New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-09-16

"For Zob. vii bob p,.ee .aa o =, fo-th a.
bnsh,ss,., ana the salvation thereof " lamp 'A'
| hoish q l.
Whatever room there may be for the eA-
ercise of critical skill in determining the autnor-
shin Of the text. il will be regarded as suinc'en'
u, IN. ny...nt to say, that the language IS clearly
.,,,.s,;v. If the feelings and desires oil tne Que
| who empoyed it. 1t announces the Se'' Gu
,u,,on IN labor for the enlargement and the pros
,.,itv NJ Zion-to pursue this great OBJECT "lIh-
or. ,.st oy cessation, until the righteousness
thereof sha 20 forth as brightness, and the sai'a-
ton thereof as lamp that burneth.
We believe. nv brethren, that we may say with
.sss+v that our desires and aims are not wholly
! d;,.m;lsr 10 those indicated in the text. We
GENE together, on this anniversary occasion,
moved by a co nmon impulse, an mated by com
mon object. We meet as the representatives. ana
members Of large AND gro VIE religious body,
distinct from ali other bodies, and allied only 70
each other and to God W. come together as
people Openly conf,ssing the Sin Of sectsTanls n,
AND freely prOclaimDg TO the world our principles
and our design Our compact 10 the welding oil
our natures by truth. Our position IS mat oil ac-
tivty. Our aims assume the dignity OF G purpose.
Our chief design, as a denomination, ls two fold
We emafk, then,
l. That il is our purpose TO assist in solving
the problem whether Christ anity, as system, IS
a satisfactory religion, IN It's adaptation to the
intellectual and the afiectIoaal nature of nan.
We say that 10 assist IN THIS Work, Tor
we would not arrogate to ourselves more than we
may with Justice claim. II there are Others labor
ing with the same intent we would readily share
with them oil Incidental reproach, and accord TO
! them all meTited honor. We spesk OF Christi
anity, not as life not as a moral element, but
| only as system-as a scheme Of simple but d.
| vine doctrines We speak Of the intellectual and
the affection al nature Of man distnctvely for the
reason that mind, such, would be satisfied with
a religion which was purely rational, while such
| religion could lot address ltsef wl,h success 10
| the he8Tt-the aft, ctIons. And we say that II is
| our aim as people 70 throw ia cur cOntn buttons
toward the solution Of the problem whether
Christianity as relig ous theory, is fIly adapted
70 meet aud answer the wants OF our complex
nature.
| Confessedly we are undoubtedly in the wrong
| in estet Ving this a question which Yet waits Tor
a demonstration. Christians Of every rodifca-
ton of belief are ready 20 affirm It's staining and
Triumphant demonstration At tier hands. II they
have not evolved all Truth, they have at least
exhausted all the neeoed powers Of analysis,
and shown the sufficient adaptations Of their
Christianity. But practically, actually, all tnis
ssseyeTation must go for cant and confusion.
Where. and what is that interpretst on Of the
Gospel which satiefts Where, and VINO are
; those men whose easy natures have found such
rare content WhrD, and how were such MIRA
cles o. happiness wrought n our midst look
IN vain fUT such wonders, for such demonstration.
, | 60 smODg those who scOT1 10 come among us
aud every where find mOurniul evidrlces of an
/, unsatisi, ing faith. have teen, as many Of you
have been, 10y the hed.sides OF ZONE If their dy
ing SAINTS, and sought To catch from the Intma-
tiops of Death veTlf .atiOas Of a creed whose
J., spirit holy life had out-lved whose Truth the
, latest consciousness denied IL is en- unfortunate
hour for Chrstianity-ab unfortunate hour for the
! wOrld-when sober minded men are compelled 10
regard II iE ITS more common forms as having
ceptabJ justified and commended itself to the
understanding nj q the heart. From such de-
acqul.scence be won, except its functions are
perverted aId deba, ed.
Nothing IN fact, IL more evi lent Cor large
proportion a. these forms Of r,6glon insist upon
the rejection Of reason as the fundamental con-
ditoD Of tbsT acceptance. Were reason not To
coli from Their enIbr ace-weEe they TO bstray any
intrinsic coDgeniaty with this attribute, they
would be directly regarded by their sbettOrs as
carnsl in influence and false in principle. In the
| m0lstrous philosophy which prevails, the simple
| pr.CispOsitlOn Cf men 10 use their reason, is ad
| Judged the cle0:cst proof, net only that they
not religious, but that they are incapable
Of becoming 81, until they have rectIhed an
error which originated with God, in comforting
| our primitive eldOwments: 60 that this great
business Of belief and devotion 10 based GpOn the
Ostenslble negStion Of our nature.
And yet, ths negatiOn ~ never complete. What
ever miracle Is DeeGful to achieve cOnvt .sOn, II is
never miracle whch fully accOmplishes its work.
The supernatural does not fully trumph ever the
natural for after al the resources which have
been 40 successfully applied, this ensayement Of
the understanding e not 50 Thorough as To be
| wholly Invested of tie esyen Of rebellion which
must generate dissatisfaction now, and, # the
philosophy be true, inevitably lead to damaation
M the end.
Christianity, as incnlcated by Christ ard en-
forced by The ApostrC must have been very SIM
pie essentially rational sl stem. We do not
nov 60 20 ora NAL records and facts. We pat our
appeal In another direction. Christianity as row
taught is not only not such ~ stem, bur all pre-
tense OF thso Kind Is expressly and autsOntatIy ely
cisclalmsd. " lat then is the Christianity Of to-
day Whence did it come Men tell rs with
immovsbe gravity, that they teach the truths
Christ taught, ana that must receive them Or
inherit an Immortality Of Ill. What, then, are
those truths Suppose YOU seek for them under
the general form OF CalSaBlsp, the ryal fern Of
krmnlanlsm. Could a reasonable man look grave
save throul grie at the Fathers dishOnor when
told that one or the other Of these schemes we're
the original Christianity : And, in mercy, which
81 them is 20 distinguished for, YOU will observe
that these schen anita goDIstc in point of
fact and in point Of principle. The substantaton
OF the claims OF one is consequently the rejection
OF the claims al the other. In favor of which,
then, edall the decision of truth be gwen de-
clare 10 YOU, that rs TO the result Ii matters
nothing, for # one or the other Is Christianity.
then is IT a Christianity without Christ and IN its
embrace We msy well saw as the fearful Mary
said at the grave Of her Master" They have
taken away my Lord. and | know not where they
| have laid hlm'
| 1t may be regarded as noteworthy, that when
ever the friends OF these schemes set forth their
nval merits and attempt 10 Justify their respective
CLAIMS to the original teaching OF Jesus. they di-
Iectly violate toe fundamental condition Upon
which their acceptance with a third party IS made
10 depend. They thus commit their systems to
the pleasant work OF sefrepudIation. But. az
often as they may be virtually dis2roved by theis
friends in the labor OF identifying them with
Christianity, they are not the less urgent in their
prefer SONS. Whence, then, dld the, come-ths
Caiy nlsm now so flexible in ifs awful csrts;n,;s.