The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-17

e Rainbow.
q know
Thou art the path to Heaven.
Wellesley. Mass.
DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT
} Sir Edwin Arnold, author of "Th
, Light of Asia" recently addressed
I Boston audience a. Harvard College
2 President Eliot presiding. As nigh
have been anticipated. the lecture wa
{ eulcglstic of Hindoo religious litera
cure, the subject being the "Philoso
: ply of the Upani-Shads. - In the brie
p report that was printed, it il easy t
b discern the spirit which is ready to ex
alt heather writings above the Word o
God. Numbers Of accomplished men
With great learning and wide sympa
thies. have made the reading worc
familiar with the fundamental ideas
Of the great HIndoo religions
Knowing well their charac teristic fea
lures aud influences. it is strange that
a man Of culture should appear to turn
his back upon the Light Of the World
to worship the Light of Asia" But it
is much stranger that an audience in
old Cambridge. surrounded by the me-
MORALS Of the Puritans, should applaud
A sentiment that was an insult to their
intelligence. a scoff at their best inheri-
lance. and a SANDER upon their noblest
ancestry. Thus spake the lecturer:
LAS for the shade in the Hindoo sys-
tenn. love the gloom better than the
Calvanistic sunshine" Loud Ap.
pause If tbs means anything. il
means that the poet thinks the worst Of
Buddhism better than the best Of Cal
vinism.
lie spoke at the Intellectual centre Of
a Commonwealth that was founded and
made glorious by Calvinisis. The May
forer was freighted with Calyinists.
They planted the seed of this areat gov
ernment. They reared the generation
that maintained its struggle for indie
pendence. They established the schools
and universities which have delivered
the land from ignorance and supersii-
ton.
1t is interesting in this connection %
recall some testimonies from those who
were not Cllvinists, bat who would not
have applsuded oLe who mentioned
Calynism with sueer. Rluke the
historian. says: I'VE may consider Cal
via as the founder of the Free States If
America. Il was his doctrines which
shaped the men who left home and
country IL order to preserve their re-
ligious freedom in the wilds Of Amer
lea.
David Hume said 80 absolute was
the authority Of the Crown that the
precious spark Of liberty had been
kindied and was preserved by the Puri-
tans alone;an it was to this sect the
English owe the whole freedom Of their
Constitution.
The learned Sismondi said: Geneva
has been the champion Of double lib
erty. civil ani religious: OF English I
liberty. wise and powerful at the same
time; progressive yet conservative. "
James Anthony Fr0uie says: Calvin /
ism is the spirit which rises in revolt
against uutruth the spirit which has
appeared and reappeated. and will re-
appear again unless God be delu-ion /
and man as the beasts that perish
Calvnism has borne ever an
infiexible front to illusion and men +
daclty. and has preferred rather to be 1
ground to powder like flint, than to .
DeDd before violence, or to melt under |
enervating temptation.
Our great American historian, George
Bancroft, draws this conclusion from /
his study of our history : He that will .
not honor the memory and respect the
influence Of John Calvin. knows LILLE
of the origin of American liberty
These are but few of the many iesti-
monies from eminent sources that have
been given to tee character and iuilu-
euce Of that religious teaching which
is known as Calvahism. But this Eng
lishman who owes the rights and privi-
leges he enjoys to the constitutional
which was the work of
Calvinistic ministers and statesmen. has
nothing more important to say 10
Boston audience thea that he loves. the
gloom of the Hindoo system better than
the sunshine of Calvinism. Because 1t
tickes their palate who have no taste
for the serious truths suggested by the
word. they welcome the remark with
demonstrations of approval.
In this spirit of blind adulation of the
Hindoo. the lecturer again remarks:
ia ludia. with It's two hundred mil
lions OF Inhabitants. there never occurs
a marriage OF inclination. Yet there
are more happy homes. more pure do
mestic relations, than in any other part
Of the word"
Did the Boston audieIce bumbly ac-
cept this as truth % be accepted and |
app OVID. We have before u, mas
terly work b. a native Hinloo. whose |
intellectual gifts aud cultivation are
not inferior 10 Nc Arn1lds. HIS
vo ume is entitled "Hindoos as The,
Arr, ~ Sahib ChuD ier Bose. On the
s,stem OF caste, he slys: The dlstinc-
IioL of caste is woven into the very tex
ture OF HindoD society. IL whatever |
light it is considered. rehgiously: moral
Iy or socially. 1t must be admitted thal
this abnormal system IS cilcIlated 10 /
the ignorance aud degrade /