Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-10
WoRCEsTER
SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1871.
AMERrcAN RELIe1oN: by John Weiss. Bos

AMERICAN RELIGION: by John Weiss. Bos-
,on: Roberts Brothers. According TO Mr..
Weiss, t"America is an opportunity to make a
religion out of the sacredness of the individ-
nal" The aim of his book is to explain this
religion and enforce its claims There must be
emancipation from that hectoring stepmother,
tradition. Individual freedom must be estab-
lished with such quiet independence of tradi-
ton, and such faith in reality, that men will no
longer seek to extort authority for their conyic-
tons "from the lips Of those who hold obsolete
views of nature, life and society" They should
learn TO express their meaning in texts OF their
own. Tradition holds men to false methods OF
seeking the living waters of truth; 'Men col
lect in churches, and lay hold of some kind OF
mediatorial tackle and haul at it while the
preacher gives the time, encouraging them with
descriptions of what he knows they will bring
ND. But what is it when it arrives at the sur
facet Why, it is just what they let down, me-
dating bucketful of texts" But we need not
attempt to give an outline of ithe views en-
forced. What We have said, and what is known
otherwise of Mr. Weiss, will sufficiently sug-
gest them.
FIRST entitled Fright Mental Method" discusses
supernaturalism, and maintains that the order
of the universe is never disturbed by "interyen-
TONS" The second and third chapters are de-
voted to "America's Debt" and "America's OPP
portunity." The other chapters are entitled as
follows: "The Divine Immanence," "Law of
the Divine Immanence," "a Divine Person"
"An American Atonement," "False and True
Praying" "Strife and Symmetry" "a Con-
science for Truth" "Constancy TO an Idea"
and ''The American Soldier" But to know
what is in the book, one must read it; and the
style is so rich bright and full of force that not
many will fail to find it readable. Here is an
extract from the first chapter:-
every race shows gradualism in all the
provinces of its intelligence, a passage of en-
bryotc thought through all its phases, without
a single break or Interpolation for which natural
causes are not sufficient TO account. The divini-
ty within the natural causes has assumed grad
ualism for its method. Every kind of truth has
spread by the gradual contact of colonization,
emigration or conquest, from one race to anoth-
err Upon every meridian the same embryotic
ideas of morals and religion are found, which
develop with variations due to local influences
alone. All religious souls and leaders have been
substantially alike in the raw material of their
luOuSuN. III east anu N6oly Ill luuidy JuusSd,
and Greece, all of the sages and prophets
have shared each others essentials;
beneath the hue of all their cheeks the compost
ton of the blushing blood has been identical.
The inchoate mind of the race has brought
correspondence to life and nature, and kept it
everywhere, and transmitted it, So that inter
Yention, if il ever was the preadamitic plan, has
been since changed to immanence; the even,
perpetual, unbroken, unhasting, unresting pres
ence. Comparative mythology and religion
find no supernatural distinction between the
order and texture of the ideas of all the great
teachers. Confucius develops towards disinter-
eSted morality and monotheism-in other words,
towards mental unity; and so do Zoroaster,
Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Christ"
The views of religion urged by Mr.. Weiss are
not yet more American than English or French;
and they are so different from those most cur
rent in this country, that they are sure to en-
counter criticism; but for this he will care very
little. 1t seems to us that he, like all the dog
matte theologians, attaches too much impor-
tance to speculative views. Probably he would
hear with surprise that he can be classed with
theological dogmatists; but he sets forth doc
trines which belong as really as Calvin's Insti-
tutes to the speculative side of religion. Of
course, they are wholly different; and he does
not use the Technology of the schoolmen, but,
on the contrary, employs the tone of quiet
lay thinker and the best powers of an art
list in literary composition. Nevertheless, he
advances certain speculative views which he
desires to have enforced as the american Re
ligion, Views, which, in the next age may be-
come obsolete, or be greatly modified by the
successors of those who accept them now. Such
things belong to the most human, and, there
fore, the most transient part of religion; and
they have much less to do with character and
spiritual life than is frequently assumed, al
though they are not without influence in this
direction.
we are to have a distinctvely American
Religion" let its hberality be interpreted to
mean divine grace of mind and character
and not advanced speculative views" Let i
mean a temper of mind and heart that can g
about among the honest theological beliefs 0
men, without dogmatism, comprehending VIII!
they exist and what they signify.