The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-20
A UNIVERSAL RFI1GInN-


opinion will ever all be reconciled, and
that out OF them will grow one broad,
clear, all-embracing faith big enough to
compass all churches and the people Of
all churchesl Such belief was freely
expressed, understand, at the Colum-
bian Congress of Religions"
You have asked me very big
question. Religion is the life Of God
in the soul Of man. Life is film
liable ana the diyersities of soul are
/ beyond all measure. The religious
phenomenon, therefore, whether emo
tional or intellectual whether expressed
IN ritual or creed, in inward experiences
or outward acts of service, whether for
God or man, will be indefinitely varied.
And as education goes on and the indi-
vlduaI IS more developed, those individ-
ual variations of thought, feeling and
action will grow greater rather than less.
But If the intellectual growth of man is
accompanied by an equal spiritual
growth, men will come to see more
and more the unity in the diversity;
and manlfestlng each his own life
IN his own way, will recognize the
same right, differently manifested, in his
fellows. 1t is neither probable that we
ever SHALL nor desirable that we ever
should think and feel alike or express
our thoughts and feelings in the same
forms, and il ever church unity is
DAOdf7hb GOObb ~ WILL DO ny d COnIlllOu
recognition Of the essentials in which we
are one, and readiness to cooperate
with the largest liberty in forms of life.
The spring is one, though the flowers are
infinitely diverse"
OUR TENDENCY IS UPWARD.
But you think the moral tendency of
the age IS generally toward better things,
do you not2''
stNyae U1l,o c-o-o~al 4a.,<4
upward. AT the same time the growth of
man is accompanied with new develop
ments as well as new forms of vice and
crime. To measure the development of
humanity one must consider not only the
reach Of the ages, but the eternal world.
The process of man making is only begun
here Each new generation comes on the
scene TO be emancipated from its animal
nature and about all that we can say of
the general progress of the world is that
each generation starts with little ad
vantage over its predecessor. The world
Is like school; its progress Is measured
in part, indeed, by the general progress of
methods and spirit, but it is measured
mainly by the progress which individuals
make between the primary class and the
day of graduation
DO you agree with those people who
believe that ohurchgoers are learning to
love form more rather than less2''
"Yes; think do"
THE CHURCH IN POLITICS.
''What do you think, DR.. Abbott, about
the recent entry Of the church into poll
tics?"
1T cannot be called recent. Since there
has been a church and since there has
been politics, each has been more or less
interested in the other. We cannot for
get Luther, for instance. Politics, looked
at from religious point Of view and from
truly democratic point of view, is only
a part of the general process of human
development | expect to see politics
growing both better and worse; or rather
the fight between the best and the worst
will, think, become more bitter and
intense. On the one hand we have an
enormous population, who are Just waking
up TO the desirablltty and possibility of
material improvement for themselves.
They see that the government has been
used to promote class interests, and they
| willinstinetiVely unite not to prevent all
| class legislation, but to get special faVors
| for their own class. We have yet to see
the end of universal negro suffrage in
the south, and do not believe that the
| populist movement in the south and west
is mere temporary epidemic ltmeans
that large classes think, and with some
reason, too, that their interests have
been neglected, and that they are willing
now to get a promotion of their interests
without much regard to the welfare of
other classes. If the mechanics, laborers,
miners, etc, ever unite In a similar move
ment, and that is not at all impossible, we
shall have another great eruption of
| political selfishness- And we have long
| had great combinations of wealth cor
rupting the government-municipal state
and natiOnal-for personal ends. On the
Othpp hand fhppa fc n i,1t
ing on the part of honorable men toward
their political duties some movement
toward better political education and
leadership and an unselfSh spirit mani
tested in strenuous agitation for reform,
which is always a healthful sign, even
when the methods are not wise. By the
very audacity of his movement, DR.. Park
hurst has rendered invaluable service to
this community, and to all others, by ex-
ample, in arousing its sleeping conscience
to sense of political responsibility.
THIS IS A RELIGIOUS YEAR.
"Haye you noticed, DR.. Abbott, any
very great increase of church-goers dur
ing the last few monthsl"
81 don't know that l have. Revival
movements have doubtless brought this
about in many churches in this commu-
nifty and Others, and this may or may not
have been due to the financial stringency
Human nature, in time of distress. more
or less naturally feels its own weakness,
and 1t is then inclined to turn, as might a
child turn to its parent, when unable to
lift heavy burden, to the greater power
! above which all men and all women in
nately believe in, although they may not
acknowledge their belief Next Sunday
there will be l0l candidates to unite with
Plymouth church, and l don't think of
one single case traceable to the financial
distress"
DO you believe, DIR. Abbott, that with
the modern increase of liberality of
thoughtiatheism has increased also?"
mo, Atheism is dead. l do not know
OF one real atheist Many people profess
to be agnostics, but many people do many
other silly things"
do you expect material evidences of
God in the future like the miracles of the
pastln
FUTURE MIRACLES.
II will answer that in general way.
consider the resurrection of Jesus Christ
| from the dead as fact better attested
than any other fact Of equally ancient
history. In general, I accept what
are called the miracles in the New
Testament. Some of the Old Tesla
ment miracles 1 consider 50 remote
and uncertain in adaptation that it it
impossible to affirm positively that they
occurred. 1t must be remembered that
| the Bible is made up of the picked ex-