. Gladstone in
some of his statements Of dissent SCI from the
miracles do not happen He seems to
| disDelieye in all the accounts of the So
| called miracles of the New Testament. 1t
| is only reasonable to oppose this position.
| sion of any law. In that sense no mil lie
| ever happens. But there may be operation
| of force, on higher planes, by which the
wonder, or sign, or miracle, occur. For him
self, he could easily believe in most of the
miracles recorded upon the pages of the New
| Testament.
| MIR. Gladstone also justly calls attention to
| the fact that there isa tendency on the part
| of some of the so-called liberals, to ignore
| the awful fact OF sin. But, while agreeing
with the great Englishman thus far, his dis.
| sent from important opinions Is very. strong.
| In minor matters one illustration will Suffice
Mr.. Gladstone complains, on psychological
| grounds, of the suddenness of Elsmere's
| conversion to the new faith. They who
| study the operations of the human mind,
however, often see what seems to be sudden
| changes. There is realm below conscious
ness, as DR.. Brown-SeQuard has shown, in
which mental processes are carried on. Com
| pleted, they are thrown up into the realm
| of consciousness and seem to be Of sudden
| growth. Elsmere's experience at Oxford.
his conversations with Gray, his strong bent
| towards the historical method In the exam
| inaton of the Scriptures-his reading in the
Squire's library, gave ample material to this
| sub consciousness intellectual activity. The
change, psychologically considered, is not
abrupt. Many thinker can tell of changes
which seem, but are not sudden,
Mr.. Gladstone's most emphatic criticism
/ concerns Esmere's disbelief in the duty of
Christ. Mr. Gladstone believes that this
doctrine should be retained, first, on account
| of the general consent of the Christian ages
duced the victories of Christianity-a higher
type of character. and is adapted
to the wants of human nature.
Against each one of these positions Mr..
Blanchard made elaborate aud earnest Dro-
test He said that 1t was not until the fifth
century that the doctrine of the Duty OF
Christ was fully accepted by the Christian
church 1t was not this doctrine, but 9th
ers, which gave victory over Greek and Ro
man opinions. The fatherhood of God, the
brotherhood of man, Immortality. Christ.
temperance after DEATH Christ's speedy
return to the earth, these were the doc
trines which gave power to Christianity
A higher type of character shown by Chris
tian believers was the result of their love
and imitation of the man Christ Jesus.
The speaker wondered how any one wht
| read the gospels could believe in the Deity o.
| Christ. Mr.. Gladstone thinks that the mys
terry of life is largely lighted up by the doc
| trine of an incarnate God, The speaker
could find no reasonableness in such state
ment. The only solution to this great prob
lem is to be found in Uniyersalism. i
teaches that there is one God and Father
sin are necessary for the developement o
man. The only solution that can satisfy the
reason as well as the heart of man is this
the final holiness and happiness Of all man
| kind.
Mr.. Blanchard closed with words of higl
praise-o Mrs. Ward, as one of the servant:
Of God in bringing in the reign of rationa
religion, of Christianity whose Christ is tn
brother of all men, to beloved and honore'
and obeyed
The above is an outline of lecture whicl
Mr.. Blanchard delivered in one hour and
half. There was very large and apprecia
tive audience, and many remained at th
close to congratulate the speaker on the sue
| cess of his lecture