New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-23


was couehed in the style in which was propouade
We might wei be struck with the fac, tha: Columbus
discovered the New World about ten years after the
birth Of tie great Reormer. whose prin -ples were
thoroughly SPREAD throughout lis wide domain.
As the Island OF DelCs hoafei about unfxed and
known until she who was 10 be the mother OF Dana and
Apollo, needed am asyuu when AZ the command Of Ja-
pifer II rose 10 be the birth place Of genius OF literature
/ ard OF freedOm-so was this land enveoped in the
nts OF the ocean, IL rveT the while running silently
o. the sea, is hA-Dors and territory awaiting for fa
ture people-s existence all unknown until the auspi
eous moment arrived when the Almighty drew aside the
vel, displaying new home for man. the theater Of a
new act in history. Applausel Wise and well chosen
were the words with which Shakespeare commenced the
drama Of Henry the With
" / come o more 70 make you laugh: thirzsaow
That bear weighty snd serious brow.
$50; hish, and Wortins. full ofsste and woe,
snch no scenes as draw the eye to fow;
We now present" Prologue.
In al history there was not cycle more pregnant
with interest than that commencing with the reign Of
Henry and extending down 20 the present day IL
given es humorous description of the man-"that he
ves creature with VIII Of his own, but onged 10 DO
Pope Henry Afforded Illustration Of the truth of the
assertion heset up Pope FOR himself His ProtesAnisn
amounted to nothing but Independence Of foreign su
thory. Maintaining papa 90 In-s, yet deying papa au
thory, he dragged Protestant and Papst alike to the
one scsfold-he former for denying Transubstantiaton
the latter forot admitting his supremacy head Of the
! Church Mythology informed Us Of az eagle pur.
Il
! gods, unmiadhul Of the fire which was borne
/ aWay 10 consume her nest Henry was a. that
/ eagle-snd the consuming fire was well f4nnei
throughout the days OF the Reformation until at last the
nest OF pride and ignorance and superstition, an preu
dice and ecclesiastical assumption, well nigh burned
up entirely But there also in those times
pow al work-the circulation OF the Scriptures through
the medium Of Iyndals translation OF the New Tesla
ment cotemporsneous with Henry's split with the
Court Of Rome. Henry first favored the circulation
Of the Bible but he discovered the mistake he had made
and put Tynda to death for translsng that little book;
II small work certainly, but Henry found II to be
most dangerous enemy 10 his ecclesiastical pretensions
The speaker here alluded eursorary to the gradual in
crease OF the circulation OF the Bible during the rens OF
Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth. dwelling on the fact
that in proportion the Bible became read, the
general knowledge OF the people increased al the same
time that their moral qualities previously obscured and
undeyelOped under the crushing influence OF eccesias
cal tyranny, called out into active exeron by the
exercise Of the night Of private judgment In the reign
o. James J. was prepared that translation Of the Bible,
around which clustered al the memories snd love OF
onewho spoke the language in either hemisphere Let
that Ubberly fellow pride himself upon his kngcraft
let him fool himself to the top of bis bent in his the
illogical discussions at Hampton Court tyranncaly
resolve TO Danish the Puritans from England But for
that translation We were willing 10 forgive hun Tor all
his buiOonery, cruelty, ignorance and pedantry. We
drsnk of the sweet waters Of this pure ount OF npra
ton, Samson OF old once drank from a miraculous
stream forgetting that ii flowed from the jawbone of
ass. Laughter independents OF the marked influence
of the circulation OF the Bible upon the age of the
PuTitan traced ITS effects not only In the feryid
zeal and piey of Baxter and Bunyan but In the large
observation and serious truthuness OF Shakpere And
when Milton wrote his immortal poems il was a. II
religion marching from the conflict, had reached her
royal throne and put the diadem upon her own head
amid seven fold chorus Of haleuahs and symnphonies
That book came in the Maydover II now had
home in every cabin in the wilderness; It carried
in the knapsaeks of the soldiers OF the Revolution and
when the American Republic founded. George
Washington laid his honest hand upon it and took
the oath Of Office and grounded were the
people in their knowledge OF ts truths that the idea Of
an oath taken upon being falsiei by coup Gd
once entered their minds Applause But wnat
IL the Puritans claimed in those daysf They simply
claimed the right posses and interpret the Word OF
God for themselves There the real controversy began
they demanded the right OF private Judgment the very
soul of freedom. What the right of private judg
meul Macaulay said, We concede it not to be this,
that opposite opinions may be true or that truth and
alsehoOd equally good but tits this that the written
Word OF God 10 the only authority appertaining 10 re-
hgion and TO every belongs the right Of reading
aud interpreting this for himself, and may not DO re-
stricted" lAppause The first claim Of the Puritans
was blow struck for human right and liberty. In dis
covering his religion man discovered his humanity.
while the greatness Of bis nature the evidence OF
the justice of his rights Thus found Purtanism the
especial advocate Of complete liberty, for from the be-
ginning il stood pledged against every act of either re-
gous or political oppression The speaker then alluded
the objection often urged against the Puri ans as
pecuariiies of their dress He consideredthe
objection bur frivolous II was not % be expect
ed that the Puritans would adopt the costumes, &C
and principles 10 which they were violently but
nationally opposed It said TO be popularity lob
served Dr. A. of the New England people, that they had
habit OF asking questions. But that habit not born
of dscourieous pareniage there lay under il great
and potent principe-the root Of our history. few
centuries the dalectcs Of Aristotle rened supreme
in every European seat of learning but Bacon COM
meIced TO ask questions, and finally, by the
result Of his inquiry, supplanted the Arstotelian
by the induciive system of moral philosophy. The
Purtars were great questoners-they claimed the
fofrr nd0rnpuf askpi vyhV prO'esfants
demanded it for themselves and deny il TO others -
The people asked upon what authority kings oppressed
their subeeisi they asked and Charles and bis throne
veushed and Republic 10 it, place. so with
own revolution. Doubtless from nmmoderate indul-
geDce in the habit Of asking questions often degener
ates into irnpernent fryoity. Snn, however there
was no doubt Whatever but that sober Investigation was
the parent Of all freedom.
twas mistake to suppose that great equanimty could
be preserved in such Gaze by thoee engaged IN the
contest where freedom contendng against tyranny.
Polemcs pushed 10 extremes by both parties, and
when one motive body was driven furiously against
another. the rebound would be strong as the col
hson. Push forth pendulum TO the utmost space its
fsstenings viii permit IL TO 60 and will spring back
again and oscilate for length Of time before settles
in reposs. We may laugh now az the ridiculous fancy
Puritan fathers hsd OF giving long scripture names
TO their children, and at their appendng whole verses
out oil the Bible by of particular designation, and
consider that they might have been cursled with pro
priety detriment to euphony; but then we cannot
know appreciate these feelings IL but proves their
determination resist the tyranny which, contrary 10
their judgment, would force names and formulas upon
them II their opponents chose TO be called and have
their children designated by taken from he then
mythology and the classic authors, IL there any reason
that Puritan fathers should not seek 10 designate the
beings they loved by names taken from the book they
loved and vensratedf Ii their lssciyous, bacchana
Ian and reprobste Antagonists chose to frequent
on tire Sabbath the berr-garden and the thea
ter why not excuse them for seeking the Church
and the Convenicle, and H. with faces grave and mel
suchoy andees dragged Quit their utnos, extension,
il il vet merely the exponent OF sntagonHc opinions
and doctrines Il was a Of violently opposing par
tes acting with immense forces, aid the striving
against the other with al it, might and determined 70
eSctew all practices commanded and all ordinances
revered by persons they abhorred- Il was tai'
feeling which made them cat away the eross, the
beautiful symbol Of the redemption Of man. and dig
place ii from their Churches, end put up in It's
stead a base weather cock. You viii say mat
his was going too far and destroying all toerston brr
YOU should 20 back 10 the time the strife was main
tAned be engaged in the hea, of the battle and par