New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-27
,Yebb,. rheolog,. roL 90: lsss. w.L.. edit:0r.

THEOLOGY.
! The appearance Of new treatise on oonf'o'ef'
sial Theology Is not in our day SO striking an
as it was deemed In earlier and simpler ages "hsH
4 zeal for God had not been overborne o. an dn ~
sorbing devo,ion to Mammon. Indeed II . d 1'-'
rent scandal that heavy volumes OF DIVINITY Tue
mos, Orthodox and fructifying are not among tle
dali. or nightly studies OF prominent EDITORS no
! -rostabl, vaunt their championship 0; conser's-
,iva Christian IDEAS and institutions and 90 teFo-
c;or. battle against all heretics and radicals II
! f,b,rcb or state verv likely there Is an mixing
IF truth at the bottom Of this runor.
The work before us however is evidently calcu-
,.+ad N create sensation. Not that ,he.. IS any
thing in itself abstractly considered. OF remark
ably profound or instructive character on the
contrary. quite the reverse but IL these days II
js the name OF the author that sells the book and
it is hardly possible that the maturest production
Of divine whose orthodoxy is so undouo;ed whose
theologic lore is go profound and whose peey Is 50
fragrant IS are those OF the Rev James W stson
Webb can possibly fail 10 be regarded as
i landmark the tide OF Time
The main object OF this treatise is to Prove-or
rather to declare for no proof is attempted-tha;
the Editor OF The Tribune, beside being Fou
rierite Hypocrite and sundry more such. Is a
radical Infdel- avowed open Infdei ltseems
unaccountsble that matter OF such apparent mo
ment and OF such alleged notorety should not have
been established by some shadow or pretence Of
proof besides the naked assertion Of the eminent
Theologian himself There may be persons lrreve
rent and sceptical enough-in view OF past errors
arising from hasty mistaken assertlons-to doubt
even the word of the devout author himself. and i'm
pudently to inquire Il this lnidelty be open and
avowed' as you charge. why not cite some one who
has heard him avow it, WHY not ateast show that
he belongs to no church at the very least But
attention to triaes is beneath the great soul OF
author
We regret to see even so eminent theoogian as
HIM of w all-st adventure upon that most critical
and dubious branch of his profession Creed max
ing Great as are his talents and requirements, We
doubt whether even t achieve any thing IN this
department at the present day. The held is ex-
hausted We have creeds enough and good enough
already There are the Apostles, the Athanasan,
the Nic.ne and others that have stood the test Of
ages beside the three or four hundred formulas III
which our modern denominations have expressed,
to the best of their ability. what they deem most
essential of Revealed Truth. Whoever at this day
undertakes TO manufacture new one can but afford
another illustration of the truth of the Poet who i'll
substance Observes
And webbs rush in where angel. fear to tread
The Theologan sums up Christianity RS follows
To be Christian. q man must believe in Christ as
the Messiah ms martyrdom the suiciency OF ms atone
men, and future state OF rewards and punishrnehts
a liberal Creed that surely. and we assent to 1t
all and good deal more II Low Church Divinity
accepts this as all that is essential OF the HANlN
Articles he must be very unreasonable whorequlres
any farther relaxation. We agree to all this but
could not so readily agree to its suiciency 1t IS
silent, for instance, respecting the prop1ety OF
Christians fighting his duels on Sunday or insisting
on postponement 10 some other day-a point on
which we have understood this Divine to entertain
very decided opinion. The sntfcency for what
of His atonemcnt and future state of rewards and
punishments are terms more vague than we prefer
in reference to such momcntous theme. II the
latter should dcudc any Of the Wall street disciples
into believing that the punishment Of niquity takes
place only or mainly in a future state, and even
this might he avoided by some process akin to the
operation of a General Bankrupt Law, we fear
their hearts might be fully set in them 70 do evil
as the Wise Man observed of certain stiti'neckcd
characters OF old. To mind, it is more essential
to affirm and establish the certainty of the chastise
ment of evild doors than its remoteness Make them
believe that if they trsnsgrcss they shall be punished
right here in the State of New York at the worst
not farther of than Jersey Connecticut and after
ward as much more as you please. We like short
Crcecs but not so short to be utterly unmeaning
We apprchend that Webb's Theology has ten
deucy to induce some to believe themselves Chris
tians on a rather slender foundation.
We regret TO observe that our author carries
into his new field OF labor the consequential airs
which render him so dsagrccable an ally IN the
Political world. In the grand crusade against
Fourcrsm now wagins, he cannot allow a gun
to be fred without bidding the public understand
thet it is all his thunder w have done thus and
so he eXclams and
WE hare at length succeeded nrou,ins tie attention Of
n, Religious Press TO The subject"
Rather a LETT handed compliment should
think TO the vigilance and zeal OF the Religious
! Press II that Press stand in need of such spur.
ring TO discharge Its proper duty. it is pc
culiarly proper that this n.prom.pta champion Of
Religion-this Dcoior of Divinity per saitnm-
should manufacture new body OF Theology suitcd
to the Churrh's present necessities and his own.
Rum, Law and the Corporation.
1t has pleased the good People OF this State to
ennrt hv law that all places of traffic and business