The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-04
Lspecial Correspondonce.l

Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Dec. 31.-A question of
tbiding interest, frequently discussed by
thoughtful men and women, is whether
the world in its religious aspects is
standing still, growing better or retro
grading.
In scientific and educational view.
in the field of discovery and exploration,
in the domain of mechanism, the arts,
commerce, and all industries, results are
palpable. We can see and touch them.
But what amid the boundless activity of
the age that has supplied our outward
wants has been the progress of spiritual
life? How wages the war between
Christianity and crime and selishnessr
Which is the winning side?
Rev. Robert Collyer, in answer to
questions put to him, said:
81 think that at no time Of my life
have / observed such deep and abiding
| interest in religion as notice now. So
| far as it turns on the words of Christ,
'Ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free there never has
been so eager and devouring an anxiety
with reference to the Christian faith as
at the present time. People everywhere
are reading and thinking and trying to
make up their minds about what Chris
tianity means, no matter whether they
are living what is called the Christian
| faith or not.
"Faith in the old axiom that held its
own for long time-sThe Bible and the
Bible only is the religion of the Protes-
tant q think that was Chillingworth's
saying), has been disturbed very rudely
within these fifty years of my observa-
ton, and the Bible is now only one of
the great foundation stones to faith in
God and in all goodness. There is a
growing disposition to welcome truth
from whatever quarter it comes, whether
it falls into harmony with something in
the sacred Scriptures or not; and also to
believe that the new truth of today is as
divine as the old truth of 1900 or 5000
years ago So that all great sacred
truths as we find them and take them to
our hearts are winning an authority and
love among us as deep as that we feel
for the ancient Scriptures.
"When we see an error in the Bible or
statement that cannot be verified by
the standards Of truth we hold now, we
say SO without fear and without reproach.
The foundations of religion, there
fore, are much broader than they were
when the axiom was accepted. Emerson
said that 'One accent of the Holy Ghost,
the needless world has never lost but
the people are listening still for the same
accents, and are eager to hear them and
to blend them with those of the old time.
81. have no doubt that the wider dis
semination of a true Christian literature
must have that outcome, but naturally
| question whether good deal that goes
under the name has perfect right to it.
At the same time it is to be said for all
the churches and denominations, that
they are trying to get nearer to the heart
| of Christ; to understand his life and
mission and to care less and less about
doctrinal differences and distinctions.
81 never find man, a good, true man,
even though he is not ready to accept
the Christian faith, who is not ready to
confess that pure goodness is the root of
the noblest life; not genius, but good
ness; and that is the inmost heart of
Jesus"
"What are your views with reference
TO nissions?"
81 am used to say that do not think
SO much of the missions to the heather
as the great majority of men and women
do who make such splendid sacrifices for
them, because | think they are founded
on false alarm. 1t seems to me as if
large number of persons had rushed
through the streets shouting 'Firer
'Firep only to find there was no such
fire when they reached the spot. But SO
far as Christianity can rescue the heather
from the hell upon earth in which so
many of them live, and can lift them
| out of their degradation and misery into
| a nobler and truer life, | believe in
Christian missions with all my heart.
That is what they are doing more and
more. They are more and more dis
posed, as / think, to let the old cruel
alarm that if the heathens are not res
cued from their heathenism in this life,
there is nothing but eternal damnation
for them in the life to come, go down
the wind, and am glad of it.
christianity, as it will be when it
has outgrown its limitations and dog
mas, will win the world, but it will take
into full fellowship the old fakir /
heard of in India in the time of the great
Sepoy rebellion, who found an English
child alive in the thick of the carnage OF
town-the only living thing. He took
it in his arms and made for the nearest
English post, defending it by the way
until he was sorely wounded. When he
reached his destination and carried the
child in and laid it down before its
friends, and they subscribed what to
him would be great sum of money as
reward for his bravery, he said he
wanted none. But he added that when
peace should come again over the land
they might take the money and make
we'll at a certain place, if that pleased
them, in order that the weary, wayworn
traveller might be refreshed, and then he
went his way and they saw him no
more. That man would not have to