Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-01
Growth Of the Spirit Of Religious
federation.
B.GOTRY GIVING AWAY TO CHARITY
Higher and NobIer Feelings in the
Hearts of Men.
THE PRESENT SITUATION

Written fol- The Evening Star by John Henry Bar
rows LID, President of Oberlin College.
The history of rengious liberty Is long
and glorious record of human striving after
precious and God-given right The he
roes of this noblest freedom do not all be-
long to the nineteenth century. Socrates
died a martyr to intellectual liberty; Jesus
Christ taught principles which involve the
sacred rights Of conscience; Paul exercised
a glorious liberty in preaching the doctrines
which liberate the soul. In the first three
Christian centuries the church, speaking
through Justin Martyr, Tertullian and Lac
tantius, proclaimed the right of every man
to worship according to his convictions.
Constantine put forth the liberation ediet
After the long night of mediaeval intolerance
came the dawn of religious liberty, which
however, did not reach high noon at once
Erasmus fought priestly intolerance; G1or-
dano Bruno was martyr to the rights OF
conscience; the founders of the Dutch re-
public achieved both liberty and liberation
Jeremy Taylor, Milton, Locke, Roger Will
Jams are names not to b.. omitted from the
great story. Cromwell befriended the per-
secuted Jews. The Mohammedan Akbar
was a grand exception to Moslem 1ntoler-
ance. Leasing, in his Nathan the Wise;
Voltaire in his fiercer way. wrought much
for the spirit and practice of liberation
Jefferson and Madison are great names IN
the history which records how the Ameri
can republic established itself on the rock
of religious freedom. Napoleon became, in
a measure, the emancipation Of the Jews.
Liberty of Conscience.
But if we contrast present conditions with
those prevailing in most civilized lands at
the beginning of the century we shall see
that one of the marked features of the last
100 years has been the Wondrous growth
of the idea of liberty of conscience In ar
guing with those who oppose tole. alton,
Prof Bonet-Maury Of the Protestant facul-
ty University Of Paris, in his just pub
lished and very important History of Lib
erty OF Conscience in France From the
Edlct of Nantes to July, 1870, rightly says:
They forget that mems beliefs are the
fruits of liberty, and that the disposition to
impose upon men by force any sort of faith
is to attack the divinity of conscience and
to outrage the majesty of the divine image
which is with-.l US
He has very clearly exposed the errors of
those who fight the rights Of conscience.
Their first error is psychological the no.
ton that philosophical or re.lgious beliefs
depend directly and exclusively on the will;
and secondly. the theological error; the no.
ton that diversity of e..gion is a fault or
a transgression of the divine will.
Meaning of federation.
Most thinking men have come to realize
that federation is word representing
imperfect spirit in regard to the rights of
the human mind. Governments which may
tolerate would seem to reserve the right
to prosecute. 1.-The most despotic govern
ments are tolerant toward subjects who are
too numerous or too useful to be killed or
exiled." But liberation is stepping stone
to liberty No sensible man, acquainted
with the facts, can fail to realize that the
wide growth of liberation is one of the
most important facts of the century. Wher-
ever we look, whether to Russia or to Italy,
to Germany or South Africa, to Great Brit
ain or China, to France or Austria, we be-
hold the area of liberation, and, hence, of
rel gious liberty, widening. In the G-rman
empire the progress of liberation has been
conspicuous, so that, according to DR..
Schaff, the great Teutonic realm lis com
mitted to the principles Of religious liberty
and equality as much the United States,
and can as little interfere with the relig .ous
convictions and the exercise of public wor-
ship. or deny to any citizen his civil or po-
.itical rights on account of his religious
opinions BY the treaty of Westphaia in
1h4S religious equality was granted to the
Catholic and Protestant churches, but, al
though this limited liberation was not ap-
proved by the papacy and, although the
papal syllabus o. 1864 condemns religious
liberation among the eighty heresies of the
age the Catholic Church has widened in
Germany the Tim of its independence. In
the long struggle between Bismarck and the
pope the papacy triumphed, and deserved
to triumph. If we must qualify DR.. Schaff's
contention that Germany is free relig-
lousy as our own country, it would be by
recalling the fact that the JeSuitS were
driven out of German territory in 1872 TIL.
claim is made, however. that this was an
act of self-defense against political agita-
tors.
Progress in Europe.
In Austria the history of religious pro-
gress, beginning in 1913, eliminates with
the law of 1868, which granted full liberty
of religion. but liberty limited to the
churches recognized by the government.
Whether that freedom is enjoyed or not
depends largely on the sentiment of local
authorities. federation and freedom have
still other victories yet to be Won in Austria
in Italy the WaldenseS were emanciDa ted
in that year, 1913 which marks a new era
Of religious progress throughout Europe.
The constitution granted al that memorable
epoch guaranteed the free exercise Of di-
vine worship. Since 1870 the flee Italian
churches and many others have sprung into
life. and a new leaven is working for the
emancipation of the Italian mind. In Spain
religious liberty dates its feeble beginnings
from 1869. Concessions are neutralized by
certain restrictions, for the constitution of
1876 limits the liberty of those who are not
Catholics to woIship in private houses
Switzerland comes nearest to America in
religious freedom. In France the Catholic
Protestant and Jewish churches have been
placed on level before the law. The right
of assembly and teaching is legally unques-
toned, and Protestant missionaries are able
to go everywhere in France and carry on
their Jealous propagandism. But the spirit
Of persecution is not dead in France, as is
shown by the recent fierce agitation against
the Jews, and very large number Of earn
est clericalists are opposed to the free spirit
of the third republic.
Respect for Liberty.
The alphabet of federation is yet to be
learned by some Of the leading ecclesiastics
Of France. who regarded with fierce dis
favor the proposition to hold second con-
gress Of religions in Paris. 1t was their an
tagonism which prevented it's accomplish
ment. And yet Prof. Bonet-M aury sums up
his history with the statements that "since
the edict of tolerance Of Louis XVI, in spite
of some offensive returns to the gloomy
idea of religion in the state, the spirit of
tolerance, or. better. Of respect for liberty
of conscience has grown" violent pro-
cedures by civil powers against individuals
or societies on account of their philosoph-
cal or religious beliefs have become more
and more rare"
In Holland and Scandinavia, even with
church establishments. perfect religious
equality Is enjoyed. And by che treaty of
Berlin, 1873, the Sultans government was
forced to this position that IN no part of
the Ottoman empire shall difference of re-
ligion against any person as a ground for ex-