New-York tribune., 1842-01-20

y
PHILOSOPHY OF the influences through which Sae
Human Race has emerged from baroaEisi'' Il
,ssu1sd ha, the earliest state OF cvcsy astion OF
rib. k,,owa To the reliable annals Of the Race y
ina. OF savageness and wild independence F" ne
,h.r -hsrs was indeed an earlier civilization than
,7iS-,bs Cvc!osean-thc Golden Age Of the poets
-a.-some traditions di,ny assert, Is at bcs, =
doubtful speculation. and in no respect important
70 the present investigation. Enough tbs; the re-
l;abs ,orcs o.. every tribe or people carry US back
:, ner;o5 Of unr.iascd 5arbaris,n and there leave
.n.. How Man has progressed tron, that state 70
nj. o-ssen, Intellectual. Moral, and Physica! con.
cii,ion. Is the theme ni our present inquiry.
The sarIies; form of Civilization which History
makes known 10 us is the Saccrdota. he friest-
boe; are It's au,hars and ministers. The Priest
hood in lis primitive purity, comprises those Woo
by SUPERIOR wisdom know sc ard lore are i.Ie"
- be The instructors and elevators OF their N'nd
ideas of the Supernatural, the Invisible 'hH Yer
milne first arrest the attention OF the roaming say
noe Of the wilderness; around the altar the t!fst
err, # Civilization are dcvconed the lessons
of Arr. OF Peace. of Social Life untold themselves
Such was the origin of Civilization in Egypt. IN In
ciia. in Peru and Mexico. In the form Of GoTern-
.,en the Institutions habits and ideas Of the peo-
pic. the sacerdota e!enspt predonliaant and the
Priests, so long as they retain their primitive wis.
dom aad virtue, are the teachers, pcacc.makers,
magistrates and rulers Of the nations they have
formed. In process o; time the Ideal OF this or
der has been realized; the Priesthood becomes
corrupt, indolent and pcweress: Society has grown
UP 10 their standard and established higher; ana
now the Civilization evolved BY the sacerdocy,
becoming cranpcd BY its limitations, rcyolts anu
wars successfully against them. The highest torn
OF this order is tho Hebrew.
The next form OF Civilization is the Political, OF
which Greece and Rome furnish the most striking
examples They are evolved from, the former, but
present strong contrast 10 it. In the former, lie
lisien is the paramount idea; the latter the
State In either the Individual is nothing. "a an
individual he hes no rights, no responsibilities
He is never called 10 deliberate. to decide; the eN-
tent OF his sphere is to obey. In ore. the CON-
lnands of the Gods as conveyed BY the priests III
the other the interest OF the State overrues all be-
side La the one tie State is the creature OF lie
!igiun in the other, Religion is the creature OF the
Statc-a convenient machine for REFRESHING turbu-
lencc and keeping the populacc in order. Ia this
its ceremonies are prescribed--its ministers arc
appointed by the S,a,c-are the tools of the State.
But the citizen has no inherent rights-no recos-
nized liberties. He cannot say to his rulers, This
is my inelieaablc right-you havs no just pocer to
take it from me = The veriest sert OF the knssa
Autocrat has greater lmmunites now#thhn the
proudest citizen of Rome in her glory
The third form of Civilization which the world
has developed is Christian. This destroys nothing
valuable, but fuhls end is the complement of all
the good contained in the preceding. 1t develepes
and establishes the idea of the sacredncss and re-
sponsiblity of the individual. The Church has
still its sphere of influence so has the State but
beyond these the more perfect order acknowledges
and respects the sphere of Man-hs rights, ms
duties, hi, responsibilities as an individual nc
Iiriously considered the Christian order exceis IN
making that general which was before particular.
The Hebrew has learned that nc must love his
nciglbor as himself; Christ teaches HIM that his
oeiyhbots are all whom he has power TO benefit
The Hebrew knows that God is Oae---ls supreme
" holy. wise and gooi-to the Hebrews Christ
,.o,.Lc. him thar rs hr il 10 the Hebrews, 50 he Is
to ali mankind.
For fifteen centuries the Church was the great'n-
s,rment of God in carrying forward the Human
Race. Our Protestant historians have m'seo Us
in representing the Church as bcnished, corrupt
tyrannical through great part OF that PERIOD
II could never have welded prod ous an lnill-
cncc If it had not been superior in wisdom and
virtue to the world around it. II long retained it,
power. because that power was generally exertcd
on the side of Justice and Humanity against the
proiligate and the oppressor When [ read, said
Mr. B., Of an English Henry compelled 10 make
pcni,cn,ia pilgrimage TO the tomb OF Thomas a
Beckett; of German Henry shivering for days at
the closed doors of the Vatican; OF Frederick
Batbavossa compelled to yield his neck to the boot
OF a Pope thank God that there power in
the earth before which those naughty tyrants and
oppres.ors were compelled ts crouch and trernbIe.
For ages the Church was the only sanctuary of the
People rights-lhe only shield OF the many against
the robbers and despot5 OF the cudal era IN pro-
cess OF time the Church waved; the People be-
came more enlightened and more free; a Luther
was required, and Luther appeared. Since that
time the Church has heen comparatively power
less But Professionalism, as such, can never be
what the Church in rs purity and energy has been
it needs not its thousand warning, wranglins, null
tiplying sects to teach US this-for protest is
ncgation and it is only by affirmation TINT the world
is moved or warmed or regencrated. Thousands
now find themselves cranped, imprisoned By The
party walls of their sects and crecds. The Church
o.; the Future must be of aspirations, symPa-
!