New-York tribune., 1867-05-24
A SIGN or TIE TIMES.

A novel feature in the Boston programme OF
Anniversary Week will be Free Religious
Meeting, at which the various radical sects
which have existence outside of organized de-
nominations will appear, or will be asked to
appear, in the person of their representatives,
will give voice to their peculiar ideas; will
make confessions, compare notes, inquire how
far their faiths proceed from common centers,
and run in parallel lines, and consider the
practicability and the expediency OF forming a
loose working fellowship for ends purely moral
and spiritual.
1t is not the first time such project as this
has been entertained, perhaps; though we re-
member no instance of its so definite proposal.
But the scheme now broached merits special
attention, as being produced under the auspices
of men who are not merely accredited mem
bers of the Christian Church, but ordained
preachers in Christian pulpits, and affiliated
with Christian denomnati0ns-men, that Is,
who occupy officially the conservative attitude
in religion. Being persuaded, however, that
there is religious life outside of their denomi-
nation, and even outside of the Christian fold;
believing that this religious life, wherever
found is composed of substantially the same
clements, and turns toward essentially the same
ends: believing, too, that it can be made usetui
for common purposes, they open a hall mt
whose doors it may flow in The Spiritualist
is invited, the Come Outer, the Progressive
Friend. the Progressive Jew, the Transcendent-
alist, the nationalist, the Scientist the lover OF
the largest liberty of thought and speech.
The idea of such Conference will probably
be worth more than the Conference itself,
though that will be interesting The meeting
NAV, and very likely will, produce small re-
suits in the shape either of permanent organl-
zation or immediate practical action. 1t may
be AS well that it should; for premature at
tempt ut organization might fnghten away
great many, and Illustrate the very objects
which the callers of the meeting have In view.
IL will be long before these ar-nes are rubbed
out. II is easier to break down stone walls
than sentimental ones; and people who have
been running away from religious organizations
as fast as their legs would carry them VIII be
hard to catch inside of a new association. But
the idea is an admirable one; to entertain II IS
10 achieve a kind of success Sectarianlsm Is
the sore temptation of the Protestant world,
and the sore evil in It, Hencourages partisah
temper it fosters partisan cOnceit ana priue IL
narrows and perverts the sentiment OF brother
hood; it prevents the natural confluence OF
thought, feeling, and endeavor; 1t raises money
on unworthy pretexts, and spends 1t on illegltl-
mate objects In a community like ours, where
religious influences are SO much needed to c0un-
teract the influences of crude, uneducated, pas
sionate liberty. and equally crude, passionate,
and Dpedusated conservatism, religion should
gather up the sympathies, purposes, and efforts,
of the right minded and the high-souled OF
every name. Religious men and women should
become conscious of and confess their kindred
with each other, and should make effort at
least to throw the weight of their accumulated
power into the same scales. When faith,
hope, justice. charity, truth, purity, and
other noble graces, are in such demand, we can
not afford so much time and thought for matters
i'm which people disagree For building mp OF
fences. there is not strength to spare. To
worship names before qualities is squander-
ing of devotion, of which there was never an
excess. We would not seem fanatical, but we
believe that all sincerely religious men and
women, whatever they may call themselves, OF
refuse to be called, whether classified or un-
classifed-in the Church OF out OF it-within
the Christian pale or without il, could, if they
would, find some fundamental beliefs that might
draw them together for certain good objects
which would be of immense benefit to man
kind We feel sure that the moral force Mt
present scattered at random through the com
munity, or shut mp in closets, would, if de-
tached from local and incidental connections,
be sufficient to effect something magnificent In
the way of stimulating the better heart OF So
eiety. Ii is good to know that such a faith is
gaining ground, and that there are some who
stand ready TO test its value.