New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-26
AND TIE CHURCH IN EN-
GLAND.
Prom Our sy<eisl Correspondent

On our side Of the water IL the complete emancoa-
ton which men are undergoing from the bondage
Of Authority. The evidences Of the fact which
meet You on every habd are not near so haod'ome,
on the wi OLE Is those you encounter with u.s. but
they are to be found equally diffased in every
sphere Of life, as might proceed to prove in great
detail II / had the space Nowhere more than 10
England do the bonds of authority which used TO
| bind mantle cd bonds Of Church and state
| seem 70 have fallen into popular disbelief and DIS
regard; ard it strikes desira Die to consider
| what shall tale the place of there bonds or 10
what source We shall hereafter look for our tocal
! conservation. q,
The CT urch, viewed merely IS an eccie'Mstieat
| institution sbd tbs State viewed merely as Poft-
zeal Institution evidently confess themselves iDpo
tent to guide human de 'elopmeDt In Protestant
ifm, the Church fully diseaDs its authority any
| longer to guide human thought; in Democracy,
the State obowns Its authority any longer 70 guoe
human action. Professionalism, at bottom 10 MOTH
ing mere Ior less than proclamation OF individual
freedom 10 the spiritual sphere; Democracy Is
the proclamation Of the freedom In tue mate.
Iial sphere. The former absOlves man from all
allegiance short If God in religious thiogs the
latter sbsolses bin from all alet short OF
humanity in secular things. The Church accord
iDgly, as an authoritative divine institution with
power TO bind the popular thought, disappears
from Protestant countries, becoming spiritually
difustd sUODg the whole body of Christians; and
the State, as an authoritative divine institution,
with power TO bind the popular will, disappears
from Demo cratic countries being equally dlifused
among the whole BODY Of citizens. Thu, II Is The
pr nsiOD of Pro estantism TO bring mankind INTO
direct contact with God-tbe Church, which form
efly mediated betae The two, beiog now by JOINT
consent dropped out aDd IL is the pre.eDsl0n Oi
democracy TO have brought man into direct CON
Aha Skata nV.Na
sed between man and man, being henceforih by
joint consent also dropped out.
Obviously, then, we are at q crisis IN human
affairs. Mankind 10 manifesty entering uPon the
period of its majority; and the law of Its action
must be sought Do longer in the precePs OF tutors
and governors, but in its own rpened intelligence
The old paternsl mansion, with its wholesome
austerites is forly left behind, and the srapplpg
youth, with pack on shoulders, 10 cast upon the
world to seek Bis own fortune. Church and
State, which bave hitherto been bis father and
other which have been the soul and body OF his
past culture and discipline, can DO nothing more
for him They have exhausted their skiu in
bringing him up to ibis critical age, aud they con-
st quently open wide their doors, bidding him
speed hereafter upon his spiritual and material
mission according to the bessiog of Heaven upon
bis own msn}u courage and ability.
Now, this demearOr on the part Of Church and
State would be tOrsy unintelie IDLE and without
excuse, save upon the understanding that science
IS moe fully 0deqnote to carry out and complete TIE
Professionalism TO ally us directly with God, so pas
sing by the mediation of the Church, is wholly fa
laciOus, uDlets spiritual laws or the laws which
regulate the intercourse of the soul with God, are
capable OF a scientific statement aud approximations
and The pretensiOn of Democracy TO ally us directly
with humanity, or our fello y. man, so passing by
tie ention of the State would also be wholly
I'LL n. laua tha la va yyh
regulate human fellowship were so similarly capa-
bic Of scientific form aud body. 1t is absurd TOR
Prott stantism to pronounce itself an advance upon
ROmanism if it give its followers nothing in ex-
change for the goods they have relioquished The
Church separated MS from G d only by the breadth
of its Owp sacTaments and priesthood that Is to
say it allowed the fretst access by toeir media
tion. Professionalism, in as Conceive very prop
ery rejecting this boon, and in promising us direct
or INN ediate access to God, did not mean TO 6eude
US 1t does not say, when 1t hnds us LOOKING oscA
10 the ara btofa OF spiritual infancy or to the
sscrauental grace and sacred ,tal absolutiOn we
have left behind, that it BIS nothing to give In lieu
Of there ppeciOus blessings; GA the contrary. II
insures us the direct illumination aud immediate
cOnifors of the Holy Spirit And Of course this d.
rect illumination and comfort in disavOwiDg every
ecclesiastical conduit or channel, claims normal
and regulated descent TO man, or Obeys certain
lows of communication; which lans, like all
others, lepitiDstely commend themselves to sclen-
tifc cGaniZance.
In like mau1 er precisely it is absurd for Democ-
Iacy TO pronounce itself an advance upon Mon
sIcby OF AIistocfacy if it give the citizen nothing
! in exchange for the order and protection he has
relibouished Monarchy and Aristocracy allowed
US a quasi and conventional fellowship with our
kild or separated us from our tellO SO only by the
breadth Of their own necessities the breadth
of what they cal the State. Democracy,
in q, conceive very justly rejecting this boon,
and promising US the direct and unlimited fellow
slip OF our Kind, does not mean to deceive us. "
does not cay wien it fDds us reyerting to the days
that ale past-the days OF hitgshp tnd coercion, OF
social order enforced by the bay and civic
honesty guaranteed by the prisOn-tbat 1t has moth
ing better to give us than these sbaaby blessings.
IL atsurts us on the contrary full feO Uship with
our hind Or an unforCed .cisl order among men,
| sDd an honesty and good faith which shall per nit
| pJifons ard bsyObets to crumble INFO toe dlsre
| ea1ded dust And this perfect fellow ship of man
with NJ, q, since it disclaAs any definite political
ctaInel mutt be C, nti0gent for its manifestation
upon cert. ia iaus, which are legitimate quest Of
,be hum,n understanding. ord fall WITHIN the scope
offs science Thus the Church aud tire state, under
their III esent Pro.t slant ami Democratic admins
tralioD, perfectly concur in putting human destiny
uu0n q scientific fOOfipg committing our spirit
ual aId secular interests to the sole regime of To-
telietnce. IDre)IieeIce il hsDcetOrth the crowned
king of men, as the goodness which ssnctfes IL is
their stle anoiI ted priest
Our leading PrOtestsnts end Democrats are no
doubt WHOLLY unconscious oi the strictly humsni-
tsIy bearings Of cur present ecclesiastical and
political lule. They fancy, good easy men, that
PrOte stsntirm and Democracy are permanent or
final evolutoDs Of the religious eno social senti-
NE Mt, and are seriously iDcOmmoded by the sug-
sestion of their rigidly solvent aud transit Oaal
efficacy They are unwilling to regard these tbings