The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-09

President johnson to work out it's mission in
the hands of the poorer and medium classes
who have suffered 80 severely by tho deeds OF
the old political leaders.
Tho Religious Revolution OF the Age-A
New Heaven and q Now Earth.
In periods that vary from hundred to a
thousand years the life of every great idea
seems TO run out Often the forms remain--the
mere eruuioe but tho significance, the appli-
cation to the conditions of human life that gave
the ideas their power, and which was their
vitality, passes away, and what is left, whether
it is an institution or system, is not of more
consequence than q scrpent's slough. Nations
and sytems change equally by this rule. Several
times this rule has operated in the history OF
the Christian religion and though it has never
destroyed the grandly vital, central idea OF that
religion which seems adapted to so many d.
verse states of society," il has effected wonderful
changes IN its development, and given 1t at
every stage OF change the impulse Of new life
The jewish religion had become formula
of empty 0bservances when Christianity made
its first appearance. The great spirit OF the
Jewish religion had utterly passed away from
the people whom it had made great, and whom
that one idea had rescued from the oblivion
that has drowned so many tribes and nations.
The Christian religion arose in perception Of
that truth and in the attempt to awaken the peo-
pie to it. It scorned the usages, the rites, the
laws, that were no longer vital, and endeav-
ored to instil into the people the sincere spirit
that oil those rites and usages originated in.
This was the Hebrew Christianity-an at
tempt to purify the Hebrew Church and
drive the money changers from the tenn
pie. Society was ready for this attempt and it
throve. Then extending far beyond the society
it originated in, it spread as Greek Christianity
and founded the Eastern Church. Again,
in the division between the Eastern Church
and Rome, new and different idea becomes
the main one, and the old is practically super
seeded and passes away. Rome in turn extends
over the Western world civilizing influence
where before she extended q conquering one,
and has the complete dominion of mems
minds. Her vitality also passes anywhere
is nothing left but forms and ceremonies, and
her supremacy goes down before schism more
adapted to the enlightenment and earnestness
Of Europe
In each Of these phases there is an actual
change. The religion of the nation or the age
becomes essentially and practically different
from what it was before; and it is change
that corresponds with changes in the life OF the
people and with consequent mental develop
ment Greek Christianity differs from the first
development, just as the Greek did from the
Jew. 1t was Grecian through and through,
free and bold, full of mystic Platonism and
the Greek Church was like Greece, every part
at war with every other part and the Bishops
quarrelling without stint on the littlcst posi-
BILE point. Christianity in Rome took the form
and development Of Roman life. One Bishop
was recognized as superior to all the rest, and
became identified with the position Of the
Pontifer Marimus of heather Rome and as
the world became more spiritual and less war
like, this head Of humble sect rose to dispute
places even with the emperor. Grecian church
men disputed on the Immortality Of the soul,
and Roman churchmen on questions of supre-
macy and power. The Christianity Of the
Refol nation differed from that of Rome widely
and viially, and in virtue of the same spirit
and character in the people that destroyed the
Roman empire.
The change is clear from Jew to Christian,
from the Eastern to the Roman Christian, and
from the Roman Christian to the Protestant.
And there is now quite as great and distinct
a change dawning on mems minds, that
threatens to wonderfully modify the long domi-
nant Protestant Christianity. We are throwing
off the trammels Of old ideas. II is the change
that is sure to ensue as natural religion gets
fair play against what is called revealed reli-
gion. 1t is the change that goes with educa-
tion-that accompanies the telegraph, the
printing press and the public schools. 1t is the
great spirit of civilization that tends TO melio-
rate the condition of man in all respects, physi-
cal, mental, moral. 1t is civilization itself, let
ting in the light on all those places that priest.
craft has kept dark and peoplod with terrors'
Modern civilization will furnish better incen.
tive to virtue than this long used fear of hell
and one more in consonancc with the spirit Of
this age; and it will also, furnish system OF
religion tnat Will unite al men III comlnoh
observance, so that nine-tenths Of the civilized
portion of the human race shall not stand boot
ing at the religion of the rest 1t looks at the
earth with open eyes, and by the aid Of science
sees it very differently from what the ancien
saw it; and, looking further, it will interpret Il
men heaven quite as different and quite a
new.
There will be great struggle on this point
az there has been everywhere else in the his
tory of human progress and reimbursement
but humanity and civilization will prevail. The
authors of Essays and Reviews" may los,
their high places in the English Church fol
bold utterance, and prestcraft will stigmatiz'
many others less learned; but men will beal
this with the high consciousness that every