North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-11-24


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Revolution In Theology.
From the Chicago Tribune of a late
date, we clip an article that is indicative
of liberalism in religious thought that,
# successful, must ultimately upset all
systems Of Theology. Our religious ideas,
fashions, conduct, or what you may choose
TO call them in lump or in gross, ore not
very orthodoxical. We are no devotee.
We think there is much scheming in
church organizations as we'll as in secular
legislative bodies. We think Pic Nino,
in his Gcumenical (Univereal) Council,
soon TO be convened in Rome, is endeavor-
ing to re-establish Papal temporary power.
We believe he will fail. Austria, the
most devoted Catholic nationality in
Europe has said s'hands of in our pc lit
lea. arrangements" Victor Emanuel.tells
his Holiness not to interfere with
him. Spain is in revolution, and no
longer to be depended on as on ally of the
Church of Rome, either in a spiritual or
secular sense. Pere (Father) Hyacinthe
is playing Luther No. 2; seeking notori.
ETY. by public exhibitions; protesting at
tachment to the system in which ne was
educated only to make more sure its de.
struction. Episcopalianism is growing so
near the ''oli church, in its ritualistic
practices that it does not matter much to
which church you tie. In the religious
world "The times are out of Joint"
Birthstone is no longer preached. Liber-
alism is advocated to an extent that may
encirclc all of us with the Gordon of Chris
tianity without respect to our creeds or
our conduct. Who knows: Unitarian
ism has almost driven the Divinity of the
Saviour out of New England, while
the popularity Of Universalism is making
a Roadway that threatens the abolition Of
oil the terrors which were once the dread
of the young and the ancient devous.
All this we have seen and passed
through within few years. Thinkers
have noticed this cru in its rapid approach
to inide!ity, and so great has become the
alarm Of the elect that recent convention
of Iowa religious people asked Congress,
by petition, to pass ian amendment to the
Constitution acknowledging the existence
Of GoDW Are people becoming so loose
in opinion that Con must be recognized
by LAw7 We are not pious; but wesmost
solemnly aver that the present state of the
''Christian World alarms us. Restraints
are necessary to good order, whether
they be by force of law or of religious
belief. We all require some chart
by which we may be guided. 1t is but
capdid to say that an immense amount Of
Scripture looks chafy to us, but it con-
tains. much Of tho wheat Of instruction
and the leavcn Of moral influence. Let
the structure which has moulded the bro.
gressive portion Of the world for SO many
years stand intact. Let churches in their
unchf;stian acts toward each other, net
tear down the whole fabric and, as
franklin wrote to Paine, "unloose the
tiger Of passion and of selfshness to prey
upon humanity
But this article has run off with US. We
meant only to write few lines of intro
duction to this positive Philosophy"
business about to be inasgurated at Harv'
ard. 1t starts where all other isms orig.
mate, and We hardly dare hope it will be
unsuccessful. Personally, we have not
one particle Of formal religion, but no
line of ours ever ridiculed the profession
oft, and we say with truth and with an
eye to the benefit Of our fellow beings,
that we would prefer to see larger share
Of faith in future state, and greater
devotion to religious exercises, even
though some of them be more fanatical
than We now sometimes witness, than to
witness q time of general scepticism.
France experimental once. Her bloody
history should be our beacon.
A Professorship of Positive Philosophy |
has been established at Harvard Universe |
", AMI the fact is causing considerable |
discussion among the Eastern newspapers.
Since the death of Comte, we doubt if |
there has been Professor Of the Positive !
School of Philosophy in any college in |
Christendom. The obeisance now render.
ed by Harvard to this mode Of thought is |
one Of those signs of the times which can
not fail to arrest the attention of scholars. |
The Positive Philosophy, in its briefest
definition, is the philosophy of facts. 1t
accepts nothing which is not proved. It
sets out by rejecting everything supernat-
ural and everything metaphysical. All
the0logies are alike pushed to one side
not that religion is obnoxious to the Posts
tive Philosophy, but because, in its
estimation and according to its rules, no
religion has been proved to be true. All
forms of religious belief are, therefore,
arrayed against Positivism, and hence we
need not be surprised if there is pretty
emphatic protest from all denominations
1.-THE Unitarians included) against the ac>
ton of the Harvard Trustees. The an
swer, OF course. will be that error is not
dangerous 80 long as truth is left free to
combat it.
The New York World announces its
intention to publish the first course of
lectures delivered by Professor Fiske (the
newly-appointed Professor of Positiyism)
in it's columns.
jefferson Davis.
POLAND, autLoraOf the ssLoet Cause"
has Published "Secret History of
everything pertaining to the inside work
angs Of the Confederate rebellion. We