New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-16
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY DECEMBER 49, 1882

lied among Us acknowledged any authority beyond the
OBVIOUS interests OF its members whether ii accepted
the jewish and Christian Scriptures IS q legislative
'e@ooos and whether il recognized the political sa-
prenAey Of Jesus Christ-all these questions which
'nen proposed and which you now deliberately evads
are intimately lodged in the discussion concerning d.
voice and no one accordingly Is competent to the dis
euson whose position is AZ all waverng on these pre-
hrninary points Il you claim for Jesus not spiritual
ouf purely personal authorry-not such an authority
grows out Of the conformity of his spirit to thAt OF
me mott enlarged humanity but only such an author
ny a. binds the conscience to his arbitrary will and
requires therefore an Organized polty to apply and
niorce it-ihen remember, you deser, the platform OF
fro'estannsn and instantly ally yourself with Rome.
Rome is the only logical gholi Of the Pagan pTn-
eipe In Chrstendom Il Is the only logical represen-
tatve THE principle OF arbitrary authority what s
the same thing the principle Of man spiritual slavery.
known TO modern history II the weakening of this
principle in the human mind, the gradual eclipse of
before the advancing light of science which gave rise
to the Reformation All those sects which then sprung
from Romes detected carcass like mites from disso-
Lutte cheese, in renOuncing her supremacy virtually
nounced baptized Paganism; renowned the principle
Of outward authority IN matters Of conscience; re-
nounced IL short the principle of tie absolu,eness Of
Institutions And to renounce this principle Is of
course, to accept the opposite Christian principle,
which as the ahsouteness Of Man. and leyitimAtcs
his spiritual freedom Let me know then where 10
find you You NUS; choose between Rome and Wash
ington- between Pio Mono and Millard Fillmore. The
entire difference between Pope and President types
TALES Of human progress is illustrated in our little
controversy and if you viii go maniuIly onward, or
find substitute to do for you promise you that
shall see great clearing away of fog from both
spectscles before We shall have done.
But now-if you conclude TO take up my friendly
chaenge-llray you unearn those childish personali'
ties those flse and foolish insinuations of MoTmonsm.
Swedenborghnism and Fouriersm which have hther-
to constituted your controversial capital assure you
tsrt have precisely equal personal respect for Cal
win, Luther, Swedenborg. Pic Mono, Fourier, Joe
Smith, Mormon, Thomas Attempts, Captain Rynders,
and the Editor of the Nep York Obssrrer all these
persons claim from me- and all shall therefore receive
that entire personal courtesy and ciyihty which
natural brotherhood enoins. Their varying claim to
my spiritual regard must be determined OF course by
their varying humanitsry genius temper and here
| admit that the conveniently lowest person may
easily turn out the noblest and finest spirit Thus
call master in absolute sense, far as his
mere personal will is concerned. Yet will call every
master who will illustrate In speech the bound
less benignity which underlios aud ia our Life Names
you know Of small account to the reason. Satan
good enough name, if only the sprtt represents
were honest Your honored name OF Christian was
originally Of reproach invented by the same I'M
worthy temper precisely, which seeks TO defams
me in public regard by calling :" and you,
indeed, justify the old reproach that was in IT, II you
presume to offer Jesus odious personal aiulatOn in
place Of the purely spiritual conformity he claimed.
And then, again, do not, beg Of you, by syn
tactical implication, say any more that Mr.. James
impuies mistakes" to Jesus Christ seeing that
Mr. J. is totally innocent both Of the deed and the
thought Our warfare may safely disuse these carnal
professional weapons. II is conhct Of principles
not of persons Were Jesus Christ himself personally
present take part in it should give no
weight to his words in far they avouchcd or
denied his historic spirit and function The very
temper which his own great soul has Infused into hui
mainly, would prevent doing otherwise.
In conclusion, permit say that the views en-
terrain of Christianity beget hatred but only love to
dl mankind. | cordially hate the pretensions both OF
Church and State when they tend TO dethrone and de-
file Man but hate neither Churchman nor Statesman.
Indeed have huge personal procliyty to your old
fogy whether in politics religion; but then he must
be born fogy as in Europe not made here The true
and admirable fogy, like the true and admirable po-
Ct nGscifnr non IT, He must be a veritable remnant
and echo of the Past not mere sentimental and will
full recalcrant Of the Future. How infinitely swceier
these men personally than your lsnk and angular
Refomerl And how cordially one prays for the day
when the intermediate link which Reiormers now
make between the blessed old humanity, and the still
blessed new shall drop out, and leave Man him
self alone once on the scene The old Romlsh
priesthood under its best aspect exhibits many
scductions to the imagination. One gets a gen
une relish for the company Of your true priest
such as I have him at home and abroad, genial,
Jolly and unaffected, exempted by the purely sensuous
and public genius of his church from all private grimace
and distortion, but stthe time cultivated by popu
lar reverence into graceful and kindly relations with all
mankind. And what can help galantly dofing his
hat to those gentle sstersssters Of Charity sisters Of
Mercy-who feed our hungry, clothe naked, visit
poor and oppressed nurse sick, cheer our dy
ing, in short ulfl every womanly purpose but those
alas Of peopling our homes and decorating our
streets am, Mr.. Editor
Yours truly, HENRY JAMES
NeeIork, Dee H. is52