New-York tribune., 1872-03-08

TENDING TO DARkEN
ro "A, c>,D,men Of The Missionary Soctehes
S,.s. ,rcsume that the revision of our
80, 18th Tho western nations being at hano' you are
~ an ,ops 10 introduce into Japan your soc'leu 'i'c
recion by that opportunity But u IL one III '' """"
-eaknesses that believe we are iiS"' WIN"
th.re ia no objection brought ior'h against our
srsmnont 1t is. therefore, the indSpehSap'e
condition for Judging properly that we should
hear both sides beforehand. So far as Know
sou have yet heard only side In regard To All the
uuestons concerning religion do not know that you
have ever heard any hestheu thus publicly speak oW
his notions religious questions Before Judging MO
bammedanism You must hear the Mohammedans plead
their cause. Before you judge Mornonsm' YOU must
hear the Mormons plead their II vou agree to
this should be very much obliged To you you would
e kind enough 70 hear what my opinion on the ques-
ton Of missionary work
Taking il for granted that the intention Is good, II
would be great satisfaction to know that those who
believe that theirs is th- only true religion should send
ont missionaries 10 propagate IT among the socacd gem
tiles that they might he saved But, II am not greatly
nsinforned this is not always dsinercsted buSihess
Even II It is only sympahize with their ihel
ton but cannot agree with the thing itself. lopJee' 10
sending out missionaries two most grave grouhoS'
nrst because they the fathers OF ignorance anu
secondly. because they the enemies OF free rehgoi
so far rs | know from my Scanty knowledge u is
historical fact that the ignorant people are 'he
more supcrstOus they are. and the more supers1'iou
there any foundation for this assertion IL VIII sumo
10 cast glance at the developments OF Chrisuahiy'
After the fall Of the Empire Europe fell INTO tne
hands of the barbarians and for seVera centuries
rance regned through It's whole extent IL was uuh
this time that the people were most snpersuuouS' anu
The most abiect slaves of priests IL was during 'lS
time that Peter the Hermit had a magic power 10
use hundreds of thousands of the Christians OF all
tanks 10 embark in most groundless eNpedtoh' anu 10
20 out to Asia thousands of miles AS thei khowi
edge of the people increased the zeal OF gong out 10
rsadrs gradually abated till at last during the papacy
of Plus the Second although at European Congress
held al Mautua 1t had agreed 10y the ENJOYS OF al
most all soveregns that $1,000 men should De raSed'
nd tax levied for three years of onetenth from the
Vcnues clergy onethrtieth from those OF the lily
and one-tweneth from the capital OF the JeWs) when
the Pope appeared next at Ancona he iouhd OUT
that the princes had failed in all their promises Thanks
10 the Increased knowledge Of man, he was no longer the
same iuIe of priests at the time OF Peter But time
was not yet for open rebellion against the paPa
thr,ldom Indeed about this time there was such
man rs Wicklie but the minds OF the people were not
vet ripe enough for such principles as his. IL
was not till 1917, when knowledge had been
disseminated among the people Tor ~ years
through printing the people Of the more advanced
states shook off the Papal yoke under the leadership OF
Martin Luther But the more ignorant still clung to
Poprv and they the present day This Is De-
cause the ignorant believe bindy, but the men VINO
have little knowledge believe only reasonable things
The ignorant cannot reason Hence an ingenious man
can make them by his artfu insinuations believe those
things which are most ridiculous 10 more advanced
nnd fear thugs in which there IS really nohhg
=, far b. such articles priests keep the minds OF the
naomi. entirely undcr their cOutroL and turn
tlrtr i.11rauce 90 rll idvantaEe Ihey tell people
that ;hs, mus5 obey the wori VI God must lear HIM.
must -- up a. lnd tbat' unless they
do AL thi, they VIII be seut 70 hell AID tortured eter
n.rv But how could this be done II could be done
only through the hands OF priests who represent God on
the earth They receive whatever priests telithem
Of God, because they are not allowed to in
;erret word OF God by Themselves They must give up
al their property priests. because, they can
give up hpgs God only through means of his repre-
sentaves. Moreover, entirely To keep the people un
der their conroit is necessary to know the secrets OF
their hear.s This they accomplish by means OF confess
thus willie they tell people to give up all they have.
they themselves take most greedi While they tell the
people To he poor spirit they themselves are the rich
est in spirit While they tell the people 10 he meek they
themselves are the most impudent Indeed what they
do sacrlegOus thing winch cOuld ever De III
the world. They Substitute for God. Nothing OF
his KIND could be imposed upon the men OF common
SENSE. who have received proper education They
,sould not allow any TO pretend tn be more than
Inau They would buy of their sn by money. Ihus
the most ignorant always have been the most super
stons ana credulOus and consequently the most lnl
p slaves OF priests 1t then. the interest Of priests
and keep the people as ignorant as can be-
and Just such things they have been practicing
from the time yOe till the present day III they allow
The parents their children at all 1t s done by
those in the mystery of prestcTaf 80 that they
may brought up in perfect superstition and bgotry
10 the material branches of education they might be
quite a. competent anybody, but as to the education
of mind IL u not their TO develop IT, but to para
I'VE II As much as possible that those who would be
called the most educated would nevertheless he the most
hect slaves priests Thus wherever priestcraft pre-
walls there is no freedom of thOught and the human
faculties entirely pinched ii Is the most dangerous
enemy Of civilization.
perhaps that indeed. such IL the case WIFI the
Roman Catholics but there danger of this kind
from the Professionals because they not such super
stitious, narrOw-ninded men as the Roman Cathoncs
but propagate religion and consequently where
prevails there has been the free religion and
the people are more advanced. But sirs, do you know
which OF the two came first, the increase of know
edoa or the Reformation! Why did the peO
pls rse against the POpish despotismf Why
did they begin to discard the absurd d0gmas
and teachings Of Roman Catholicism Because
the increased As the knowledge of the
people increased they became and more liberal In
religious matters. But the ignorant have been always
the supersttous, bgoed and creduious people no
matter whether they Roman Catholics PrOestants.
Thus although the Swedes and Scotch are the Oldest
Protest ants, yet the superstition and bgOtry among
their AZ people has scarcely been surpassed by
,o-e Of the nauish irish Well then, where knowledge
,rue there towiso came the diminuOu Of superstition
,l their coLyers 20 Protestantsn, but it does not
f,ow from propics being Proesants that they not
s,ert fiors tho sject slaves Of priests. There is
u,tbi.g .r t.uuting any to lead his fellow
creature. ~ follow him most implicitly and take what
.yr, be aaVs ~ lnfallible truth IL from this
..,n..:si~. .uefever people are ignorant, these
go ...s,s have taken advantage Of it. and exercised
- ,,rare Influence over them whether Protestant or