Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-02-01

dom as Divinity, and freedom they
will have-wi,h the Church IL it may
be, without tho Church If It must be.
God grant that they who profess to be
his especial servants may be cured Of
their madness in season to save the
Altar!
The people almost universally id'n.
tify Christianity with the Church. They
canot reject the Church withou: seem.
ing to themselves to be rejecting Christi.
anity, and therefore not without regarl.
ing themselves as infdels, Will the
clergy consent to drive the people into
infdelity? Can they not discern the signs
of the times? Will they porsis, in main.
tanning social doctrines more abhor.
rent to the awakening instincts Of the
people than atheism itself? A people,
regarding itself as infdel, is in the
worst plight possible to pursue the
work of social regeneration. 1t is then
deprived of the hallowel and hallowing
influence and guidance Of the religion s
sentiment; and it can hardly fail to be.
come d;sorderly in the pursuit Of order,
and TO find license insteal Of liberty,
and anarchy instead Of popular gov.
ernment. For lis own sake, then, and
for the sake Of liberty also, the Church
should break its League with the dcspots
and Join with the people, and give
them its purifying and cnnobling inau.
ence.
| The Church must do this or die. al.
ready it is losing its hold on the hearts
Of the people. Every where is there
complaint Of mems want Of interest in
religion; everywhere is there need Of
most extraordinary efforts, and various
and powerful machinery, to bring peo.
plc into the Church, and few are
brought in, save women ant children.
The pulpit has ceased to be a power.
it no longer charms or kindlcs. 1t finds
no echo in the universal heart. Ser.
mons are thought to be dull and vapid,
and when they call forth applause, it i,
the preacher that wins it, not the cause
he pleads. Are we at any loss TO nc
count for this? The old doctrines, the
old maxims, the old exhortations, the
| .,ld topics Of discussion, which the
alcrgy judge it their duty to reproduce
a re not those which now most interes
Il ,e people. The dominant sentimen,
+ the people is not what it was. Once
It was thought that the earth was smit'
,en with a curse from God, and happi'
Aess was no more to be looked for on il
a nd from it. Then all thoughts turned
to another world, and the chief enquiry
wa s, how to secure it. To save the
sonl from hell hereafter was the one
thin. needful; and the preacher, who
could show how that was TO be done
and h, ,aven secured, was sure to be
listened to. 1t is different now. Men
think les o! escaping hell, have less
fear of the nnvil, more faith in the pos
sibilltv of i,al voving their earthly con-
dition, an are n Nore earnest 10 e1tlhsuish
The fires of that hell which has been
burning here eve. since 'he iail' Inc
Church must conf, 'fm 10 inc new state
Of things. She cal '6ot bring oack 'h'
past. Yesterday nc Yer returns. II she
would have her yoic, responded to, she
INST sneak toncs tha shall harmonize
with tbe sentiment # the age. She
must preach democrac: V and then Will
Tho echo in everv heart. and call forth
, response from the der ahs oil the uni
,srsal soul of Humanity. She can speak
With power only when she speaks to the
dominant sentiment, and command love
md obedience only when ae commands
hat which, the people feel, ior the time
It least, to be the one thing neediui. .
In calling upon the ChurA y by which
elm we mean especially h,' clergy OF
III communions', to assocl ate with the
democracy, and 70 labor 70 the realiza'
ion Of that equality towar Is which the
,eonle everywhere a.re tend ing, we seem
o ourselves to be me.xely ecalling the
Church to Christianity. we freely ac'
knowledge the past ssfvl ees OF the
Church. She has done mlGi ana done
.obly. She has protected ne if'end.
ess, fed the orphan raised up 'he oowea
lown, and delivered him WHO was ready
o perish. She has tanned. the ru'h'ess
infused into his heart 'ne sen'
iment Of chaste love, and warmt>a MN
With admiration for the generous ana
humane; she has made kings and poten :
ates, who trample on their brethcren
remorse, and LORD it without
'cruple over Gods heri tage, feel that
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