Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1892-01-31
BETTER OR WORSE?
REV. DR.. COLLYER, THE NEW YORK
DIVINE, TALKS ABOUT HUMANITY.
He Says That mt No Time Has the Desire
for knowledge of Christianity Been So
Great as 1t Is Now-In His Opinion
Creeds DO Not Count, but G Goodness Does.
Especial Correspondence

Great as 1t Is Now-In His Opinion
Crecds DO Not Count, but odlinoss Does.
Especial Correspondence
New YORK, Dec. 3l.-A question Of
abiding 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 selfishness?
Which is the winning side?
Rev. Robert Collyer, in answer to
questions l put to him, said:
81 think that at no time Of my life
have l 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
Mt 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-'The 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 1000 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 rs 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 " the Holy Ghost,
the needless world has never lost but
the people ase listsaains sell fsa tho same
accents, and are asger ~ hear them and
to blend them with those of tho old time.
al have no doubt that the wider dis
semination of 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 20 care less and less about
doctrinal differences and distinctions.
81 never find a 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 Utmost heart of
Jesus"
what are your views with reference
| TO missionsy
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 a
large number of persons had rushed
| through the streets shouting 'Firef
'Firer 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
q 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 1t
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
a 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 It's
friends, and they subscribed what to
him would be great sum of money as
a 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 a
well 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 nc
more That man would not have 10
stand outside the Christian pale if he
could not accept the Christian faith or
dogma.
II said to n missionary who had been
| many wears in EVypt a rood presbyte.