The sun., 1891-07-05
IuxnroAS cHslsrAmrx
r.. ~.xsr,.a Mr.. l1seouesry's view OF
sts Tuture.

A.. .duonted. Intelligent Moslems OF Bonn
o.. = movement toward the organization o
sMohsmmedan mission to the United States
ths object OF which will bsto establish chnrche
there In which tho true doctrines OF Islam vii
hs taught, This mission VIII DO made unde
tbe patronare OF wealthy Mohammednna, ONT
~ vhom has already donated a well-eauippet
s..an,sh,p for tho transportation OF the
.,,sslon ares and their literature. and 1t will be
a.rrisd forward with the purpose OF working
s.rn..t,v and perseveringly to bring to In.
.s,i,g.nt Americans perfect knowledge OF the
.,r. aoctrlnes of Mohammed as we'll as to dis.
al ths srroneous ideas concerning him which
h.xs hssn aoouired from the misstatements and
roisconceptiops OF Christian historians.
ThinL NJ itl While we American Christians
AZ. condesc sndinRly talking about "evangeliz-
Inc tbe beathsn." tho so.callsd heather are
..sr.rIno 10 send missionaries to convert US
Rich and Intelligent men. TOO not Ignorant
s.ns,,c. are fstherlng this movement This
,s,,er n will be readily understood. set me to
.b,nrinp about the future OF American Chris
si.nitv Millions OF people from all parts Of
sh. olobe arc pouring into this country every
d.esde. bringing with them their various po.
iI,icsl, social. and religious ideas ana Gus.
toms What will be the ultimate result
~ this mixing OF races2 The question is
tru,y startling. especially when looked at from
the religious point OF view. II American
christianity could present the solid front to
"heathen" immigration that Roman Chris
t,onity did in the sixth century to tho invasion
of tho northern nations OF Europe. We should
TAI more hopeful Of . conversion OF the in
yadsrs 10 the Christian faith But this is not q
fact On the contrary. American Christianity
n torn into . thousand and one war
ring sects, and tho very foundations OF
dogma arc being hopelessly sapped by
solence and criticism. There 10 NO danger like
Internal danger. There Is nothing more ter
rtbe than domestic discord. II our national
army were not we'll organized and fully
equipped and permeated BY spirit Of patriots
ism 1t were folly to attempt to repel the at
tack Of foreign enemy. So when the forces
Of tho Church are 30 hopslessly divided It 10
impossible to repel o Mohammedan. . Buddh-
fstic, q phlosophic, attack upon its dogmas.
In union alone is there strength. But even
those Churches which profess q desire for
union are taking no practical steps toward It
They arc attempting to unite on dogmatic
basis, forgetting that no dogma can ever be
framed comprehensive enough to embrace all
sections OF Christendom. The fundamental
doctrines OF religion arc differently appre-
bsnded by different minds, and It is utterly
impossible to hope for unity Of belief and
opinion on even the great subjects OF God.
the soul. or tho Scriptures There Is NO
hope for the triumph or even the con-
tinuance Of Christianity in general. and
Of American Christianity In particular.
unless character. not creed. is made the
basis OF Christian fellowship. We want less
Of c.eed but more of trust; less Of ceremony.
but more OF work: loss OF solemnity. but more
Of genial honesty; less OF doctrine. but moro
Of love. And we not only want 1t. but we will
get 1t. As we become moro familiar with other
religions and their institutions. either by their
Importation into this country or from mis-
sionary work In foreign countries or from
schoiayship. institutional and doRmatic
Christianity must decline and be COM
pletely subordinated to moral and spir-
itual Christianity. This 10 certainly not
tho case now. a. the prosecutions for
.heresy" sbundautly prove. Evangelical
Protsstants are as jealous for the defence OF
their dosmas as the in1uisltors. of tho six
tesnth century were for theirs. Their spirit is
the same. and although their methods OF pro-
eedcss are supposed to be more refined they |
80 equally Is excruciatinc. But this state |
OF things cannot last loae. The spread |
OF intelligence must destroy 1t. Lot |
me not DO misunderstood. have
said. NOT that institutional and dogmatlc
Christianity will be destroyed. but that
1t will decline In importance and be subor-
dinated to moral and spiritual Christianity. I
mean that. as Christianity is brought moro
and moro into contact with other religions
here or elsewhere. their dogmas and institu-
and OF comparatively little importance. In
dividuals will be allowed complete liberty of
belief, provided they live righteous lives.
What Is common to all the various rellg-
ions will be extracted from them and
will constitute the one catholic or uni
versal religion. That common element
will be found to be no dogma or set OF dogmas.
but goodness. the perfect development OF mans
mental. moral and spiritual nature.
All who wish TO strive for tho attainment OF
this ideal will be allowed to hold whatever
opinions may seem to him most rational and
credible. and will be received into the church.
Tor. as already emphatically stated. we shall
have church, or. perhaps would better say,
. 'chur hes" TIE radical sksp.ic need not re-
joice over what he may fancy is dissolution OF
nstkutional religion. There may be various
kinds OF churches. but there will surely be
some kind OF churches as long as mans relis-
ous nature exists. that Is for ever. Judging
rom the letter quoted above and the spread OF
Oriental ideas In this country. the assertion
may be ven'ured that the time will como whom
mosques and Buddhist temples
will lit their spires beside Christian cathe.
hrsls ana Mormon temples and Jewish syna-
Eogues. Nor need We doubt that thorough
bred Americans will bs found among the
worshippers In each and all OF these religious
They will not bs na tional
churches existing on American soil. but
American congregations. permeated by
Oriental thought. and they will, be mutually
:oleraut OF each other. As long as Christian.
hohammedan, Buddhist and Jew see that
)ach and all are striving to do Justly. love
mercy. and walk humbly before their chosen n
sod. 90 long will they agree to dis
lEres on matters OF doctrine and
Ceremony But. connnng our atten-
'1on moro strictly to Christianity. we may
% sure that Notwithstanding present bigotry.
no different Christian churches will become
more and more tolerant of each other In mat
ers OF faith and practice. and while they will
lot unite In ono organization. they will unto
y higher spiritual life. Besides. while their
keology will differ In details. It will have cer-