Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-06-01
Free Religion al the North.

There IL an ASSOCIATION at the North whose
members style themselves Free Religionists. p"
Public meetings of this organization have al
ready been held at Chicago and New York,
aud, as might have been expected, even much
more frequently at Boston. The aim oil this
association of Free Religionists is essentially
an irreligioas one. 1t has no creed to propa-
gate, but PROCESSES simply to be animated by a
desire TO correct error in others. The Free
Religionists, by the title they assume, seek to
avoid the odium which attaches to the name
OF Free Thinkers. Yet of the latter some were
Uejsts, some Atheists, and all anti Christian. =
So also in behalf oil these Free RehgiOnlsts. -
The Rev. y. b. rockingham whilst disclaim
ing any purpose to make war on any form OF
religion, declared that the new movement
was calculated to inaugurate an era OF the
absolute supremacy of human reason IN
spiritual matters.
The speakers made up curious medley
Dr. Erlanger argued In favor OF the adoption
of the Israeltish faith in lone God and one
humanity" The Rev. Jesse III. Jones, whilst
defending Christianity from radical assaults,
desired to speak OF Jesus as the Great Teacher
OF the law of moral action, and as 1.-THE Sher-
man under whom they were all marching to
the sea.
Another so-styled reverend speaker was
disgusted with Professionalism, because it was
"a compromise between Catholicism and tree
religion" He wanted to throw all compro-
misses behind him. Ex Rev. Ralph Waldo
Emerson, the Philosopher of Concord, ,avowed
in vague terms his belief in natural, and his
disbelief in revealed religion. He did not open
ly declare his disbelief in the divinity OF the
Saviour, but he suggested it. ut was no
WONDER" he said, that there was Christ,
but that there were not q thousand. Kew
Col. Higginson believed in the inefhciency oi
Christianity as practlsed ut the present day,
spd had convinced himself of the high moral
purposs of the Free Religionists, by finding
that "the persons composing the ASSOCIATION
were among the leading rctOrmers IN the most
successful reforms OF the day, Mrs Mary
Grew, one of these same leading retormers
whose doings are to purity the world, bad
horror OF Christianity, which, she alleged, was
the origin and inspiration 'ot all the I6els that
had ever been uttered against true religion
She thought we'll of Christ, aud still better OF
the sermon on the Mount, and was evidently
disposed to patronize both. Rev. Miss Glib
SON discussed the necessity of a religion THAT
would know no sects, and would recog.
nize woman as the moral and political equal
of man." This religion OF the ballot box
might be supplemented, she thought, in
another way" She wanted to know 'why
all the relics OF knowledge, science and
truth which modern civilization had dis
covered and analysed, should not be gath
cred into one universal religion OF human
itv for the benefit of mankind After
developing this Stupcndous idea, the Rev. Miss
Ciib.sn, ex-Chaplain 10 the army, gathered up
her skirts and sat down. The Rev. MIR. Cowel
considered Jesus simply as "a man among men,
INIT man OF noblest moral stature" Tract
colnorteurs, according to the speaker, are hum
bues. and Bible societies 'ShamS the exist
ence OF caste scandal to Christianity, and
his great hope in the Free Rcleionsts was that
thew would induce the people to throw aside
the popular idols of the Bible and Jesus
Christ" The Rev. Mr. Conner has ascertain.
ed that 1.-THE most popular orthodox minister
in Boston was one who preached the least or
thodoxy preached the philosophy OF the
Adirondack Mountains and the Brighton
Road" The speaker added: The prayer.
taught me in my childhood, though they REGAL
10 me the tendereSt associations, would be bias
phemy ior NE to use now, because the gentle
Jesus is no longer the God dare to pray to
IL is time to drop these fables. The praetca
religion of the day is that which ceases to lOol
to Heaven.
Much more of similar sort might be quoted
rs Illustrating the character of the New Move
ment and the views of those who uphold 1t
The system of religion which is thus to be bull
UP by the Joint abOrs C, Atheists, Deists
Spiritualists and Free Lovers. AIMS at nothin!
less than the total subversion Of all religiou
kAl,A III