Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1851-07-31

49,
meets his eye, but what is hallowed Nho!
generations of men, speaking perhaps whel
alive, a different language from his own, am
having with him no other bond of fellowship
than that of a common religious faith, haVS
trodden those courts, have worshipped IN tha
presence, and gone TO their rest. 1t IS then
place where prayer has been wont to be made
and f his heart is not an utter stranger u
the glow Of piety, it is sure to kindle there.
In these remarks, | shall not be un>
ders,ood to aft m or intimate, that the
religious sentiment is, in any respect, the
result of the natural association of Il GER
tain vain Of ideas and emotions with sem
sible objects. only mean that the pre-
>ence OF such objects, by a fixed law of
our nature. predisposes The mind to de-
votion and this is all hey can do. Only
the sanc,ifying gace of God can bring the
heat into true communion with Him
the material temple made with hands,
however solemn, gorgeous and impress
sive the organ, the chant, the stoed
priest, being only auxiliary aids to that
end. AS such and TO no further extern:
they were doubtless meant to be employ
cd since the Creator has SO made MS as
that we are capable of being affected by
them, as by intermediate. prcdisposing
causes, opening the heart to spiritual
emotions.
We are now laying the foundation of
another Of those leligious temples, which
"le destined, we believe, to perpetuate in
this land the true worship of God. and
the faith once delivered to the saints.
We hive in an age when nothing seems
to be stable in the religious world. Old
land marks are removed the ancient
faith in IL thousand places is giving way
before the new theories Of the Apolloses
md CrphaScs of the day; and the Time
~.,- rt>, not To be tar off when truths owing
at,d suhr minds. 'nrd Of IL state OF un-
certainty What (hey shall believe and
@hom they >all worship, shall gtadk
belake themselves to- u refuge.
Ii the Church has hitherto remained
stedf,$t, unchanged from the form of
sound words and doctrinal truth as taught
by Apostolical Fathers, undisturbed by
the mutations so prevalent in our age
il Is because we reverence ancient truth
more than modern error; because we be-
le,e that the fundamental doctrines If
Christianity were as well understood sew
enteen hundred years ago, as they arc or
can be now, or ever will be because we
have not swerved from the Ecclesiastical
government and discipline which then
prevailed because their creeds are our
creeds. and their forms of public prayer
were essentially the same with our own.
Knowing our vantage ground in these re-
spects, we occupy it with confidence: and
IN doing so, we only exercise that right
Of private Judgment which pertains to
every morally responsible being which
is alike tie property OF the widest sec>
ta'y, and the st'lctest churchman. 10
say that we concede to every man the
right to choose the form of religion he
will profess would be to express an er-
Tor for it was never given 10 any man,
or council of men, TO dictate to another
in this matter and TO assume such a
power would be- Il ridiculous usurpation.
All the Popes and councils in the world
cannot deprive II man Of the right Of self.
direction, nor force creed upon him
which his Judgment disapp,oves. But
while state thus broadly the doctrine of
human liberty, let me add what is no less
true, and much more to the purpose, that
If he commits AN error, embraces falla-
cy instead of Truth, no Pope. no Coun-
cll, Bishop, or Priest, can absolye him
from the consequences. Ii, in the exer>
else or abuse of his private judgment, he
will run after strange doctrines and liz hts
which only mi>lead, he must abide the
results. wha tever they may be. No HUI
man beng has right TO restrain his va
garles; nor could he if he would. G d
made him free moral agent; but he
made him ut the same time ii responsible
one, reserving to himself the adjustment
Of the final account.
We have laid this corner stone in the
name oil the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
because God has been revealed to US in
the Bible under these three aspects; and
because such has been the Catholic faith
every where, at all times. and with all
Christian men. Ne build in that three.
Told name, because tie Trinity in Unity
is the God we adore. In the Son, the
lncarnate Word, we recognize the Re-
deemer and Mediator and in the Holy
Ghost. the inGwelling Sanctifier, without
whose presence in the heart there can be
no true repentance nor remission of sins.
i'his Three IN One. untedly and separ-
aeIy, is the object of our worship. as it is
! Of our s.edfast faith. And | desire TO
! hank God that Ibis Faith has been so in
po,a,ed into our Lilurgical forms, that
whenever we meet for social worship, the
whole " mysiery Of goodness. God man
Hest in the flesh" with all its aceompa.
nying doctrines and sequences. is pre-
scented to the mind, and engraved upon
it in indeliblc characters. Ii Is by the
frequent iIe.ation Of truth, in e. me upon
la, and pr,.a.tV,g un.,p nt.nnnt IlluL 9g .