Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-05
Religious Revivals,
BY REV. c. H. A. BULKLEY.

them is difficult, because on the one
hand those who are absorbed in their
movement and swayed by their inhu-
ence, are liable to prejudiced view
of them, equally with those who, stand
ing apart and outside of their circle,
are incapable of fully estimating all
the subtle and invisible forces which
move and maintain their life.
The religious movements now in
progress among many Of the churches
in our community stimulates US to the
task Of presenting some thoughts and
impressions, which, as we trust and
as far as is possible, shall proceed
from a calm, impartial and dispassion.
ate view of this difficult subject.
In all ages Of the worlds history
there have been great spontaneous
and simultaneous movements in which
the religious element has more or less
prevailed. Indeed, in the earlier
times when ignorance and super8ti-
tion dominated over reason and devo.
tion, when the priesthood, alike, blind
and deluded with the people, over
awed them into veneratiOn and obedi-
ence, every great national movement,
such as the defense of country, the
conquest OF an empire, or the over
throw OF tyranny, became more or
less religious revival. Then, most
generally, the political leader or the
civil ruler was at the same time the re-
ligious teacher. In primitive Rome,
the lawgiver Numa was the professed
medium through which the Gods. so
called, gave their religious precepts
and systems. Thus also Zoroaster in
Persia, and Confucius in China and
Solon and Lycurgus in Greece were
more or less associated with both the
civil and religious institutions of their
respective nations. Hence, when any
of these nations rose up in spontane-
Gus accord to the founding of new cit
les, or went forth to the conquest of
ancient ones, the sacrifice Of hecatombs
and the rituals and auguries of their
priests formed a chief and stirring fea-
ture in their campaigns and encamp-
ments. Homer, who may not only be
styled the god of the Poets but the
poet Of the Gods, pre-eminently dis
played this prieatly power and religi-
Gus character Of the ancient wars, as
seen in his gorgeous depictions Of the
seige Of Troy. The OIympiads of
Greece, while promoting the ends Of
art, literature and nationality were
characterized throughout by the
strong NEUROLOGICAL forces which work
ed on the religious basis in mans ma
ture.
The old Scaudinavians from the
ice-halls of Odin and ValhalIa, the
rugged Gauls from their Teutonic fast
nesses, the bold Saxons from their riv-
er.realms and sea-boards. and the rude
BritOns from their Druidical shrines
and forests, were all led on or acom-
panied by band of priestly men who
enlisted their religious energies and
sympathies in the battles strife. Thus
anciently all wars were more or less
in certain sense religious reyiyals.
Even under the Christian dispeusa-
tion by perversion of its spirit and
design, the Prince of Peace has been
held up to view in his Cross as the in
spirer and loader of warriors. The
rude Clovis, the great Charlemagnc,
the SANITY Louis, with others OF the
French and German Fmperors, have
made Jesus the captain of their bloody
conquests. The great crusades to
recover the Holy Land from the Sara
Gems, in5tigated by the frenzied Peter
the Hermit, were nothing else than the
revival Of the religious sentiment IN
der the superstitious phase Of sacred
battle in which princes, poets, knights,
pilgrims, priests and deyotees were
promiscuously engaged and sacrificed.
All are more or less familiar with
the sacred History given in the Bible
and enlarged upon by Josephus.--
What was the Exodus of the Jews,
the leadership Of Moses, the general,
ship of Joshua, the raIIyings Of Glide
on, the slaughters of Sampson and
Jephthah and the princely conquest
Of David but so many means and oc-
casions of religious revivals in which
war more or less had a prominent
part? The peaceful Temple building
of Solomon in the prime OF Israel's
greatness was only the effect of pow
er gained by past victory and present
martial strength. The great Arab
an pseudo prophet and religionist,
Mahomet, established his religion by
force Of arms. The sword, like the
cross in the crusades, was among his
warriors the taliSman of heaven
|, power and the key which unlocked
the gates Of Paradise to those Of the
: faithful who fell in the defense of AL
lah's assumed vice-regent and his Ko
A ran.
= The only great religious revival re
, corded of old, in which the sword was
divorced from the altar and the bat
tle-axe from the crOsier was that
) which came and followed Christ'8 ad
r vent. Then blood was shed, not by
the defenders but the prosecutors o.
his faith; it flowed not at the hands
: but from the hearts of his martyreC
i disciples. Since then, but especially
! in later times, when war was deemed
! as human or national and peace oaly
E Christian, this divorce has prevailed
t except where some grand fundamental
principle Of government Or liberty de
rived from the Christian system, ha,
. been involved and fought for IS in the
CrOmwellian fights and our own Rev
0 oIutionary battles. Totally unlike
a these were the expeditions of the
+ Spaniards under Cortez aud PizarrC
!. against the Mexicans and Peruvians
e These were in their nation and ar
!, mics revival movements alike to those
OF the Crusades against the Saracen:
and Moors.
: The second and truer. because {
peaceful phase of revivals, being more
; accordant with the real religious spir
E it and the divine character, present;
= itself therefore, first in the PentecoS
r tai season, SO called, when some mar
. velous influence, which historic trutE
e cannot deny as fact, whether it bt