New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-26

u
1 tratet toward tie Vatican. ike the needle o.
"a srd Oh, P..r-siar. aud the saultity nd tie illt
v4ua was swallowed up .u tle sauctity of o.,
whole. Son ~. observe that this statement
DIS not cross rhr question as . the decree OF
arn.ug. or the REGULATION of the Scriptures Dbl
ihe Middle Ages Much injustice has doubles.
been dome them lu This aud other respects but
ouf observe also. that great deal IS % be said
! on the other side Of the question. N0tWithstand.
'ly WHAT may be affirmed By modern scholars ou
tne subject, there can b. nO doubt that InteLec,
that Reason was cramped and restricted in the
Middle Ages. aud whatever lts conclusions
they must be ruu into the orthodox mould oi the
Church
But vas not that Also the era oi PiefV' ImeaD
the idea OF Piety expressed peculiarly 10 worship
and boz secluded exercises sud ceremonial. forms
That this idea had an especial manifestation iu the
Roman Catholic Church, ] think is history vii
show Hers were the Anchorite. the Pilgrim and
the SAINT. With wafer, and crucitx. font AMI
tape, how simple was her sway over the religious
sympsthies Of men. Hers Were the first word a.
the cradle oi the new born. the last az the bel of
the dying Her service shed a mystic blessing
upon the nuptial rite, and performed solemn
masses above the dead. Trains Of monks
chanting their thrilling hymns. swept through
the arches 10 her abbeys bv moonlight.
and througs kuct by day before her incense
couded affairs Mortified manhood, and disap-
pointed beauty. under her influence. uttered the
vows that separated them forever from the world
IS the chime OF her mathis and vespers peaicd
over iordy Europe. through Forest and valley,
over mountain and river, every knee bent boo
prayer. Down fell the implements of the lab1rer.
down dropped the eyes OF the maiden The mari
ger counted bis beads and chanted his ora pm
Hobis, the sick man casped his feeble hands and
the cary traveller knct by the wayslie-cr1ss
The influence of awe. the spell OF beauty The man
date OBJ power. the glory oi music. painting, sculp
ture-it employed them all % reach the sentiment
of devotion and % touch that pulse n the human
heart that vibratcs 90 our Immortality.
But this was not enough The bondage OBJ m-
p.ct faith and an exclusive idea of piety Were im-
perfect and partial developments of Christianity.
The world sighed for a change. The trumpet OF the
reformation sounded. The pillars of the old hier
archy rocked again. aud forth from the prsou-h0use
beneath, bound hand and foot, came Re9soa. Tie
broad principle of the Reformation was the right
oi private judgment. II declared that 10 each
mans bosom is Judge keasOn-andb before every
mans eye chart-the Bible The movement
which that simple idea produced was ike that OF p
fresh wind over a mighty forrest The whole ma
ture OF man was stirred % It's depths, aud ieapcd
aud rciOced boz Is freedom. Forth went human
thought unclaimed The issues of the conflict pro-
duccd Bacon, Milton. Locke, Chillingworth.-
Modern science was born 20 accompany ancient
ART and thus, the true was married 70 the beauti-
iul. The telescope swept through glitterng sys
TENS, the green WOODS Oi a new world Nedff
the song of Discovery and Commerce, and the free
mind spoke in thunder from the press.
Rut with tins age of ,eos0H there came an age
of mDr0iHy, OF philanthropy and Justice and man
ward duty J Will not deny the beautiful chart
ties of the Roman Catholic church. ! woudnot be
blind o. her great and santed names ! would not
cease % admire that highest sentiment Of beuev0-
leucc nnd that seii-sacriiicng spirit. which has
gone lorth from her bosom into the remotest cor
uers of the world.
But after all, from the reformation there flows a
broader and deeper view of Man, aud especially OF
the religion OF every dsy life. Bold qucstiOners
arose pryine into Institutions. and challenging old
despousns IL was iet that wrong was no more
tO he endured from Il sceptered hend than from
peasants arm-that the peasants soul was
precious AS kings The mines ~ revolution were
sprung. thrones We're shaken, nations born. new
truths Of humanity descended into the social world
taking most beautiful shape. The voice of free.
dom. temperance. peace. federation. charity
brcathed through all. The doctrine 0f human
brotherhood was embazoned on the banners oi the
Church. II was. and 81 IS. 100 tns sense an age oi
morality
But have We not reached az extreme. on the
side # reason and morality Is lot the fruit Of
Professionalism too often cold devotion. an irrey-
eIent radcalism skepiicsl criticism. and SEN
sual philosophy Are not men under is iniiu-
euce lovers of the real rather than the true seota
ran. bieoted. narrow The ioonociasm oi Puritan
America, the rccklessucss Of rationallstic Gerna-
uy. show the divorce OF Reason and Morality oi
Faith and Pieiy
Need We not, then, new movement 100 thc
Christian Church Need We not q new age, when
these Tour told elements shall be- held up va their
harmony. and acknowledged boo their combined
power when the good of the past and OF the pres
sent oi Catholicism aud Plotestantism. shall be-
one
! would remark. then. finally, that tins is
work which IS ] think, can be best accomplished
bv Literal Chrsfian.fu. do not use tins term
here In any arrogant sense. But, as Tor conFe-
nieuce sake. others are called Orfl0d0r or Fran
gci.cui Christians without raising the question ~
their exclusive right 10 the title, 50 now ! EN-
ploy the epithci Liberal for the sake of cOnye-
nient distinction Nor would ! imply, by the
terms Orthodox and Liberal that there are two
kinds of Christianity for, So far as either name
covers essential Christianity, they must of course
be identical But that there IS a wide distinction
between the different views Of Christianity tx
pressed by these two titles ! am ready 90 admit
! do rot desire and would be among the last tO
multiply. sectari6u divisions ! recognize the liE-
ameuts Of unity that bind al Christians together.
But observe that Liberal Christianity is distinct
from Catholicism ON the one hand and from Prot
estantism on the other. la the same sense as
Catholicism differs from Protestantlsm, Liberal
Christianity differs from both. Liberal Christian
ty may be called a third Interpretation OF Christ
amt, and having observed rs dstuctveness.
j call you o. consider its identity. The two great
branches OF Liberal Christianity as We may call
them, are essentially one. 30 not wish 70 slnk
any distinctive barriers. | would urge no un-
willing compromise bat Il will be well when
these two sects recognz' their essential unity
They start from common premises. The atmosphere
OF their Theology Is the same their great central
doctrine IS the same-the paternity OF God their
main arterial principles are the same.
observe M the next place that the chie' work
Of Liberia. Christianity IS not 70 deny or destroy
IL Is true Il is reiormatory system, but u IS also
a recoastructive system. IL has indeed 10 eXtri-
cate the simple truths OF the Gospel from the cor
ruptiou and error of ages. Bat its great work :
10 bring together aud harmonic the truths of the
other two.
Both these must have good elements IN them not
vet recognized. That old Church which 50 long
sheltered Christianity must have something good
and true in H. This new force this Protestant
force that has changed the world 50 much Tor the
better must have something good IN u also and u
is the best thing that Liberal Christianity can do
% recognize that good We sympsthize much
with Professionalism, We can never 20 back, We
can never fail o. vlndicate It's glorious morality rs
b. essed principles o. philauthropic reform and tie
right Of private Judgment We sympathize with
too on the other hand, not n rs sacra
mental forms bat In rs spirit OF sell sacrhce aud
-