Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-01


erty Of conscience and all the rights Of
spiritual freedom are enjoyed.
When we look at England itself we ore
compelled to remember that her great act
of religious freedom Is the act Of tolera-
ton Of 1859, and that this was not an edicr
of liberty. Englishmen at that time did not
believe in religious freedom. But inevitably
that act OF federation led to a large enjoy
ment Of the rights of conscience, and dur
ing our century its benefits have been ex-
tended to Unitarians, Catholics and Jews.
The disestablishment of the Church OF
England in ireland was a great step In the
right direction, and with the surely coming
disestablishmeat of the church In Scotland,
Wales and England, the area of liberty will
be enlarged. 1t may be that practically
there is as much spiritual freedom in Great
Britain as in America, but the non-con-
formists are discontinued with their statue
of legal and social inferiority.' and, fur
,hermore, the subsection Of the established
transgression of the law OF liberty estab-
lished by Christ himself.
Missionaries In China.
The area Of federation has been enlarged
by the official action of China in granting
20 the different European nations the right
Of sending Christian missionaries, not only
10 the port Cities but to the interior Of that
vast empire. The Chinese government has
given repeated assurances of its belief that
the doctrines of Christianity and the prae-
tice of them were for good The recent
fanatical uprising of those who hate all
foreign influences will no. permanently d.
minish the area of religious liberty in the
far eas&. No sensible man believes thai
the Christian rations will permit any abr0-
CATION of rights guaranteed by international
treaty.
In Mexico religious tolerance Is a part OF
The new life of that prosperous republic:
and even in South America the rights of
non-Catholic citizens have received new
guarantees, or have been acknowledged for
the first time. in Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru
and elsewhere.
The Home of True Liberty.
America is the great home not so much
of liberation as Of true liberty. In the
United States the government has no au-
thority to interfere with religion. The full
est liberty is possible only where the
church and state are separate. From the
beginning of our organized national life
This separation has prevailed and been the
fundamental law and practice of our cuun-
ry. Here the Jews have had freedom and
have been treated with friendlness never
elsewhere shown to them. America Is the
standing reply to those who believe that
religion needs the support and guidance of
The state. Christian progress in our coun-
try has been more rapid than the progress
Of the populati on, and it is as true today as
when DeTocqueville wrote, that There IS
no country in the whole world in which the
christian religion retains greater influence
over the souls of men than in America
KindIier Feelings.
When complete religious liberty exists,
liberation becomes not a legal but mental
and moral condition. 1t is state Of mind,
and the most remarkable advance has been
in the kindlier feelings between men of
various iaiths and various divisions Of the
same faith. James Grant Allen, in his
Reign of Law" recalls the time in the
last century when Christians used to throw
live snakes into the assemblies of other
Christians of whom they disapproved.
ake-throwing has disappeared. Occa-
sional acts of intolerance occurs, but are
opposed to the almost universal sentiment
of the country. Bigotry or the worship of
ones own opinions, is giving away to
charity. Pulpits are exchanged today by
representatives of various denominations.
Eighty years ago such Interchange was
scarcely known. The Unitarians have ac-
complished large work for the spirit of
true tolerance Men who are pronounced in
their church preferences are pleading wi h
more and more earnestness for the Cooper
alton of denominations. Church comfy is
coming to be a fact. Men are seeing that
Presbyterianism, for example, is much
sn aller than Christianity; that Congrega-
tlonalism is not the holy catholic church
With Christian large mindedness we are
learning to love the virtues and achieve
ments of other denominations The rise of
the Young Mems Christian Associa ton. The
mighty eVangelistic work of President Fin
ney and Mr. Moody, the marvellous growth
of the Christian Endeavor societies, all
have had a powerful influence in promoting
fellowship, and hence, in breaking down
the spirit of intolerance. The next great
step of progress will resemble the political
change which came over our country when
the colonies, having common interests be-
came federated Federation precedes either
! mi finn do Il
ton In many things
A Noble Army.
Those who have contributed to the world
progress in religious liberty during the CEN
fury now Closing are noble army, work.
ing In various ways and in different lands
He who writes the story of the century in
this realm OF progress must tell of James
Madison the chief advocate of the frs,
amendment to the Constitution declaring
that Congress shall make no law respect-
Ing any establishment of religion, or pro-
hibiting the free exercise thereof" He
must tell of the work of Charming, Theo-
dore Parker, Emerson, Lyman Beecher.
Bushnell. Henry Ward Beecher Phillips
Brooks. Charles A. Briggs, Francis f.
Clarke and John Henry Vincent. The his
torian will not forget Max Muller and hi,
great work for comparative religion, and
the humanizing Of the churches in their
attitude toward non-Christian faiths. He
Will tell OF what Gladstone, Macaulay, Ten
nyson and Dean Stanley wrought III Eng
land for the enlargement of menta. fee
dom. Coming to France he will speak of
Madame de Stael. Guizot, Athanase Coque.
rel and Jules Simon. He will not forget
John Frederick Oberlin the model pastor,
the friend Of Catholics and Jews, and the
champion Of love as greater than zeal He
will not forget the Persian sage, the Mos
lem reformer, Bella Allah, who taught his
people that all nations are one and that
all men are brethren, and that the bonds
OF unity should be strengthened between
those of various faiths.
The Congress of Religions.
Probably in no other country than Amer
lea could such congress Of religions have
been held as that which was the browning
feature of the Columbian fair. BY that re-
markable gathering the bounds Of brother
hood and of true liberation were enlarged.
Catholics and Protestants for the first time
in great assembly sat together for seven
teen days in the spirit of fraternity and
kindness. The representatives of the great
non-Christian faiths were treated with per-
feet courtesy, and illustrated the spirit
of courtesy themselves. Many Christians
learned a new lesson, following the teach
ings Of Sir Monier Williams, not to shut
their eyes to any truth or virtue which may
be found In non-Christian characters and
hoc