New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-16

there was species OF sincerity III tnis out LUG Aoes
reveals wondrous trait in human nature. Ihe man.
with his hands yet red with the blood OF reno"
being, could actually feel an abstract admiration OF
that searching precePt which declares tha1 ,he nf7t
emotion Of hatred is murder. Yes, that holy Law
which slew the Apostle when it revealed to him the
.ec-ets of his own heart, is the subject of senti
mental eulogy by convicted Rlurderers and trans
cendental lecturers. Ali Inhdels have admired the
Sermon on the Mount Even Jefferson could pa
tronise some parts Of it, although in others, the
founder of the modern Democracy coolly protested
10 differ from the Founder of Christianity. Some
men have talked about the genius OF Jesus Christ
Such, loo, may affect mere admiration-yes, ad-
rniration unmixed with trembling awe at that two
edged sword which pierces even TO the dividing
asunder of the Soul and the Spirit and is dis
cerner of the thoughts ard ntents Of the heart"
The who can read the Sermon the Mount
without feeling that he is, in MS natural state,
lost and utterly condemned sinner, knows less of
the mysteries of bic own heart than of the secrets
of The centre of the earth.
Among all the strange things in the history OF
our strange fallen race, there is nothing mere
truly wonderful (for we have doubt of Its sin
cerity) THAI this abstract admiration OF men for
that which, when fully understood, sinks them in
utter condemnation. Persons of the most aban-
doned characters will dwell upon the lips Of the
norast-wil applaud his invectives against the
ology, as though they had been the darling off
spring of their brains and hearts-and will
actually feel glow of delight when they hear
description of pure and indebted religion
contrasted with what they have Eeen accustomed
TO include under the unmeaning term sectafiansm.
How common is it To find men of the worst lives,
the sensual the covetous, the ambitious, all join
ing il praise Of practical, and in loud Reproduction
Of what they pleased to style doctrtnal preach
ing. The hard-hearted and hard-fsted worldlins
loves to hear the preacher who will talk about
visiting the fatherless and the widow in their af-
Fiction" Nothing assaiis his conscience from
tnis quarter, because he bndy feels himself fully
competent TO the discharge of this duty, and that
i can be performed at any time, when the press
ing wants of his soul may require 1t. The ambi-
tious and dishonest asPirant after honors will be
melted at description of that humble religion oi
The heart, which is alone between man and bis
Maker-which never speaks OF ITSELF or makes
loud profession before gazing world, but Is ever
occupied in secret acts Of goodness. Oh he
loves 1t, no doubt sincerely loves it; but why is
not his conscience disturbed the representation
All there is the mystery which Mr. Parkers the
ology can never explain. Even the sensualist lust
rocking from the debauch acill forget himself
and hang upon the lips of the transcendental NOR
ast, as he cxpatiates upon the superiority of the
spiritual over the animal nature. All this, he
says, is divine philosophy. He riots in that intel
lectual pride which is the ouly feeling called out
by the description, and which he mistakes for real
goodness of heart He experiences warm glow
Of satisfaction at the thought of the Godlike yet
within him, and will fancy that he feels something
ike true religious emotion when urged " to reve
renee and cultivate his ewn noble nature" These,
IN the language of Mr.. Parker, Z" take to Religion
naturally" and need not the way of the Cross.
" Like men beholdng their faces in the glass, they
go away pleased with themselves, and applauding
the preacher as no bigot, but sensible acho
speaks Just their ewn feelings. The depths of
their nature have not been stirred Conscience
sleeps as long as their ears are not vexed by those
10 gm0tic doctrines of soul-disturbing Theology,
which, revealing their utter ruin, tells them of one
/" who, being in the form of God,' yet laid aside
his Crown, came down to Earth, assumed their
nature, and poured out his blood to them
from the penalty of that condemning Law, in re-
.pect to which they feel no higher emotion than
the vapid admiration of the sentimentalist. 1t is
this alone which breaks up the fountains OF the
great deep of Human Nature, and reveals Man to
himself. ooh! that doctrine Of blood, we once
heard man exclam,-' any thing but that; and
vet it is the preaching Of this doctrine which
alone efectuay disturbs the repose of the slum-
boring sos. The system Of Theology which en-
braces it need never fear the puny attacks which
are often made upon it. 1t contains an element of
power unknown to every scheme of spurious liberal
ism or false philosophy. The simple Methodist
hymn Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Received on Calvary
has broken down more rebellious hearts than all the
Sermons of Charming OF all the Lectures of Euer-
son. Although doctrinal preaching may be hated,
and those who decry it may at times draw admirng
crowds yet still there stands forth the great fact In
the history of the Church,-a fact admitted by
who no friend to the sentiments we have been
advancing that in no places and at times, has
there prevailed purer morality, more good works,
more " visiting of the widows and the fatheress,
than W hen the great doctrine of Justification by
Faith has been boldly preached; and at no times
have life and manners been more dissolute than
under the influence of that preaching which has
the most to say about Morality, to the exclusion
of what are styled the Doctrines of Grace. Let
the moralisng follower Of Epictetus and Seneca
explain the paradox in the best manner he can.
We would wish to say few words more about
this difference between Religion and Theology,
which MIR. Parker leaves undetermined Since
he has given definition, will hazard one:
Theology is the scieace Of truths respecting tie
nature and e0rerament OF God, ard their bear
ing upon the destiny Of Man. Religion is
feeding of the Soul IN relation to those truths.
Thus it might be expressed in the language of
Common Sense, or of old-fashioned Christian Ex-
perieuce. But, to talk more transcendentally,
(Which, perhaps, is proper in review of Mir.
Parker,) all life implies syntagma organ
ization. Spiritual, like physical life, must be the
life of something and as the organization without
the life is dead, SO the life, without some organ
lzation syntagma, of which it is the life, is
sense.
Religion, then is the fe Of which certain truths,