The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-17
Philosophical Biasphe my.

Tie last number of the Lmepe,dsm newspa-
per, which derives it, opinions largely from Henry
Ward Beecher whose father is a Calvinistic di-
vine, and who will be surprised to find his son
departing from the faith in which he has been
educated, contains an article on Christian Hero
i'm. which i worthy Of some notice for the moral
which it, publication contains. It Is an index,
and vet by no means obscure prologue, Of the
points at which men arrive who begin to en-
terrain the .ocasDic philosophy of the present cut
rious cro:h in the history Of human thought The
purpose ~ the article Il to show that Jesus Christ
was 4 'hcro." An attempt IL made to show that
be was eqen = greater "hero" than Socrates. (only
think Of thai and that be belonged TO the great
clas- # rcformers, Of which Luther and Knox were
conspicuous examples. Why did he not add also
Mahomet, of course, in such article sophism'
abound The text has been taken for an essay, OF
lay sermon. and.cverything i made t. bend to 1t.
Christian worship and "hero worship" are made
one and the same thing. We are taught to imi-
tate The heroisn Of Christ by doing acts similar 10
those which distinguish the history Of the advent Of
the saviour. We are told that he drove the money
changers from the temple. and that he set aneNan.
rlc FOR our imii1tion. Thus, we arc counsellej to
H. judges 81 the Law and the fact, and to set up
human judgment equal TO that Of Jesus Christ.
IN fact the drift q the article is to make man
christ, and Christ man. II !. rank Humanitarian
ism-as rank that taught by the most ultra Of
nitarians by such men a. Theodore Parker and
Others Who have been infected with the phiotheo.
l,gic, ccccntrictics Of Strauss, the German meta.
physicians. and the nfdcl socialist schools Of
France and Germany.
Tia, great and good man, Dr. Claiming, who
did much t. establish Unitarian tencts in thi.
country. never contemplated the blasphemy which
has now become the common language Of politi-
clans and dyincs in many sections Of the country.
Indeed. he seems to have foreseen the tendency
humaniiariansm to take the place Of pure and
.ound religion for in hi. last ajdres to the pub
iic, q Worcester, he distinctly declare his belief
IN The divinity e esus Christ. Emerson. Parker,
md others, who we've brought up at the feet Of the
great divine Of New England, might safely have
followed in his steps; but their personal ambition
has nterfcred with their truth to the cause Of reli-
gion and morality. Their discourses and essays
are full Of myths and cnigmas They act up fan
cies and theories, ia which man i not made in the
image of God but God himself They rcprcse nj
that man j. God, divided among mankind. like the
stock of n new bankthst the intellect IL Cod and
nothing else. From this idea springs another still
more rcGned--of which Andrew Jackson Davis and
the socialistic writer's generally, Greeley, &c, arc
the eyponents and illustrators. They make
Jesus Christ philosopher, represent him ~ know.
ing nothing more than magnetism may max. any
man know-and circumscrbe the Deity wholly by
the will Of man lmas nation, rather than intellect,
j. made the foundation Of these delusiye doctrines.
and material philosophy IL made TO comprehend Ill
the mysteries Of the Godhesd. There arc other
classes Of rclgonlss, rather Of iu6de-, vbo have
different shades Of belief, and who teach peculiar
doctrines bat they nearly all arrive at The ssms
conclusion, in some way or other, that God and
Jesus Christ are part and parcel Of mantle very
stockin trade sf The anna raas. o., nsttp e. "a.