The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-20
BLAVATSKY'S ANACHRONISM.
A Thousand Years Are Nothing
to Her Mind.
REV. p. GRAFT is OPTIMISTIC
Continued Interest Shown In the
Congress of Religions = Rev.
j. Q. A. Henry's Speech.

For the first time since the opening Of
the MIdwinteE Fair religious congress
number of ladies' sat on the platform yes
terday, with the divines and professors
The chairman, Rev. A. G. Hirst, DID,, in
troduced as the first speaker at the after
noon session Mrs. Elizabeth A. Reed, a
distinguished Oriental scholar and late
chairman to the Woman's Congress OF
| Philology at the Midwinter Fair.
The subject of Mrs. Reeds paper was
''Christ not Krishna." and her remarks
| tended to show. in an interesting manner,
the slender grounds upon which some
| Imaginative minds have pretended to dis
cover that the story of Christ of Nazareth
is a legend, based upon most ancien,
myths contained in the Vedss of India.
"At the time these claims were made, :"
said the speaker, "the Vedas had never
been published. When the light of mod
ern scholarship was flashed upon them ii
became evident that their great antiquity
existed only in the Imagination of the
Eindoo and his creduious dupe, the in
fideI."
Mrs Reed then gave some account of
the gods krishna, of whom there are more
than $4,000 in the Indian mytho logy. the
name having been worn by numerous del
fed princes and sages. heroes and adveD-
turers. The somewhat shady life and
ignobie death of Krishna-V aSu-deva was
! narrated. Nine. Blavatsky's attempt to
identify this divinity's career with incl
dents from the life of Christ was secuted
as unscholarly. IF this lady would re-
| member that the story was written about
1915 A d. she would know better who did
the copying. but little anschronisms of &
| thousand years or SO make no difference
to the comprehensive mind of Nine. Bla-
Vatsky." Well-kn0wn Orien talistS were
quoted in support of these statements, and
the speaker concluded by contrasting the
degradation of KIrshna worship with the
simple ethics of Christianity.
Professor E. Ii. Griggs of Stanford Uni
versity spoke upon Christian Ethics"
with the object of proving that beautiful
as they are they are by no means inclusive.
ITO use the term Christian for whatever
peases our fancy in the life aud teaching
of the present time is TO give up the possi-
bllity of truly scientific view of Chris
tian ethics as an historical force. There
are many vital elements in modern life
besides the Christian one. IL is said Chris
tan ethics are absolute, yet we cannot aD-
ply unreservedly these teachings. We
cannot follow out the doctrines OF nOD-Ie-
sistance, etc. So we say these teachings
are 1OT a p6IlcCt VI sOEl6ly, anu
do not apply to ours. How absurd! Ii
they are perfect they apply at once and
forever"
Speaking of the primitive Christians
and of their standard of life, the professor
said: Zone cannot imagin esthem writing a
dramatic poem, or painting picture.
| Their standard was narrow one, though
it presenter the highest side of life. They
preached no gospel OF culture. This
parable of the talent could be interpreted
according to Greek ideas, yet in the text
| ii applied only 10 the Kingdom of heaven.
The Christian ethics are not inclusive,
they revolt against advancement. 1t is
impossible to overrate the Importance of
their emotional appeal; they accepted the
world as failure. and taught that in the
world of the spirit lay peace that passeth
understanding.
M"What we often call modern Christianity
includes tendencies in opposition to print
tive Christianity. II nbalanced by other
principles it would destroy much that we
force-a priceless one-butnot the W Whole"
Rev. P. Graft, president of the Evan
gelical Lutheran Conference, delivered
an address upon Modern Pessimism
and Christianity" that. by its cheerful.
healthy optimism and its practical Ian
guage, created continual applause.
rs life gain or a loss?" asked the pro-
knowledge that no doubt the fling of tn
pessimIst has some ground for justi6ca-
ton. To say that pain is unreal and un-
felt is 10 play trick of word-jugglery.
while in old Hebrew ara Greek and
Roman thought, as we'll as in later days,
pessmism spasmOdically draped nature
and man in the weeds OF mourning, still to
Arthur Schopenhauer. born in DantZic,
1888, belongs the credit of erecting it int
a regular SYSTEM" The life of this sex
FOUNDER of the doctrine of despair and
suicide" was described, and the doctrines
of Christianity, which teaches its follow
ers TO ''Smile at treacherles that otherwise
bring despair" was ably and practically
contrasted with Schopenhauer's gloomy
theories.
A large attendance was present at the
evening session when the first paper was
read by Rev. J. O. A. Henry upon 1.-THE
Immutable Truths of the Bible.
I'VE have" said the sneaker. two
bibles, the book of nature and the book of
scripture. Until we can pocket the stars
and snuff out the sun they will believe in
God. Nature is the Creators immtua BILE
Bible. The revelations of God in nature.
as far as IL extends, is coincident with
what he has made known in his scripture,
hence it may be said with Tyndall that
Christ is as old as nature" The theme oil
the rest of the paper was the unity of nat
ural and educated religion in Christ.
Neither time nor eternity will reveal
anything more perfect than is given US in
Christ. Through him we have access TO
God"
Spiritual Forces In Human Progress"
was the subject of Professor r. r. Lloyd's
paper. which tended 10 show that 1.-THE
spiritual good done to the fallen by Juda-
ism and Christianity cannot be estimated
in any history. The first lesson of Chris
tianity was love, the amelioration of social
classes, the abolition of domestic tyranny,
the recognition of the rights OF children.
The liberation of slaves and the better
ment Of their condition brought labor in o
honor. The Bible has always created a
| literature for the people who possess it,"
| In his paper on THE Church and NUM-
cpal Reform" ID. Gilbert Dexter urged il
upon churches and churchgoers TO take an
interest in municipal reform. us 1t
nothing to you. min ster of the Gospel.
who shall make the laws?" he asked. III
AL the church-going people would vote at
| the next election there would be a radical
change in the government next year. Vote
as you preach and pray"
The service of worship at the synagogue
Emanuel this evening is emphasze d as
being one of the most interesting events OF
| the religious congress.