The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-17

agery of their SeerS, nave become part
of nv life But, when I went to the
great cities OF India, the Pilgrim sites,
to which throng every year millions OF
those who profess to follow the faith
of the men who wrote those books, and
mingled with the vast procession of
worshipers at the shrines sacred to the
deistics. whose praises are sung by the
Hindoo poets; then, alas! the contrast
between the real and the ideal was
heart breaking! In all those teeming
myriads of worshipers not one man,
not even one woman, seemed to enter
tain the shadow of conception Of
anything moral or spiritual or religious,
or even NEUROLOGICAL in their ancient
creed Not one glimmer of the great
thoughts of their poets and sages light
ened their darkened temples. To all
of them, the great false god which they
worshiped Ca hulk Of roughly carved
wood or stone) appeared to be the au-
thentic presentiment of some terrible
demon. or invisible power who would
treat them. cruelty If they did not give
him some melted butter OF religion,
in a. spiritual sense, there is none. If
you wish for religion, you will not find
it in -Brahminism."
Here and there under heathenism,
glorious. character, such as Socrates.
may be found, with his pure and high
morality; or a Marcus Aurelius. whose
character for gentleness and benevO-
lence, and whose love of mankind
makes him stand out in bold relief as
among the, greatest and noblest OF
heathens; or an Epictetus, whose moral
philosophy still commands widespread
attention. These, however, were the
rare and exalted exceptions. The av-
erage men and women living under
heather influences, were low and de-
graded in their thoughts, and their hab-
it's of life were filled with the love Of
animalism, rather than with the spirit
of morality and righteousness. To ap-
preciate the high value of Christian
civilization we need but compare the
very few names that stand for moral
ity and righteousness which have come
out of the thousands of years of heath
endom with the myriads of names that
stand for the highest morality and
righteousness, and that belong to this
century alone. Think of such names
as Herbert Spencer, Darwin, Mathew
Arnold, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln,
Gladstone, Emerson, Longfellow, Pea
body, Peter Cooper, George w. Childs,
Tennyson, Whittier, Bryant, Lowell,
Holmes, Claiming, James Freeman
Clarke, Grant, Max Mueller. Humboldt,
Aggasiz, Ruskin, Phillips Brooks, Starr
King. Think of these, and the myriads
| of others whose lives were open books,
whose achievements as soldiers, states
men, poets. authors, philosophers. sci
entists philanthropists, preachers and
teachers, have left a deep imprint on
their own generation and on untold
generations to follow. Remember that
these were not only men of deeds, but
men filled with high and exalted
thoughts and ideals, whose intense love
for humanity led them to give the best
| that was within them for the benefit
and for the welfare of mankind The
few names mentioned are but as Cap
tains of armies of men and women ded-
icated during this one century to high
thinking and pure living. True, that
some Of these are looked upon by the
orthodox Christian church as dissenters
or non believers, but all of them were,
nevertheless reared under Christian in
f1uence, and to Christianity and to its
spirit is largely due the moral power
these noble characters have sent forth.
If you were to ask the most pro-
nounced atheist or the keenest enemy
of Christianity whether he would rather
live and rear his children under heath
enish influences such as existed before
the Christian era, or under the Chris
tian influence which prevades to-day,
what, think you, would be his answer?
Unless blinded by ignorance or unthink-
ing prejudice, you may rest assured
that he would look upon it as a mis-
fortune to him and his, if he were de-
MED the privilege of living under an
enlightened Christian civilization and
forced to exist and to rear his young.
surrounded by even the highest form of
heathenism
II men and women are purer to-day
than in the dark days of the past: if
animalism has been replaced by spirit
uality, and immortality by virtue, and
idolatry by goodness; if man has not
only been brought nearer to man, but
also nearer to God; if the world to-day
is better than the world of the past. no
little of all this is due to Christian
thought and to Christian effort. Mod
ern civilization owes a debt to Chris
tianity which it can never repay. The
inspired Christian men and women who
have labored, and who are laboring. for
the upbuilding and the uplifting of the
human family, belong to civilizations
great benefactors, and the world has
been made better and nobler for their
having lived in it,
But whence came this inspiration
that has led the descendants of the saw
age Huns who lived on roots and half
raw flesh of any animal? What has
led the descendants of the barbaric
Goths and Vandals, who drank mead
out Of the skulls Of their enemies. and
who adcred the sun, moon and fire as
deities? or the descendants of the pi-
ratical man hunting and cruelty feroci-
Gus Anglo-Saxon, to become gentle.
kindly, moral. Godfearing Christian
men and women? Need it be said that
1t was due to the influence of the teach.
ings ito do justice, to love mercy and
to walk humbly before God" the teach
ings to love thy neighbor as thysalf.
and to do to others as you would have
others do unto YOU
But whence did the Christian get
these teachings, to the spreading of
which he gave his heart, his mind and
his soul? Need it be- stated that all
these noble and uplifting thoughts
came to the Christian from the great
book of books. the Jewish Bible?
When the Christian missionary went
among the heathen and the pagan. the
Frank and the Hun, the Goth and the
Vandal, to lead them from heathenism