Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-08-21
Che gauxpille Hhia.
Knoxville, Tenn, August 2I. 1867.
The Fusion or RELIGIOUS Ideas.

his seems 10 De the age OF religious IA
sione. Sixty years ago Napoleon. when n
got among the Turks, protested himseh
good Mussulman, quoted the Koran, ah'
proclaimed himself the Man OF Destiny
But he never really gained anything by ~
and historians like Alison in the history y
Europe. and many others, made greA'
handle Of It, TO prove his hapitual in pn4
certify on the most solemn su2jects, DuS
the Sultan. in his recent speech uehFefeo
at Guildhall. London, has astohien 81 :. .ne
world by his liberality. lie spoke Win the
utmost Auency in Arabic, ana ms speech
was not only Interpreted by secretary, or
draoomap. but printed, and copies OF Ut
froeIv circulated 10 the great admiration OF
the assembled crowd. He seemed to have
Ion behind him all the pecaliarities of the
Nas5ern faith. and to have brought out only
some Of those great principles Of universal
rel;cion that belong to all Kingdoms and
nations of the earth, as men. He desires
NOT only g TO see in other centres Of civili-
cation what still remains to be done in his
own country, but to show his desire to es-
tablish, not only among his own subjects,
but between his people and the other ma
tons Of Europe, that feeling Of brotherhood
which is the foundation Of human progress
and the glory OF our age"
No doubt this speech was carefully pre-
pared for him, prepared specially for the
London market; but he clearly understood
it, and adopted its sentiments His great
maxim, the brotherhOodof nations, the foRa-
ddtioa Of human progress, is indeed a senti-
ment worthy the highest admiration. No
wonder an English poet SO far forgot the
ancient antipathy of Christian and Meham-
medan, as to pray God to protect this rep
resentative Of the false prophet Not only
is religious persecution now being put an
end TO through the earth, but there are Ger
tain great principles Of religion clearly be-
coming established among the nations Of
the earth worthy Of special notice, Rev.
Henry Martin, when he went as missionary
to, and travelled through, Persia, astonished
the Mohammedan doctors by conducting a
public controversy, in which he quoted
largely from the Koran. Since his time.
not the Arabic alone, but the Sanscrit and
Iind languages have been carefully ex-
plored, the Vedas and Avestas translated
for the East India Company, 50 that now,
in India, The English judges administer the
laws and protect the religious liberty and
rights of the natives of all classes with a
really wonderful precision and knowledge,
far exceeding the judgment and justice of
the natives, and with a knowledge Of the
history Of their religious books and tradi-
tons which seems likely to have the most
important and beneficial effect on human
rights. individuals have a right to believe
and profess what religious principles they
please, but it seems now TO be understood |
that the governments Of all nations must
act on the principle of universal religion. |
The brotherhood Of nations, and of those
holding different faiths, seems to be melting |
down the whole human race into condi- |
ton in which the moral principles and JUS
tice Of each will be preserved, and their |
reverence for all they esteem sacred respect
ed, so that the essentials Of universal re-
ligion stripped Of all particular formalites
are being developed with surprising rapi-
dity In Calcutta an East Indian marriage
lately took place, in which the bridegroom
and bride were united, and publicly prom
Used TO be faithful to each other. in the
presence of the great the all-seeing God.
stripped Of its technicalities
is unquestionably the basis of all these
1t furnishes the idea and the
principles, even where the name and the
Of sects, names and parties
seem to contribute to the necessity and
power OF this movement 1t was in the
border land between Judaism, Paganism
and Samaritanism that Christianity. with
its universal principles and charity, was
first introduced, and throughout the Roman
Empire with its diverse religions, that it
hrst extended its cOnquests 1t has often :
been dwarfed by thousand narrow sects
md parties and forms, but its noblest tri- !
1mphs have been won by the compreen-
'lve spirit Of its own great "kingdom of !
Heaven Probably the real power of this I
system is nowhere so thoroughly felt and
understood rs IN our own country, and un-
Ter our own constitution, where alone all :
religions arc equally protected, but not ex-
jlusively tablished-wbere every thing is :
rec, and the universal dictates of morality /
orm the basis of the laws. While the es- /
Church in England may vary from Z
Low to High, or the reverse, the extensive
domains of the British empire leading to a
breadth of view that enables her ablest
tatesmen TO take into view ideas Of mi
Tersal religion of the greatest practical :
breadth and application. But il is on our .
'wn continent that the relations of Roman 4
catholic and Protestant, Greek Church. I
jhnese, Persian and Indian, are creating a
egal liberty and forbearance, with a Chris
ian tone and temper, that must produce .
he very best fruits among mankind, and
he establishment of those truths among
he wisest and the best, shat shall give to
il religion which, under the names of
arious sects and parties, perhaps shall en- :
race principles broad as humanity itself,
nd living, earnest and charitable as Chris Il
lanity in its earliest and purest days
Ledger.