The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-22


kind are passing through an extraordinary
change at the present time. This extends even
beyond the Christian world; for the great
rebellion in China, which has been going on
for several years and which Is not yet ended,
assumes in part religious character But it Is
Of the changes that are taking place among
Christian nations and communities In America
and Europe, and particularly in the United
States, to which we call attention.
The most remarkable developments in the
religious world, then, are seen in the tendency
to in6delity under the mask Of religion on one
hand and in the tendency to superstition and
blind credulity on the other. One extreme
seems TO begct the other. The repulsion Of
one set of extravagant or disturbing ideas or
theories drives people to seek refuge in others
directly opposite and equally extreme. Yet
strange to say, there is phase of the religious
movements Of the age, and that widespread,
which combines both the extremes Of inadelity
and superstition, OF unbelief and surprising
credulity. We refer to modern Spiritualism,
as that term is now generally undcrstood-a
mental phenomenon, If we may call it 80,
which is seen In this county, and particularly
in New England, more than anywhere else.
The Christian Church-and by that general
term we include the numerous Churches or
secis protesting Christianity-has been struck
with sterility. The interior plains Of Africa
or the deserts Of Arabia are not more sterile.
The earnest faith in and the vital power Of the
Chriotsoc in;n IN - hiuforv nd in
the times of Luther, Knox and Cromwell, and
long afterwards, have departed. People join
the Church and 60 regularly to it now because
that is respectable and fashionable. There is
little faith in revelation or providence. Most
Of the protesting Christians of the present day
are modern Sadducces or Pharisees. They
have no higher view Of the religion Of Christ
than that It is good system of morals and
useful to society. Ithas no influence over their
souls and little over their conduct They are
as much in tho dark about the future as if
Christ had never said anything about il; in
fact, they either do not believe what he and
his disciples taught, or explain it away by
rationalsm. Still these people are shocked
whenany ono intimstes that they do not believe
in Christ The Church Of our day is like the
withered Ag tree that bore fruit no more.
Tho cold Formally Of Episcopalianism has
done much to destroy tho vitality Of religion,
but there have been other causes at work.
The restless, inquiring and speculative mind Of
the New England people has been mainly in
strumental in This country in sowing the seeds
Of inadelity under the guise Of religion. No
better illustration Of this oan be found than in
Henry Ward Beecher. He is . good type of
New England. H, represents the ideas that
prevail generally throughout the land Of the
Puritans; ideas, however, very different from
those with regard to divine revelation, and the
miracles. resurrection and godhead OF Christ,
which the Puritans brought with them from
England. Beecher and those protesting Chris
tians Of the present time do not follow Calvin,
Knox or the Pilgrim fathers, but Strauss and
Renan. True, they sing the old Puritan hymns,
use pretty much the same phraseology in their
prayers. and preach somehow in the same
strain but they laugh In their sleeves at what
If man in those early days had denied The
godhead Of Christ his miracles, special provi-
dence and divine revelation, which were con-
sidered the very foundation Of Christianity, no
would have been called an infidel yet the
Bccchers Of this day who pretend to preach
tho Gospel, and draw salaries for preach
ing, no more believe In these funda-
mental dogmas Of our religion than voltairo
and Mirabcau did. They are not scot,
fers, as these French inHdels wore; for they,
like Renan, regard Jesus as the highest type
Of humanity-as divine even, in a poetic sense
Still, their religion, If religion it oan be called,
Is nothing but the dry husk, the mere moral
form Of that Christianity which has pervaded
the world for eighteen centuries.
Another remarkable phase Of the religious
movements OF the age, rs seen in this country
particularly, and in New England more than
in any other part. is modern Spiritualism. We
say modern, because this thing is - old as his
tory, though 1t has appeared under various
forms at different times. The vulgar Of all
nations have believed In r. II was seen in tho
Egyptian, Grecian and Roman oracles, In tho
pretended witchcrafts and ghosts OF moro
recent times, anu even iu tuo inCoutsuons anu
and superstitions Of savage tribes. Spiritual
ism has spread more among us than many sup
pose; for while small number only may make
an open profession Of belief in II vast numbers
are tainted with IT. Nearly all the Spiritual
lists, too, arc inadels. They reject the funda-
mental doctrines Of the Gospel, in the god
head, miracles, resurrection and atonement
Of Christ. Yot they believe greater miracles,
il possible, in tho appearance, conversations
and physical power Of spirits In tho ubiquity
Of, spirits, and In their power to read the
thoughts and to tell the future. They are the
most credulous and superstitious, OF people |;
still they reject the Scripture record as IRA
tional. This Ia . strange contradiction, and
can only ha exnlalnad hX thu raatlass dcsira