CHRISTIANITY OR HEATHENISM!

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 24, 4 October 1889, Page 13

CHRISTIANITY OR HEATHENISM !

(Brooklyn CatMio Revisiv.)

" Estoric Buddhism " is the name by which the new " cslt " of heathenism is called. Under the leadership of certain teachers, wbo are supposed to live in tbe far East, the secret religion of Bakya Muni, the Buddha, has been discovered, at least this is the belief of its devotees. Hidden for many ages from the sight of the world, tbe lamp of pure religion, so they Bay, has been kept burning by the Buddhist priests, although the masses have been grovelling in darkness and superstition. In Paris the worship has been established, and daily tho gong sounds for the believers in Buddha to assemble. The priests, in gorgeous yellow robee, chant, and the rites of heathenism are performed with imposing ceremony. Not alone in Pane, but in America also, we hear of followers of heathenism. Elwin Arnold's influence and writing have given an interest to the study of Eastern religions ; be has, in fact, magnified them to such a degrea that Christianity seems to take a secondary place compared with them. It is not surprising, then, after the interest which " The Light of Asia " excited to learn of Buddhists being in tbe City of Culture, Arianism, Unitarianism, defeated Prohibition, and finally heathenism. We are told tbat families of culture and social position have openly avowed them9elves believers in Buddhism. Ghost of Cotton Mathei I With what pleasure would that champion of New England orthodoxy light up the fires of Salem were be on tbe scene again 1

Apropos to the same subject, we learn that the Unitarians have sent a missionary to Japan, who is to unite with them in the native religion. In ooe thin^ we can agree with them : They boldly say that heathenism is as good as Christianity. As Unitarianism is meant by Chii9tianity, we fully agree with them. We do not say this iv any depreciating sense, but in the sense that they themselves look at it, that b )th are alike as far as belief in God is concerned. Neither believes in the Christian revelation.

Iv the comments of the religious press upon the subject, we eaem to detect a consciousness on the part of our Protestant neighbours that, although tha conclusion is wrong, it is extremely bard to pick flaws in the argument. But why should not the Unitarian unite with the raligion of Japan? They agree practically in everything. We give theru great cridit for being houest and logical — the only sect which is logical. But we think that the Protestant editors have the same thought at heart, if they would express it, which impresses us. What is this leaning of a Christian people towards heathenism but the natural result of doubt ? And what is this doubt but the result of that break* ing away from lawful authority ; " the emancipation of reason" it has been called, more properly it was the emancipation of the passions and the perverse human will from the salutary restraints of relig.on, which is called the Reformation ? It did not seem that to deny the authority of the Church must necessarily end in total rejection of Revelation, but after generations carried it still further, and Unitarian ism is the result. So, likewise, to refuse the honour due to the Mother of Christ did not seem to imply a denial of His divinity, but it was the first step, and tbe rest soon followed. There is no middle grounJ. If tha Church ia not the iifallible jndge, then we can never of ourselves find the truth No sound philosopher will claim tnat uuaidod reason is an infallible guide. Wo know too well tbat a syitetu of theology built up upon the Bible interpreted by private judgment is unstable and is no absolute guide.

And so it is the irresistible conclusion, if we admit for a moment that the Ohnrch fell into error, as must be done to justify the existence of Protestantism, that for ua there is no revelation of the truth.

Doubt has done its work and brought forth its fruits. We see with what foresight the Church has ever dealt with doubt as tie greatest enemy to religion, The chmges which are taking place about us in tbe many denominations would be aUrminer did we not B«e in the breaking up of old thing* an opportunity for the new, that which is new to many, but in reality the faith of the ages. We see less and less of positive Christianity every year. The question is fairly before us : either we must take our stand on the side of historic and Catholic Christianity or on the side of heathenism— infallibility or unbelief.