Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-01-18

GRrAr MEs.-One of the chief characters
tics, of truly great man is, his refusal to be
entlely moulded into the form ,of the society
in which he lives, and his striking out bold and
original paths ofhis own. He stamps his own
mind on the age in which he lives. He
often fights with and controsI circumstan-
ces rises in spite Of the dead weight press
ing him down. Indeed, it would seem
that when the Almighty in,rusted great facul-
ties to any man he placed him in adverse cir
cumstances, in order that tho majesty and
might of those powers might be better exhibit
ed by their fierce struggles with outward foes.-
A great man It is true must express to . GER
tain extent, the idea or spirit Of his age, but he
guides even when he obeys it. Genius set,
up the standard Of revolt against old opinions,
and thousands who before were vacillating then
flock to it. Great minds perceive with clear
ness those ideas Of progress which small''minds
perceive indisiinctly. Hence the enthusiasm
90 common TO many great men. They feel SO
perfectly assured Of the truth Of their opinions,
that they GO right onward in their course,
sustained by an unwavering faith, and with
none Of those doubts and fears common to in.
distinct perception. Your truly great man,
too, 10 energetic; he uses his own will, and is
not TO be shaken from his purpose.
| The PopE.-The revolution in Rome which
has driven the Pope into temporary exile, has
been made the occasion of much excitement
and hope, too, in the protestant world. We
can see nothing in the event which affects the
questions of his spiritual supremacy or the
stability of the Catholic church polity. Nor
do we see anything in the progress OF events
which promises speedy fulflment OF the ex'
pectatons so commonly entertained The
supposed predictions of the Apocalypse have
been realized by the downfall Of the Roman
H church about as often as the threa'ned Judg-
ment day has been announced. Every GEN.
tury since the birth Of the Reformation has
witnessed more than one of these. DR.. Clarke
says he outlved half dozen of them in his
own time, and felt so much bafiled in his at
tempts to fix the prophecies upon the facts
that he resigned the exposition Of those parts
of that difficult book TO another hand. Indeed
he says that he had met with Catholic com.
mentator upon the Revelations who turned
the whole tide of prediction against protestan
ism about as ceverly as it usually employ
ed against the Roman establishment. Mr.
Wesley fixed the year 1884 or '37, 1--WE forget
which, for the final overthrow of the ancient
church, and now we have another as precise
and positive to meet the events Of 1913 Bu
how is the spiritual necessarily involved will
the political kingdom of the Pope, even sup
posing him in effect de,hroned 10y the late com
motion in the Papal states Is it not rather
likely that the ecclesiastical authority will bC
strengthened ifdsencumbercd of political res.
possibilities Popes have been imprisoned
and stripped Of their power more than once
already; protestanism has ovelrun Europe
and absolute freedom in rel gion established in
America, but the Roman Catholic church is
perhaps really stronger in numbers to-day than
at any ,vous.period of its history What
advantage will the Reformation gam over the
ecclesiastical organization by the destruction
of the Pope's temporal sovereignty Its wea-
pons of offensivs warfare remain the same,
and the old establishment will be only the bet
ter adjusted to the religious sentiment of the
world. Besides a religious revolution, from
its very nature cannot be effected by force OF
arms or any possible agency of political pow
CT or any action of political influences Our
conc uson is that the ecclesiastical order OF
the Roman Catholic church will continue un-
affected by physical and political revolutions,
until il is dislodged by the force Of changes in
the spiritual sphere, either for the better oil
the worse.