St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-14
ANCIENT FAITH DEFENDED.
Rev. William Wilkinson Finds
Truth in Buddhism and Moham-

mechanism.
1t was an interested congregation of
worshipers yesterday morning, which,
at st. Andrews church, heard the rec
tor discourse upon Ancient Religions"
He said:
Sir Edwin Arnold, in the preface to
one of his charming books. says. Flow
ers, please, whatever their name and
country" We may vary that sweet
phrase and say, "Give US truths, please,
no matter what their form, or from what
religion they are taken" We are
far too narrow. and make false
limits of our own in the heritage of
God. 1t is not Tor us to say we are the
people; that in the mental laboratory
we have found the philosophers stone
which turns all into truth, or that III all
the past, before Christian times or in
Jewish lands. the Deity had no word of
direction or cheer for longing hearts.
So to speak or so to think is not to mag
nify the Lord: it is to bring him into dis
respect as being caprciOus, partial and
to make him respector of persons. 1t
is not long since men of culture began
to think seriously about Oriental re-
liglons. Fifty years ago there was
scarcely a man in EngliSh-speaking
Europe who had any profound knowl-
edge of them. heard in my youthful
DAYS Rev. DR.. Legge. of Oxford,
speak. He had lived in Hong
Kong more than thirty years,
had published standard books
which had entered into tie spirit of
Buddhism and confucianisnl, and
brought to many mems notice the fact
of these mighty religions. having deep
principles, which are capable of infiu-
encing thoughtful men. His speech
made very deep impression. 1t is not
for us, who can know so little about
them, to condemn. root and branch,
systems which have commanded
the respect in life and given
comfort in death-men of the highest
integrity and clearest mental vision.
who have for ages held the respect
and love OF half the people OF the world,
as the different forms OF the Oriental
religions 10 to this day. Beside. there
is no surmise. in present conditions OF
creed. faith and conduct. in our Chris
tan lands. that Christianity would ma
terially change many OF the tenets held
by those whom many men, who know
no better, are pleased to denouuce as
heathenS.
In any religion which is to command
and keep the attention of multitudes
there must be large foundation of, not
only truth, but what is far more lmpor-
tant, useful truth. All truth is not
available for service every day i'll the
week. If now, as in all the ages since
long before the Christian religion. we
could see what the great prophet
of India, the true founder of Buddhism.
ia ught, we should find that it is not
speculative philosophy, but present
reality, and its adaptation to many
forms of human experience, i'll JOY OF
sorrow, is seen in this: There are over
100000. 900 persons who pay homage at
its shrine and who hold its faith. This IS
not built on phantom view OF phan-
tom faith. We may say what we like
about the many accretions to 1T which
have been made and increased by
mains that If it had not supplied felt
wants it must have been discarded long
ago.
If we look at Mohammedanism we
shall be confronted with like facts. If
we read what men who can judge justly
say about all varieties of these faiths,
we shall be struck with the fact that, on
many lines, the Orientals are as likely
to make converts of our cultivated men
as we are to change the views of the
So called heather. Arnold writes i'll a
strain which would make one
think that he Is half con-
vert, for he says that Buddhism
as taught by its founder was the proud
est assertion ever made of human lib
erty; that it has the universally of
hope, the Immortality of a boundless
love, an indestructible faith in final
good. Max Muller speaks of it in terms
of respect. Even clergymen like Leigh
ton Parks grow eloquent in its praise.
In all forms of faith which come to us
from this land of the sun. under what
ever name, God is prominent, and the
unseen real. If today we could be at
sunset near mosque, we could hear
from the minarets criers call men to
prayers. inviting them to remember God
is great; that salvation is to be had, and
also that Mohammed is His prophet. Ii
we studied the systems OF an