The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-27


The third Lecture of this series vas delivered yesterday
evening at the stuyvesant Institute, Broadway BY Mr.
| McGes 1t eight o'clock The room crowded to
excess by . large and highly respectable audience.
Among the assembly noticed Archbishop Hughes
The lecturer, when the plaudits which greeted his
appearance had subsidized said-LsAseIand Gentleusn-
In schools In journals and in daily walks in
life there few phrases that meet ofener than the
influence If the Reformation We told that 1t has
influenced civil government; told that has In.
huenced human learning and are told that 1t has
enlarged the liberties of humanity. In at least
q thousand different forms the same thought 10
presented to daily and weekly, and will be
presented to children; and it becomes very
important that should have clear and precise notions
to the truth fasehood of the historical asoca tons
connected with the Reformation There is to the quss.
tion that have chosen theological and political Side
In my place it would be improper may add imper
tnent if should choose the theological side Of the
question able to discuss it. but upon the
political side considering the Reform alton merely
political fact, and tracing its political influences
to that part Of the question, 1 may offer
tireiy unworthy Of your attention when we talk
OF politics in the United States, at the present
day, do not consider them relation to eternal
principles The first principles that govern the United
States have Al been fixed in that sublime instrument
called the constitution and since its adoption until the
present time our politics have been covered with
details than fixed principles Politics although they
capable OF being degenerated into the basest trade
followed in the community yet are equally capable
of being considered a. most sublime science
It in this large that the influence Of the Reforms
ton upon modern politics Is to be considered The era
Of the Reformation can be fixed precisely and il may be
considered an accomplished fact politically in the first
half sixteenth century The original principle Of the
Reformation and the principles ofthe private Judgment Of
each individual much older of course than the era
in which embodied into politics a. into religion by
the larger part Of the people OF Europe It was as old as
the DAYS when the serpent sought Eve in the garden Of
Paradise and tempted he,, The principles Of private
m he NV
that period down through all intermediate stages Of
human history until at last asserted received
mind Of the apostste monk Martin Luther. We may
consider the Reformation politically, connected with
land Of all mankind the continent of Asia itself
Wemay consider 10 in its connection with the history Of
copnections must to the conclusion in the
end to the influence that it has exercised upon the
children Of men from the time Of its establishment until
the present From the beginning, the Reformation
Political From the beginning Professionalism,
embodied at Wurtemberg and Geneva was peli-
tcal and 1t addressed itself in every capacity
first to the State, and in the State, almost in
ysrsby to the executive department of the State
In Germany 1t found in the streets by the Elector
Saxony who raised it TO his throne and after this
the Lsndgaef Of Hesse, and other electors Of Germany
patronAed In England 1t was adopted by King Henry
the Eighth In Prussia It was taken up by the Royai
Duke Albert who sequesterd the enjoyed by
the Teutonic order. In Sweden and Denmark it ad-
dressed itself to Christian the Third and
IN every case in which 1t was introduced in Europe
came IN through the mead o. the State and through
in its birth politician, and in its history 1t has been
politician Very unlike to this was the entrance into Flu
rope Of that Christian civilization which was the first
object Of the Reformation, when recognized by the
crowned heads, to modify sssenti.lly or entirely
which came in in the first century of our era
did not address itself to the head of the State did mot
first pay its court to the CAESARS and did first endea
make Of the pro consuls in the Roman
provinces; but Christian civilization began with the slave
VITA the collar and label Of his master his neck and
with the frt eman who had purchased his liberty The
Christian civilization in Europe content pass its
early days among the catacombs content to have its
its Divine Founder had done and this for three four
centuries under persecution from the head the great
eat that then exercised sovereign power all Europe
IL did not commence as politician, but it CON-
menced in suffering in humility, and in prvation.
and when society the benefits that resulted from it.
It called for more and made greater demands upon its
energy In the days Of the middle ages nations could
appeal against the sovereign the sovereign could appeal
against the nobility and the nobility against the demo
crazy and mcnsrchs might be found vending their way
the world Applause When religion was undivided in
Europe there were no wars such rs Wallensten, MARI
q France England the con ats Of France and
Spain about the bordering provinces and the the
Italian republic were conducted with the chiyalrous and
meru spirit OF forbearance of the ancient DAYS OF our
faith There Wholesale destruction of life-none
Of those great pitched battles and the blosdiest
lives. But after the Reformation find there
the science Of destruction called the of war
Before the Reformation called the profession of
aims, and ceniidersd . chivarous profession Then
there hope for mercy, but after the Reorma-
deadly engines and inventions would destroy the
greater number Of enemies and hence eight centuries
and wholesale murder and destruction Of human life
which have invariably Characterized the history Europe
for the last three hundred years. Applause 1t has
been said that the Reformation movement increased
the liberties Of the world presume int nded to
the liberties Of Europe in the first place but that has
increased the liberties Of the world ut the expense Of its
morality and practical piety there be doubt How
shall We prove that the Reformation increased the
liberties Of the world Shall take the Protes
tant Catholic countries better still take both
To commence with the Catholic. Was Spain more free
In the seventeenth entury than the fourteenth Was
France free under the Capitalization of Rioheieu
and the line Of the Bourbons who followed the king he
served than in the old days the departments when
Brittany and Burgundy managed their local affairs
and appointed thar assessors OF taxes Was Italy
more free psIcelled out between Austria and Spain than
when Florence, Venice and Milan separate repub.
lies. managing their own local affairs II will be admit
ted think that the Catholic countries Of Europe d
usually attributed 10 the political influence of the Refor.
nation. Did the countries that became Protestant
new doctrine, and to be ruled by its influence
What has been the hi.tory OF Germany from day
this Why, looking for her centre and looking in
vain and condemned TO live fragmentary life moving
in perpetual vortex and destroyed by the action
as5 sI y ys the
their civil liberties In the early DAYS Sweden and
Denmark when the chief at the head those bays aud
estuaries made he bad specify the occasion Of war
to receive from the people contingent sufficient 10 carry
i on. The Kings Of Denmark and Sweden OF df
ferent race from those who sbeyed the family yasa
and found NO other outlet from the grievances
and miseries entaied upon them by the cen
traliZaton that followed in every European country
the Reformation except the dagger that found its way to
the heart of Gustavus. Has England increased its
Liberties We hear mgch in praise Of the Saxon const
tuition and very justly But where the Saxon con-
sttution except in the records Of legal sntquaes
Does II exist in fact is there any In England, Has
there been Saxon constitution In England since the
days q Henry the Eighth when he charged in half an
hour the oath OF allegiance prescribed by the laws Of
Edward the Conessor and when the local revenues OF
Lincoln and York became centralized in one
treasury and London became the great central sponge
OF commercial enterprise! Did Holland increase her
liberties In that country In oil Others the
Reformation addressed feh to the head Of the state
Prince Maurice of Nassau and Of his FIRST acts was
to send the De Wits and Barneves to the scacd FOR
insisting upon maintaining republican simplicity and an
other act was TO tyrannze the Catholics In belgium
which gradually led the disunion OF the Kingdom
These facts Of history. and statements OF men
and they speak for themfeves and you arrive at
the soDcusoB that the Reformation was unf.yor.
able 70 ukeLix in Inrnna Lr destxaxiu