Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-04-03

possibility Of improving their earthly
and are most earnest TO OK
tingush the 6res Of that hell which has
been burning here ever since the fall
The Church must conform TO the new
state of things. She cannot bring back
the past. Yesterday never returns. III
she would have her voice responded to,
she must speak tones that will hormo'
n.ze with the sentiment Of the age
She must preach democracy, and then
will she echo in every heart. and call
forth response from the depths Of the
universal soul Of Humanity. She can
speak with power only when she speaks
to the dominant sentiment, and COM
mand love and obedience only when
she commands shat which the people
feel, for the time at least, to be the one
thing needful. :.
In calling upon the Church. by which
term we mean especially the clergy ol
all communions, 10 associate with the
democracy. and to labor for the realiza'
ton of that equality towards which the
people everywhere are tending, we seem
to ourselves to be merely recalling the
Church to Christianity. We freely &C.
knowledge the pa st services OF tho
Church. She has done much and done
nobly. She has protected the friend,
less, fed the orphan, raised up the bowed
down. and delivered him who was ready
to perish. She has tanned the ruthless
barbarian, infused into his heart the sem
timent OF chaste love, and warmed him
with admiration for the generous and
humane; she has made kings and poten.
tates, who trample on their brethren
without remorse, and lord 1t without
scruple over Gods heritage. feel that
there is a power above them, and that
throne and diadem, sceptre and domln'
ion, shall avail them naught in the pres
cnce Of the King Of kings, before whom
they must one day stand and be Judged
as we'll as the meanest OF their slaves;
she has done thousand times over more
good for the human race than we have
space or ability TO relate, and blessings
on he, memory! eternal gratitude to God
Tor that august assembly Of saints, mar
tyrs and heroes, which she has nourish.
ed in her bosom, and sent forth to teach
the world, by their lives, the divinity
there is in man, one DAY will be ava.
kened and called forth in its infinite
beauty and omnipotent energy!
But whilo we say this, we feel that the
Church now, in both its Catholic and
Protestant divisions, is unconscious OF
it's mission, and has become false to its
great Founder. Jesus was under a po.
!i,ical and social aspect, the prophet Of
The democracy. He came to the poor
and afflicted, TO the wronged and the
outraged, to the masses, the down.trod'
den millions; and he spoke to them as a
brother. in the tones Of an infinite love
and infinite compassion. while he tnun'
dered the rcbukes Of Heaven against
their opprcasors. aye serpents, ye gen
erations of vipcrs,' says he to the peo
pies masters, chow can ye escape tht
damnation OF hel?" His word was with
power. Lye, was it, because he spoke
TO the common soul, because he spok'
GU. for outraged Humanity, and becaus'
he did not fear to speak 10 the great
the renowned, the rich. the boastingl!
religious, in terms Of terrible plainnes
and severity. Before his piercing glanc
es r,h. born distinctions vanish, and king
and princes, scribes and Pharisees, chic
priests and elders, sink down below tn
meanest fisherman, or the v!lest slave
and become less worthy TO enter tn
kingdom OF heaven than publicans AM
harlots. Their robes and widened ply
lacteries, their loud pretensions, thei
wealth, rank. refinement, influence, d.
not deceive him. He sees the hollow
heart within them, the whited sepul
churs they are, full Of dead men,
bones and ell manner OF uncleanness
vessels merely washed on the outside, al
filthy within, and he denounces them il
terms TOO terrible to be repeated. Her
was the secret Of his power. The great
the hono-ed. the respectable, the arsto
cracy, social or religious, beheld in hin
a fearful denouncer of their expressions
a ruthless unveiler Of their hidden de
formity; while the poor, the "commo1
people" saw in him an advocate, pro
teclor, ay. an avengcr.
Jesu, declared that the spirit OF tn
Lord was upon him, because he was an
Hointed to preach the Gospel 10 til
poor, ard he gave; when asked by tn
disciples Of John, the fact, that the Cos
pei was preached TO the poor, as one c
the principal proofs Of his MsesiahshiF
He chose his disciples from the loves
renks Of his countymen; and they wer
+ the common people who heard him glad
| ly. Was he no, a prophet from God t
the masses? Was he prophet 10 ther
merely because he prepared the way lc
their salv alton hereafter? Say it not
The earth he came to bless; on the cart
he came to establish kingdom; and
was said of him that lie should not ia
+ nor be discouraged till he had set jud(
ment-justice-in the earth, and tn
isles waited for his law. He was t
bring forth victory unto truth. In hi
days the earth was to be blest; under hi
reign all the nations were to be at peace
the sword was to be beaten into til
, ploughshare and the spear into the pru
ming hook; and war was to be no more
RI The wolf and the lamb were to lie dow
together. and they were not to hurt G
destroy in all the holy mountain Of tn