New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-18
Hnnaniiary Aims Of Religion.

! greSS of Thought IN England" brings two
charges against us, one of which is that we
under-rate the position of Evangelical Dis
sert in that country, and the other that we
mistake or misrepresent the tendencies of
! Christianity Now, without presuming to
dOgmatize THEORETICALLY, which certainly is
not the wont of The Tribune, let US loose
ly prove our respected cotemporary at fault
in both these particulars. In doing this we
may be pardoned if we seem somewhat to
exceed the usual limits of secular discussion.
|. Decidedly, no more estlmable class of
men exists in England than the body of
Evangelical DisSenters, whether we regard
them in point either of numbers or weight
of character But their position, together
with that of their Evangelical allies IN the
Establishments Is fixed, and consequently
did not fall within our purvlew when we
were considering the Increment In England.
Evangelcsm, whether in or out of the Es-
tablishment is fixed fact rather than an
influence. Ii belongs rather to the sphere
of States than of Dynamics. 1t doubtless
possesses great force, but it is the force
of inertia merely. 1t is not active, like So
cialism. feeding human thought with the
milk of great ideas. Nor is it reactiye, like
Puseyism, shutting out ideas and bidding
men content themselves with the barren
ceremonial and show of such things. 1t
simply stands STILL bemOaning the daily de-
fection5 it undergoes-the daily pillagc 1t
encounters-from Puseyism on the one
hand, and what is called lnidellty on the
other, but wagging absolutely no weapon OF
defense against either more potent than the
dialecticS of a nervous old Scold. 1t
exercises its tOrmenters, not with the
tongue of Socrates, but with that of Nan
tippe. And the reason is obvious. For
Evangelicism in order elIectually to oppose
Puseyism or Socialism, is obliged for the
nonce to ally itselfwith the antagonist cause.
For example, in order to oppose Puseyism
with effect, it is obliged to democratize the
Church, or what is the same thing, to assert
that God does not design by the Church, the
gIorifcation of any class of persons, but of
entire humanity: which is virtually the So
cialist doctrine And in order to oppose the
Socialists hope eiIectually, it Is Obliged to
narrow the scope of the divine admlnistra-
ton within certain ecclesiastical limits
which is virtually the Puseyist doctrine
For all practical purposes no position can be
more annoying than this. To perceive the
approach of voraclous and insidious enc
my on both hands, and to feel that every
ounce of force subtracted from either side
is a full pound added to the other, certainly
constitutes position in which, if ever, one
may be held excusable for doing little and
saying much; or in which reckless denunci-
alton may justifably take the place of sober
argument.
Thus our respected contemporary will
perceive that his first charge was inappro-
pirate to the matter we had in hand.
II. The second charge is even more in
considerate, and reacts with more fatal force
upon our assailant. For clearly he who de-
cares it d Misrepresentation of Christianity,
TO make its operation identical with the
highest welfare material as well as spiritual
of man, does in truth degrade Christianity,
denies it the supremacy which 1t claims over
all other religions. Other religions have
very much more to say of prayer, and asce-
ticism, and worship, and sacred writings,
and life beyond the grave, than Christian
ity has, at least the Christianity of the four
gospels. Christ, indeed, commends the pro-
fusest PRAYER, not by any means as a condi-
ton Of obtaining the divine favor otherwise
unobtainable, but only with view to set
forth the unsupported amplitude of the di-
vine bounty. If any of you, said he know
how TO crafty the desires of your children,
when addressed to you, hot0 much more shall
your heavenly Father give good things to
them that ask of Him. And whatsoever
rituahtes he prescribed, were prescribed
not as instrumental TO any end properly
speaking, not as means Of achieving a sal
walton otherwise withheld, but only as in
structive and beautiful memorials of a sal
walton more free and full for all men than
Science had yet begun to lisp or even dream
Of
But all this IS the smallest praise attribu
tablet to Christianity, and does not begin to
express It's distinctive traits. What dis
tlngulshes Christianity from all other re-
hgions, Is that it lays hold not merely of the