Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-04-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
RONGE.


There are probably few of our readers that
have not heard of RoNGE the German Reform
er. The following translation of a letter to
the Editor of the Democratic Pacyfquc which
we find in the Harbinger, will be read with
interest.
RoNGE AT STUTTGARD.-The Council of
the new German Catholic Church which has
just been held in this city, has given fresh
evidence, to the most incredulous, of the dec
root which the labors of RoNGE have already
struck into the soil of Germany. To tell YOU
Of the homage, the ~ovations which attend the
bold reformer, to recount to you the impress
sion which is produced by his two-edged
words upon all who heard him, would be DIFF
ficult, if not impossible. / will only say that
no man, since the days Of Luther, has been
able so to gain the ear and the heart of the
German people, and that no prince, no con-
queror, no philosopher, has received SO many
testimonies of public respect and admiration
as he.
Nothing can be less true than the aecusa-
ton OF Ignorance hurled against Ronge by the
members of the Catholic Church. If by ig-
norance were meant the absence Of the heaps
Of theological rubbish which have been ac-
cumulated through so many centuries, the
accusation might be fairly sustained. Ronge
constantly repudiates the false learning of his
countrymen, and defends himself against it
but if he be charged with lack of knowledge
OF the m heart, or of the new wants OF
society, nothing can be more untrue. Ronge,
although scarcely thirty-three years of age,
has really lived much more than his enemies
and the greater part of the Germans.
The mode in which he is resolving the
problem OF our epoch, stamps him as the Co.
Iumbus of the religious world. Instead o.
assigning TO faiM the first place, as almost
all parties of Christians have hitherto
done, he substitutes Lore with all its sociaI
consequences. GAIL forms of belief he
says, "are now vague; nothing is more idle,
more useless, than the endeavor to establish
new forms, or to re-establish the old let us
rather come to the practice of the Gospel, lei
us show that we understand the work of Je.
sus Christ, by returning to the simplicity Of
primitive Christianity, by establishing al
length Truth in the social relations of Man.
kind"
These few words will explain to you the
reason Of Ronge's unheard of success, and Of
the discontinue of his adversaries. And thi:
success, depend upon it, will be more and
more brilliant, for the German people are
Just awaking. When once the grandeur o
Ronge's mission shall have been compre
hended by them, all will be easy to this ex
traordinary man. The stars of our learned
men, and of our critics, are already fading
and must vanish before the new sun. NJ
one now speaks of Strauss and his sectaries
OF Schelllng with his philosophy, protested
ly new, but in reality, old and void of life
nor of all the famous doctors of Protestant
ism who tattered themselves that they hat
built for eternity. A simple Catholic prizes
tears down their scalIoldIng, and shows il
all its splendor, the new city of the people o
God.
1t would, nevertheless, be a great error t.
suppose that Ronge walks in a path of roses
On the contrary, the party calling itself Ro
man Catholic, spares no effort to impede tn,
progress of the reformer. Recommendations
mohs, torrents OF calumny, nothing is too bad
to be resorted to by this party, and if eve
they can so farinspire some one of their tool,
with fanatic desperation, as to be willing t.
attempt the life of the terrible combatant, i
will but hasten their complete ruin.
From Stuttgart, Rongei goes by way o
Ulm TO Constance, and thence to Brispau
where a general detection is preparing or
the part of the clergy, and of the Catholi,
population. Thence he will 90 to the bank,
OF the Rhine, where the new church alread
numbers a large number of adherents.
The subjects discussed in the Council
which has just ended, referred to the interpa
organization of the new church, which or
ganization, as ] have already told YOU, is qoit,
democratic, Infinitely more so Than that O
the Romish Church, and of official Protest,
antism. In this also, Ronge has OWNED trn,
ly his work will be lasting.