New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-18
LECTURES.
MIR. Henry James's Lecture on the Past
Church.


in the Hall of the Stuyvesant Institute, was de-
livered on Friday evening before large and pro-
foundlv attentive audience. The polished vlgor
with which Mr. James puts forth his intellectual
sudacities and the charm Of his admirable eocu'
ton present strong attractions to large class OF
intelligent listeners who cannot be presumed to
have any sympathies with the startling ideas
which he advocates with such deep earnestness
Of conviction. The subject of the lecture was
"Tbe Past Church, or Ritual Christianity"
Mr.. James commenced with the remark that the
sectsrian aspect of the visible Church necessarily
excludes and extrudes many of the most religious
minds. The form which the Gospel took at the
hands of the Saviour and his Apostles was, that
Jesus the cruciied and risen man was the true
Christ of God, and all they who believed this Cos
pel were declared his people. l believe, said Mr.
]. most fully do believe this Gospel. 1t repre-
sents to my understanding an infinite goodness
and wisdom 1t involves no mystery. 1t IS the
| complete antidote to darkness on the whole held
of human destiny or Of mans relations 70 tod
| For it imports that the Divine power and glory
shall be manifested in man. only when man shall
have become emsncipated from his natural and
social thraldom, and made obedient exclusively to
his inspirations. Just in proportion to my JOY 10
this universal truth, is my disgust at those shabby
| little queries which the various sects propose 10
use instead.
| Rut because the sects are not respected, shall
the Church suffer loss7 By no means. The feel
ing is universal among those who repugn sectarlan
pecuarities, that they are not therefore less, out
the more related to the living Church. 1t IS
always and simply ludicrous to hear persons OF
this class charged with iniidehty by the sects. !
am sure that no one making the charge would
easily do so if he could anticipate the half COM
passionate halfmirthul feeling II excites In those
| exposed TO it, An esteemed clerical friend re-
Gently said to me in speakingo OF Socialism, Inc
Socialists must first all come into the Church, and
! then we will take care that all the reforms they
ask for take place" / inquired OF him, What
Church he meant2 The Romish or Episcopal. the
| PRESBYTERIAN, or Baptist" Il mean none oil
these" he replied, 81 mean the universal or in
visible Church" "Ah," said l, the Socialist
will tell YOU that he is already in full communion
of that Church, and that it is precisely therefore
that he dscaims every impertinent shibboleth
alike of Rome, Canterbury, or Geneva"
II is really so. Never was there atlme when the
immense reality denoted by the Church found so
spontaneous a homage from cultivated intehecta as
at present. The rapidly approaching advent OF
divner life for man, is avouched by thousands OF
guileless souls cheefHly singing their NaHc
Dimittis. The temper of these persons too, as
| have known them, toward the old Churcn' IS
destitute of acrmOny. They originate no propa-
ganda apart from the progress Of sciences they
seek to turn no one away from the rites which
the past has sanctified to his memory-they study
the beautiful meaning enclosed in these rites and
ceremonies; and exhibit serenity under mis-
conception and reproach which claims the hon.
age OF a cordial respect.
Mr. James then proceeded TO illustrate the true
! idea of the Church. as dlspensation Tor humanl-
tary purposes, having for It's ultimate end the ele-
walton of universal man. While the whole world is
losing all regard for mere ecclesiastical interests
md in this direction confined 10 few OIL
fetal persons and their followers within the Church,
| the great mass of the litular Church itself is &C
lively intent upon the varied reforms OF the day,an
seeks in the glorious humanary promise OF the tu-
ture the fulhlment of the mission of the Church
1t is impossible that they whose eyes have once
! been enlightened 10 discern the true powers OF
the world to come, 70 discern the profound hu-
manitary substance which underlies and vtaliZes
all the shadows of Church and State, should ever
! prove recreent TO the truth and go back again to
| the worship of mere symbols. At all events, 1t
is impossible that any of the sectarlan ideas OF
the Church should ever gain the empire OF the
! human mind.
The intrinsic selfshness and impurity of the
sectaran idea was then set forth in a series of
arguments, which cannot be abridged without
losing much of their appositeness and force We
will give only one or two Of the illustrations en-
ployed by the lecturer
The Gectarian dogmas, said he, place God in the
attitude Of exacting something from his own de-
/ pendent creature and they place the creature in
a meritorous attitude toward him, in the attitude
of serving him forreward. Science demonstrates
that the only becoming temper on our part toward
the Divine is that Of boundess exultation 10 the
exhaustess benefcence of his creation and of de-
termined activity toward the fullest possible real
ization of it. Every day of the week the sun
comes forth 10 illustrate the benignity OF the UR
versal Father, and the waving of leaves, and the
murmurng Of brooks and the laughter Of corn on
the hill sides and the ringing melody that ascends
from the whole animal creation, and the myriad
fold success of human hearts In the realm Of trait
fc and inspired art, all attest and confirm the IL
/ lustration. Much more eloquently even does the
| grander temple Of the human heart proclaim the
same bengnity For we find all of its various
affections when left to their unobstructed flow,
bringing forth fruits of invarable joy and peace.
But on Sunday sectarianism denies all that busy
week and peaceful heart have taught
recently attended, said Mr.. J. the obsequies Of
friend. The burden of the prayer by the minister
was that God would give the survivors realizing
sense of sin. No petition met my ear, nor any
shadow of petition that we might outgrow this
puerile fear Of death and look upon its pompous
ceremonial as q solemn cheat, but merely the
iterate and reiterste desire that we might have
profound conviction Of our sinfulness in Gods
sight Such was the sole tenor of the exercises
both predatory and hortatory. Meanwhile, sullen
gloom invested the assembly, and the face Of the
unconscious corpse, over which had gathered an
expression OF comely ana placid repOse amounting
almost 20 sweetness alone shOne responsive 70
the hopeful texts OF holy writ, which and anon
gemmed the dismal night of the burial service
Yes, the face OF the dead seemed actually to smile
soft rebuAe upon the surpced infdelity which
gave It so cherries requiem.
The lecture closed with some remarks on the
tendency Of the Church at the present day. 1t is
bound 70 assume an advanced position In accor
dance with the great humanitary idea Of Christ
or decline before the light Of science Among
US, it is wisely accommodating itself TO the new
spirit. The accendensy of the democratic prn.
ciple here modi6es theology not less than other
things. Having no establishment, our clergy can
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