New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-11

has sded itbut erthees- On sract-rl-tcs an
unI.bgous ags-despte ia phia 'hropy and IT. nroes
Of seo;arian pietY, s nights OF man, AID s sell com
pacercy toward God.
Nor 10 this all IL is not only an unrehglous age,
but il II becoming more and more nnrehg'ous. FJr
RELIGIONS institutions and IDEAS in our day flourish
maity in the strength Of their roots IN a religious
past a strength Which is constantly diminishing. a.
respect foI rank in England the remnant OF an hone-t
snrtocra'ic -y-,.m ages IN power, Is The Wholesome
rs iuerf9 which prevents the democratic instincts OF
the aye m that country from hnrying pecptatey to
their Inevitable goal 20 the genuine righteousness OF
age gone BY vhose favor lngef5 in our boO1 i the
nott vigorous support the worship OF ths age e')y
Whatever public UOuri-hment besides, distinctive and
essential religion has IN generation is 10 the
exceptional devOutness Of sprfs born ont Of due time,
and 10 the ESPRIT dc corps 20 chaTactersc Of the day
the love Of JOINT action the fonopess for education ST.
moral and ethical Institutions the emulation OF CON-
uu,nes with each other, the psrtssn rivalry Of secs,
and the fact tina under the Of religious irstit1
tom. v sustslb vast aud valuable system OF a11It
education, ID thought, humanity AMI manners. Our
churches, 70 a great extent and copSanty more aud
more So turefOunJations-ln which the Interest
II less anJ less religious more ana more POI zeal Social
and ethical The orc thing the people are Interested
ia j. life Themselves, each other, and the relation OF
the inside TO the ouside--of 20 his yelling, Of
man 10 nan, Of man 10 himself. To make religion
out Ct self respect rghtlivng, self.cuture-to n.st
that aspiration is worship ,,hat truth u Goi, that
gOooIess IL Ielglon-is the highest ambition OF our
ode IN pupit | DO not cay il IL blame, nor III s;Orn
for under the circumstances, It is honorable anbi-
on Iad upon by the necessity o! justiiying Their
owl fai'h TO themselves. God is TOO sacred word 70
be lost Of the language; worship too holy thing
not 10 be held TO rome pfesEce or other; pe,y
too profound sDd ndestlucbe an psilOc 70 be aosn-
doned and therefore the political aud social deaisrn
Of our sge clothes itself IN religious phra-eology and
form out Of honest respect for the past, sincere
selfdflusion and what il beet Of al urder an instinct
i've provideptisl guidance. But to say thst the
aDmating and Characteristic quality OF the American
people Of the nineteenth century religion worship,
.taay u
in cur tern and usages represents living sp1t, ana
not Tevered memory IA more thsn just DISC NINA
ton will allow. On the contrary, the science, ph'iso-
ply and literature If the day b1siy engaged IN
Crea ing substitutes for religiOn-sn1 Authorizing tpe
continuance of the pames and forms and ~ nbDls OF
worship and faith after asserting in more or less ob'i-
Gus language the irelevancy of the things the nseve-
Wien the Head of al American University, from
whom had the ciote, inquired OF professor IN
Berlin, what Humboldt would probably answer, II
asked what was has religious faith He said his reply
would probably be- ain Of the religion OF all nen OF
scitDce.
Doubtless he meant what the lively Frencbmso, the
excellent Ca bOc who has Just treated the Roman
question, means, hen be says in praise OF the
loenese IS con pa'cd With the Romans, - They know
" oil thaS we know they believe all ttat We beleVe,
" and nothing more
We owe Ieco sbion to the &c usl and serious faith
of tcence in our Gay. While Oersted, Whe~el and
Hugh Miller, and lanes nearer home, are remembered,
bkey 10 forget our respect Tor tne union OF
sc'erce and faith.
Yet the actual weakness Of positive faith visible in
TO hing 20 much o. in the eager welcome yielded by
the prfesseG friends Of Christianity 20 any succor which
the science or literature of the day may see ~ to
bestow IN charity upon the Church. TIE tines IL
deed are cbaugeo, ence science and literature were
hon BILE supplaD,s at the Church-gaie, asking per-
mission TO ser up their conclusions within her pangs;
and no~ religion is thankful If geology scorntuy pass-
IL by does not throw her hammer at her lead, ana
literature lampoon her i'll Der own pulpit
/ have been speaking, You will oberve, not wholly,
yet mainly of tendencies; aud tendencies mey be da
eerous and extravaganza and yet necessary aud poyi-
deDtal-a wholesome reaction upon other tendencies
still more alarming. There have been perilous ten
denotes 10 of ritual aud positive religion IN
Oriental regions, A. past eras ending IN paralysis ~ Inc
private will, and deterioration OF humanity. Attimes,
even in the Christian world, there hns been too much
woIship too constant and formal reference to Gods
will to admit of q proper degree Of human freedom.
You " not understand me, then, as generally qnes-
tonipg the merits of the age We live in, by calling 1t
an unreligOus age dlspars9ing PrOtesahtem, as
if it had not been, and were not still, until honestly
exhausted valuable and indispensable movement.
And for psychological reason of the utmost lnpor-
lance to explain which the third step in our Journey
have shown, first, the particular, and next the gen
eia historical reason Of the pause OF iaithi wish
to set forth the still more fundamental or psycao-
loa zeal reason of this pause-the 8RsUersdf reason.
Ill There are two motions of the spirit IN relation
to God his Creator and uph0lder esseDta 70 Inc very
existence Of generic or individual Mana centrifugal
and a G, nripetal notlOnthe motion that sends man
away r God TO learn his freedom 20 deveope his per
sona powers and faculties relieved OF the overawlng
and predomlDating presence ohs Authof ana tue mo
ton that draws HIM back TO God to receive the nsp''
ration nurture, and endowment Wnlch ne has become
strope enough 10 hold. For man. though creature OF
faculties is still characte is'icsliy creature oil
capacities; and his capacities must be developer De-
foe they be filled his vessel shaped before II can
20 the fountain. lie must have freedom, before ne
can Weld obedience he mus. possess a will, before he
can turIender it, affections trained - love visible oo-
iecs before they love the unseen Source Intel
lectual aid moral independence, 10 make ms loyaty
significant ard his service blessed. Accordingly the
o1pip and history of the exhibits the care with
winch God mas hidden himself away from his Creatures
in the infancy Of their existence, eSt they sh0un DC
somched ar sIvel!ed in the Story OF his presence.
And vet hs whole purpose is TO croae race mat can
live IN his conscious society without lOsi heir indl
yiduaity and freedom in gaining his INSPIRATION and
guidai &c. The whole vexed question OF tho taIdness
Gi the great Dispensatons, aud OF the Necessity OF
Revelation itself Is To be solved oty III the nSht Vi
his law the sis'oc or dsastue, or double motion OF
cur spns. Man is not made acquainted Wlth God oy
nature and God does not come nIo his earnest stages
of existence with dsiinclness, because spiuai cIe
o.; ON must preccde spiritual salvation. Inc met Hiu
is e the earth, earthly the second man, - the Lord
from heaven; the hrst Adam was created hVmg
soul the second Adam qulckemnS splIt: MAN
cres ion is not complete a. has birth, but CONTINUES on
in his development intellectual aud moran being;
ana this DEVELOPMENT is primarily more important than
The use to winch his faculties are put as the NE,
health ard growth Of our children are more Important
than any thing they can do fer us er any affections
they manifest toward Us, IN their infancy and youth.
IL we view the history of the race IN comprehensive
way We shall observe that Il has been provlieniishy
occupied IN all it's earlier with itself establishing
Whist NAV be called lis sefhood and that what is
termed na'ural reigion-whch is only an inverted
sef-worship, in which man makes his o.n deity san
his tastes and feelings and of course, does mol make
him too strong for bls own salcwl-is then the only
WINES Of the living Coda witness so meek as not to
u,ercIe with the provideI,ia process OF setting man
UP in his own right and liberty. Revealed religion
tie on y religion that ever la, had authority oi which,