Travel, they say, frees men from their prejudices. The more they see of
the wonders of other countries, and of the manners of other nations, the
more moderate becomes their estimate of the marvels, and of some of the
views and customs of their native land. And it is certain that the more
a man travels through good books by men of different Churches from his
own, the less important will some of the peculiarities of his own
denomination appear. As ignorance of the world is favorable to blind
patriotism and home idolatry, so ignorance of Churches, and systems, and
literatures different from our own, is favorable to bigotry and
sectarianism. And as free and extended intercourse with foreign nations
tends to enlarge and liberalize the mind; so the more extensive a
Christian's acquaintance is with different branches of the Church, and
with their customs, and writings, and manners, the more likely will his
sectarian bigotry and intolerance be to give place to liberal views and
to Christian moderation and charity.
But just in proportion as he becomes the subject of this blessed
transformation, will he be regarded with suspicion and dread by those
who still remain the slaves of ignorance and bigotry.
It was so in my case. I travelled through extensive regions of religious
literature different from that of my own Church, and I did so with an
earnest desire to learn what was true and good in all.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134