The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-04

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broad churchlsm, free religion and all that is
implied In those and kindred phrases. They
all Affect to ignore creeds and systems of
Church government, and to allow the fullest
liberty to every man to believe and act as he
pieases, subject only to the requirements of
ordinary morality. OF such kind and
class is the ''Free Religion Association,
which met in Boston on Friday,
whose members and leaders virtually pro-
claimed themselves Independent Of revea-
ton, except 50 much of it as they could find
IN nature. Bound by no creed or formula, each
essayist and speaker uttered forth his own
creed, regardless of its consistency or incon-
sistency with the creed of every other speaker.
Thus we find Rev. John Weiss asserting that
1.-The independence of the soul of the material
body and its permanent continuance are ques-
tons which the greatest minds decline to an-
swer, for the reason that science has not yet
| put facts sufficient into the case. We don't be-
lleve that one man in one hundred thousand
cares particle what facts science may put
into this case; it can never change the COM
mon belief of mankind in the Immortality OF
the soul and in its necessary independence of
the body. But this reverend gentleman tried
10 prop up his lame assertion by another,
which we hardly know how to character
lie. vitality in the human structure"
disprove the theory of personal continuance
after death, though Mr. Weiss himself was far
from undertaking its moral probability. "The
nature of the Creator" he added, sis in the
| material created. If so, arguing from Mr.
| Weiss own premise, we can hardly see how he
or We can escape the logical consequence of
| perishable and changeable God, as we'll
dying man. But the very best and ablest
scientists assure us that there is evidence both
in nature and in man OF divine Creator, and
an indestructibe force within them. Rev. ID.
G. A. Barto also exalted nature, and espe-
cially human nature, aud declared that he who
claimed it was bad did not believe in God.
Our own opinion is that man without
any knowledge of or faith in God at
all may easily convince himself by few
weeks or days residence in Boston or New
York that human nature is bad. We need no
revelation on this point at all. Still, on the
whole, it is not as bad as it might De, nor, in
deed, as in other ages it has shown itself to
be. Respect for the past" continued Mr.
Rartol, 'should not interfere With progress.
The people are too large to get into the
churches, and more room is wanted-not for
a human body to sit down. but for human
soul to stand up"
ia fin in thpnr huit hiatt e-
comes of 1t in practice? How do those sects
and denominations which have no creed or
binding formula compare with those which
have: Rather unfavorably, we think. For
instance, there are Universaiists, Untarians,
Friends Free Church Christia ms and host or
little sects who neither have nor profess
10 have any creed compact, and
how do they stand in the great family
OF Christian denominations? They are
as nothing in comparison with Baptists,
Presbyterians. Methodists. Catholics and
others, whose cresds are of the most positive
and some even of the most dogmatic kind
Universasm, although existing among us here
rs long as any other ism, stands to-day nu-
mericalIy and infuentially about where it
stood twenty five years ago. Unitarianism is
no better off and no further advanced, and
Free Church Christians comprise not more I
than II corporal's guard in this city or in the
United States. The Society Of Friends is as
old as the settlement OF this Continent BY
white men; but to all appearances it has re-
trograded rather than advanced. Small "a
the body Is in this country it is split up into
subdivisions. such as Orthodox, H'cksite and
Unitarian Quakers. Each OF these sects
has held its annual or general Conference in
this city during the past two weeks, and from
their discussions aud deliberations we gather
that their only bond of union is found in the
common belief in the indweing of the Holy
Spirit in human hearts but they may believe
as they please in regard to the inspiration OF
the Scriptures, the divinity of Christ and vica-
robustness of his death, and the doctrines of the
Trinity and Of future rewards and punishments.
Now, these are positive doctrines Of other rel-
giolls bodies OF Christians and Prot
estant-- and they are taught as dogmatic truths,
more or less, by all and the man. woman or
child who unites with those denominations
must subscribe to those truths. They are con
| creted in creeds, and must be accepted or re
| jected together.
| And the result of all is that the Church
| with the creed advances steadily all the time,
| while the Church without creed stands
| still, or moves so slowly that It's progress
must be counted by inches instead OF miles
by tens instead of thousands. Men generally
! ike to know and TO understand wha, they are
to believe or disbeieve. to accept or to reject,
and most men are willing that others shall
formulate those truths for them as 10 do il
themselves. The people are moi too large to