Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-07-01

have been criticised for many real or supposed
failiugs; but their intelligence has been on all
hands confessed.
Such being the elements Of Puritauism, itcoull
not fail to produce golly and steady and intel
ligent individualism. Each man was to inl out
for himself what God would have hlm do. and DO
it, slone if need be, and in its Of all the powers
of earth and hell It has been asserted
that Puritanism went too far in this
direction. Yet it is this kind Of inliyidIalism
which works out the largest and most benefcent
results. It is in strongest contrast with that
eg tistc irdvidualism which sets self against
. both society and the church. They errei some
times, no doubt, but they acted up 70 their be
lief They made men who for intelligence and
strength Of character ard roundabout common
sense may challenge comparison with any race
Of men that ever lived. The careful student Of
history will be amazed at their patience They
i bore and fOreb0re with harsh laws and unjust
treatment For a time they meekly lail down
their lives rather than rise against estsb-
lished authority. IL their whole history what
decency what order in everything they show
el the practical qualities Of Englishmen. They
gave little favor to system-makers their feet
were on the solid earth. The greater the emer-
gency. the greater their steadiness. Ia their
theology the vag4ries Of the 9Th monarchy men
excepted how steadily have they held to the
great and vital doctrines There Is more
ground for the charge Of excessive strict
ness than Of laXness Iueir ministers we're
intelligent theologaus the sentimen.s may not
have been enough cultivated their preaching
in former days may have been TOO logical and iu
late- times TOO rhetorical but Puritanism has
shaped the course ofthe whole nation.
And it has not finished its work. Il IS uo;
dead thing, but living ting in the living pre-
sent, and JeariDg promise o.. a rch future. Is
indiyidualism is the one human thing which Vi
talizes and eieyates soci.ty. LiAe Christianity r.
elevate- man by eeyating men Speculative
. s.iemes have m-t win "a ura How barren Of
/ practical results have been The political dreams
Of Plato, Moore ans Harrington. Goodness
cannot be superimposet as uankinl. The phi
/ .5sophers of old failed 70 ccmrreheni Christ's
method Of working on inIiyilu-l minds Pnilo-
sopLy was only for elec, spirits, not for srtisan
and soldier and slave It's forces were insufficient.
| its methods utterly at iau.t. The Jewish nation,
| philosophers, senates, were unable to appreciate
/ { g. tLrist.y mctl.l Ci work. Is not this ne
thol that OF iudlyi 1al sn are De-; the ideas OF
/ Puritanisu in harmony with this method
again, PlritaEizm his hope O.: a future, be-
cause il mas the tendency 20 goIk itself clear Of
I It's errors. lt Is not iEe the Roman church.
which reforms nothing, but ads continually
new errors, and per4etuatss them, IS dirt Is
conserved at the heart Of a crystal, Us method
p,--7,,fs-, .bs--.ss ;,s -.c--.s. -. b..g. -.
FIR the f,.rb rbs- is In tt.m--o s-,iv CoI,s
gr.ris f.r rs,- r,5- a-i new +r,,.h -o.-s,-ir.-
Fts- ,s e-r-ra5,1s ,ii,sti-., yr,- Is ir-.ss,7.zi
rbr5vipe- otf Fba- +. harmful and enormora
r- r,, ~ .f--,-. I, .-,5a.- e,,l,-1 p, il rt,s
tl,-',ri s1-s ID. f. .s ,la ,.rlstt ~ -i, r-sa
--ls +, -- rbs av,rs..sr,ss n t7stlrt r-is- -ot
a svs---1. ,r c-sei with rrtbin- io learn and
rsfb,n, m trrasro VIZ mus. .,.l eI.s7bs-s r,-
-I.b .'---.. s,sr.,v a.. -t,s
II can tsts m a'.- vrg,ars- g.. bs,r.bful
and rirb--.s, ---.- srl .,sve.a1 .-.s-t IrFe-
system. mas r-... ia ...-r.,- r.,. Tbs. must
De worked in the large, free spirit which its
ilniaHen'9- Prile'p.rs is-'n. - Woras, J..
80 80 - r.. 80, -.
have not vet been or5urd, to the strain.
Besides. its radical IDEAS demand and will
pIoll-s ,Ls lls-es -s,'' '-',I', W IT..
-Ea .5r-rsrv in sweetness ami liyb- me ia
Puriuns d.i indeed make wsr on the fine arts,
which were then Tressei into the service Of
e''.'- p-. ir ,le -ty' o' I1i'',sn l-..s 2 la
ib,t il +, saw NJ i,. cglr4-e and TeiBe-
ment, were found 80 Pu-iun ranks Many
4 the early Paritans sers Of iae -os'5eti' make
oHs 1'- ' -
..pil.,v 10 naturs THE Pa-ian owns it 10 be
bis duty TO cultivate whatever powers CO has
gwen hlm, the arli-,.' ana I'''' a' Fe.. as - 'le
VIZ W. t--I,i 7.-, -. =.
study painting and sculpture sn5 mus', Note
the pictures snd other decorations Of New Eng
-'-l Al-s' '-s e-''.s. l-''s's-- -.'g '.l -- e-