| Show abbott ON EDUCATION the position occupied by rev lyman abbott of brooklyn makes him a very important import alit personage in the sectarian world not only as a preacher but as an editor also he is to the congregational church of america what dr parker of london is to that denomination in england from his pulpit and through the columns of the christian union he gives forth his liberal ideas and doctrines doctrin esi exercising a perceptible influence over the minds of his co laborers his hearers and his readers he was assistant pastor of plymouth church brooklyn at the death of henry ward beecher and shortly after this event he was selected to fill the vacancy occasioned by mr echers beechers Be demise although well known before this promotion it added more to his growing fame which app apparently apparent arend is s still increasing today to day he is bitely widely quoted by his bis sympathizers and is much admired for his advanced thought for one evening last week his ere sence was secured by the students lecture association of the university of michigan on which occasion he lectured on the democracy of learning 11 nearly three thousand critical students confronted him all eager to hear bear his utterances but perverse enough to reject them if materially opposed to their ideas entering upon the platform his not n ot prepossessing appearance did not inspire his audience he is about 5 feet 9 inches in height slender with exceptionally small legs and rather large feet his hair dark and streaked with iron hangs from a small round head in a long wave over his coat collar the iron gr gray a y in his ill kept beard is rapidly cha changing in g to the the honored color of age his f forehead d is is a study so high one is is almost led to think him bald it is full and rounding and is alone sufficient to stamp him as a man of character of thought th light of learning set well under this commanding forehead are two of as mild eyes of a grayish tinge as ever portrayed the soul of man they are separated by a large prominent nose that will attract your attention the moment you xou see him this taken in connection with his not too large mouth firm lips eyes and forehead you have a face not seen in thousands not symmetrical tut but beautiful in m its intelligent tenderness his voice tar far from musical has an attractiveness about it well characterized to hold an audience while his gestures are forcible but extremely inappropriate added to this description an ill fitting prince albert which gave him the look of a country farmer in a long tailed coat for the first time and you have some idea of this noted gentleman as he appeared a few days ago but as his audience listened to his thoughtful and eloquent utterances they soon forget his personal appearance and their whole attention is challenged to the subject of discussion on this occasion his prefatory remarks were brief he reached the body of his subject as soon as possible defined real education its objects and its character and gave a comprehensive interpretation of learning not no t learning earning as confined to college walls but learning earning as comprehending life itself here is an outline of his lecture together with a few of his sayings the real object of education is to put learning and life together the constant tendency of man is to idolatry to put the symbol J in the place 0 of f the reality the c crayon r a yon sketch tor for the landscape the chalk mark and call it a line it is my purpose 1 said hei he to show that gud is more than an image that life is more than what we call learning art more than fiction and music something bes besides ides an instrument what is education Is it to grind out s so much greek and latin ors or is there some eal goal to be reached some end in view education du cation begins at the cradle unless before we come here ends somewhere in eler nia 1 I I 1 think A i never neve r we see th the e babe the most helpless of all creation sen frailest fra frai ilso leso delicate that it is fit only for the love of a fond mother we behold the baby girl tending her doll learning her lesson of life or the boy in the parlor preaching to empty chairs preparing himself perhaps to preach to empty pews again we see him at college struggling with the principles and problems of science and philosophy striving to solve the mysteries of the universe sei and contemplating god the ruler and ancl the creator of all things leaving colle college he enters business and practical we lit still progressing still advancing b by his I 1 experiences and the unive universality I 1 y 0 of 31 wisdom the benefit of oem democracy is that we learn leam by the blunders of the many better than by the wisdom of the few the last hundred years have developed more manhood than any other uke like period not because we are smarter than those of other ages but because of the democracy of learning the superior ad vantages ven we possess education i is s to make character it is man building and life carries it on we are not born to be made lawyers doctors or teachers but to be made anad men to prepare for life all education should be be to mould true character the only thing to live for where we are is nothing what we suffer is small matter what we are is the transcend transcendent ant ques tion ion heaven is not heaven if character Is is not carried there mathematics is not alone to make bookkeepers book keepers of us it has a deeper significance we learn from it accuracy that two and two do not sometimes make four but always we learn leam that we are in an exact universe and that gods lawsure laws are not like greek rudesin rules in which the exceptions outnumber the illustrations literature is a gate behind which is human experience the true study of books is to get knowledge of our brother man we look through the eyes of others to see what they have teen seen to learn what they have learned the poet sees what other men fail to see and puts the spark of humanity into his vision history why do we study it not simply to study page after page and repeat it but to trace the progress of humanity from its cradle to manhood we enjoy liberties today won by battles fought on english soil we study art to appreciate the beautiful there is no art so pure as music it ministers to the good the pure the divine it comes streaming to us from other worlds nothing disturbs it if clouds hide it it turns them to glory science is not antagonistic to religion for it helps us to understand it it tells us how to make machinery minister to our lives nature is a book in which great truths are written and science interprets them for us it tells us the meaning of the hieroglyphics and teaches us the unity of the universe some may say science science proclaims that we came from monkeys well for my part I 1 would rather think I 1 sprang from a monkey bhatia than a clay main evott evola asa an n has ended enabled us to see mote more of god I 1 nature and if we would pile all the ables bibles religious works preachers and together and ana burn them leaving t C out scientific man the world would richer dever go 0 back to idolatry for science has doted solved the mysteries and proved there is a god philosophy is not to know the opinion of men on absolute questions or to get acquainted with scholasticism but to learn what are the laws that bind us together in fellowship that give us happiness that teach us virtue that instruct us in manliness and courage scientist assists us in finding gjul the truths of god philosophers t think tj ilik what god has thought before them I 1 the end of all study is to live a nobler lik IN to have more love to be nearer to a living god education is to get at truth creeds are good for nothing if th they do not help us to think democracy of teaming is for men of every race and dime an and is even for the women education is life love and god 1 I the lecturer made a good impression oghig on bifi audience and received quilean quite an ovation at the conclusion of his masterly effort mr abbott was bom in roxbury M mass ass in in dec 1835 in 1853 he graduated from the university ot new york ork city he now studied and practiced law for a few years ears but in 1860 left his profession for ake the ministry he spent edme sometime time in terra haute ind and afterwards became pastor of the new en england land church in new york city alfs ehfe position he resigned in in 1869 and devoted himself to literature and and was connected with harpers Al magazine agazine and the illustrated christian weekly he was next identified with the christian union where he became associated with mr beecher mr abbot has written the iafe ufe of hen henry ward beecher and i is s also alio the author author of several religious works the writer had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman for a few momen moments is at the conclusion of his lecture and was received very cordially indeed he conversed freely aurith during the few moments at his command when en asked his opinion as to the result of the recent heresy trials of drs briggs and smith he promptly replied dil 1 I would not be surprised if it would ultimately have the effect of dividing the presbyterian church dr briggs especially is a man oi of deep and profound found learning and has many Fio followers bi lowers who will undoubtedly sustain him while his opponents are not satisfied with the decision and will not sanction and recognize hi teaching as orthodox how do you consider the teaching of the religious thought of the day will it work to the detriment of modem asked 1 I christianity was the whole drift and tendency of thought hought today is analytical it is searching mankind is not now satisfied with generalities but wants to particularize in reli religion i on as well as science and to have gfa faith ith and belief more definite hence every principle is finely analyzed and is discussed in every conceivable manner ant as christianity is life it will bear investigation no thought and reason can not hurt christianity it will only add to and develop its beauties and its resources SAM A KING ANN ARBOR mich feb 1893 |
