True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-01-18

be employed to destroy. Relying on these
instrumentalities, Professionalism goes forth
in the confidence of assured success. The
discovery of the art of printing gave an
impetus to thought and opinion, and was
the available and characteristic exponent of
Protestant literature. The literature of
most modern nations dates from that Pc
riod. 1t gave birth to Erasmus, Melanc-
thon, Luther and Calvin. And as the Bi-
BILE first awoke these dormant mental ener-
gies and resources, so these in turn gather
ed strength and zest from each new reli-
gious or scientific discovery, added contin-
ually vast volumes of thought and practi-
cal research, from year to year, in illustra-
tion of its benign precepts, principles and
doctrines. Religion had thus become the
necessary and self-constituted element of
popular literature. It was indeed the har-
binger of science, philosophy and poetry;
and the learned turned gladly away from
the records of saints and newly canonized
friars to the temple of nature, the arkana
of God; from the pretended miracles of
NEUROLOGICAL saints to the study ofthe great
standing miracles of nature and God. Who
can estimate the vast good which has re-
suited to science from these discoveries; p;
for all these great practical results may be
traced directly or indirectly to the awaken
ing of one single mind. Call not that lit
erature which holds no communion with
the world, and which, if it has any sympa-
thy with it, pours forth its siSkly sentimcn-
tality in outragng credulity and reason, in
detailing the marvellous cures and miracles
wrought by the mouldering bones of some
superannuatcd saint. As the Bible was
the first book given us, so it is also the last
book with which we can part. Science on
ly as such will always need this same pow
er, if not to preserve it, at least to incite
its votaries to those pursuits which have
shined so worthily in that light which the
gospel has dispensed. All admit that dur
ing the middle ages Germany had both a
literary and political pre-eminence over
England and France, and that only proves,
as they were all Catholic countries, that
Germany was not so hopelessly benighted
1t shows that nothing was wanting but the
man and the occasion, to burst the shackles
of ages, and for her to assume that posi-
tion of intellectual advancement she sub
scqucntly attained.
In the progress of the reformation its vo-
taries studied the Bible with ayidity and
delight, and they found themselves fur
nished by it with sufficient armor for the
mighty contest in which they were to en-
gage. They discovered in the New Tesla
ment what Christianity really was; their
representations of it were received with
wonder and read with ayidity, the secession
from the church of Rome becoming daily
much more rapid and extensive. Of this
the Popcs were fully aware, and as the on
ly way of counteracting these formidable
secessions, they attempted, by various de-
vices, to fetter the press, to prevent the
circulation of the Bible, and thus again to
plunge the world into that intellectual
darkness from which it had been happily
delivered. "Theso reformers were men,"
says DR.. Wayland, "who counted not their
lives dear unto them when a moral change
was to be effected" In despite of every
thing appalling in the form of opposition,
they studied, they argued, they preached,
they wrote, they translated, they printed
they employed for the promotion of true
religion all those means which the progress
of society had placed within their power.
We very much mistake, if these same ele-
ments are not efectually operative in work
ing out the great problems which the refor,
nation suggested.
The Protestant world has been entrusted
with this great legacy, the type of which
may be seen in all the great civil and So
cial blessings which we enjoy. We are
now in the midst of many hostile elements,
Socialism and Popery, the corrupt and lc-
gitimato offspring of mental and moral
darkness, and it behoovos constant watch
fulnoss upon the part of the real friends of
literature and religion.
lis painful really to contemplate the
results of the growing Indifference of Pro-
testants to these things. In their charac'
teristic simplicity, candor or confidence,
they imagine that all will end well, and
that there can now be no danger since these
reforms have been accomplished. This
work is not yet complete. Eternal watch
fulness can only secure us from these much
more dangerous, because more .insidious at
tacks. But to show that these Papal pre-
tensions to learning are unfOunded, glance
at church history, or inquire who became
really distinguished in science anywhere, in