New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-26
THE BOSTON RADICALS.

Boston, Dee. 17.-Ihe december meetlhS VI
the Radical Club place, yesterday at No. Is Chest
nuts John Weiss the esSayis and he entitled the
paper which he read "An Act OF Faith"
What great Part. he said, has been played by the
word Faith upon the worlds stage since the old Arysns
IN Northern India separated into two tendeneies-one OF
them 20 develop the religions OF Brahma and OF Boodha
the other carry the empire Of ideas westward through
90 many forms Human feeling has put the word into
italics 10 every European language. Kings may be as
proflgate as they Will only they must be defenders OF
the Faith ana their subjects may love each other as
Christians ought but they bound to hate and light
as only Christians the opposite believers Progress
countless other directions has been postponed TO the
exicencies OF this dominant wordO the conviction that
mans heart may be pure but bis soul cannot be saved
unless mind shares the orthodoxy Of one or the other
party. Wherever sincere conviction prevails that etor
nal welfare absolutely depends upon the acceptance OF
certain doas Of these dogmas becomes
the gravest possible momentum graver than any mere
inSstance upon good cOnduct-and, to this end, any
means whatever may he resored TO- whether the sous
that are 10 be saved relish the preceding or not III
man Is Just dnKns for the third time, he should not
complain IL is pulled out by the hair, or grappled
with boat-hook at the risk OF manning him. This eI-
plains prosecutions OF the saints by the saints NO
purpose 40 fe 20 deadly irresistible that formed
the human breast by the passion for security Perse
cutious may be monstrous fearful, pitiful, heart
TendinE; but 1t is impossible TO regard their authors
with contempt Sc long as we are sure that Faith seemed
10 them matter Of life and deahOf eternal life and
eternal death. We see no more figures on the worlds
canvas mighty, inspiring. as those who raised
armies aud subiugated Kingdoms in the name OF Faith
They are gone is Faith gone alsof
The old. misguided sincerity has been honey-comoed
by the climate Of moral and industrial progress but
Faith is mans great enterprise he cannot acquire
objects TO which he trust his life implicitly life itself
becomes bat sQuabble Of children-a poor parody Of
the earnestness Of which ancestors were capable
What kind OF Faith, then, is it which prevents our mod
ern life from growing contemplate Dogma after
dogma has been expoded-system after system has
falen-for there ls q moment when card-house must
topple. If you build it adrOitly. AS We grope
among the ruins, there is only thing desire to
find that may build into temple its strong
beauty, and that is the moral earnestness which
expended upon those tasks that have ceased TO occupy
the attention Of mankind We ought to import into
religious methods the earnestness, the ZEAL the smph
city Of the men who conseerate all their lives upon
problem OK nature Of society, OF humanity with faith
that In itself Is and evidence. Mankind win
never give up Faith; but faith in whatf You expect to
60 to heaven roin departed friends after DEATH TO
nnd another world compensation for the Ills OF this
But what you have evidentia for expecting,
you have right to call an object Of Faith In
stinct is @ power but it has accredited wichcraft
and asroogy The instinct which provides us hereaf-
ter may be disappointed but We must wait and see
Faith Is not any form Of probability, or instructive hke
hood nor yet matter built on texts. We all project our
Idea Of God from our own consciousness Each man
makes outline Of the Infinite but no man can cover
more ground than the place where he stands and the
human comprehension not vast enough to per-
and interpret Deity. true Act OF Faith is the ex
pectaton which arises from observation not the surnse
which grows out Of instinct Our only ground, then for
act OF faith is furnished by gradually learning how
world Is conducted, for IL IL the stem which our
souls blossoms the whole order destined to feed us and
keep us in health. II begin by teaching men the
structure Of his world, we afford Ito peave the
bext world and the whole region Of the invisible
10 each man. free pasture where he may at WILL
and what theories best suit his disposition The
Wellnsucted man VII gladly claim the Beatitudes as
his own; and welcome from all times and quarters Of
history the family tokens Of his spiritual life. Know
edge is the most subtle Of al ohemiss-it is the
great Act OF Faith, and the expectations which 1t breeds
worthy to be covered by that name. If know laws
can con6de in their direction Tbs farther push my
scrutiny In the right direction which every budapest
Of the Universe points out for me, the deeper plunge
BY sacred staTlit paths into wonder and yenerstiOn
through every opening dssey the shapes Of health and
beauty Through the telescope OF actual knowledge
gain reaches Of vision which inspire in an awe
such conventional act Of religion ever awoke.
Not single great sentiment OF the soul is extDguished
by developing intelligence. Instead, all the golden 4
lamps are fed and FURNISHED and the Imagination itself
becomes sacred candestek bearing light from that one
true priest the wonderful wOrd- priest that bids US
delight in harmony aud h4sn s 49,: permits ran
Iare WbSs world, TO be our instructor in Religion
Sven II we live hereafter in another, we begin In this
bearings and to take dreeionf And tue closer we
keep to this lasbed to it by all it's essential facts ana
L., tbk more domesticated shall be everywhere
and wav, for we are by the drift which all things
tke that we cannot reach time or place that contra
diets the primary lessons.
Let the soul leave the denominations and belong to
Path Oh SOUL open the pew-door, pass the sexton,
escape into the sweet air Of an open country whose
landscapes stretch into bewchng distances and let the
great organ with its diapason Of solemn laws play you
into the church Of the This Republic needs re-
ieon abOye an thpgs 20 teach 1t how consummate
acts Faith but 1t will not be secured Dy any IRE,
anble the Constitution. Let the nation devote itseI
construction OF this world, for here we are, dnd
no moment OF eostacy transport us elsewhere BY
what clements do live Let ms not keep the natural
soul of mar kind fasting its Religion We need IT. 10
teach society to humane and 70 make its tneva-
ble distinctions opportunities for harmonic combination
srdtior-to check monopolyto make communities peace
able and OrderlyO give spelngbook 10 every emo.
paut them 10 rOSe-garden. Not thus slia we
become irTehpous IL we spend life In pronerng our
gifts aud opportunities TO Others OF even only Charming
their faces reflect the smiles OF love aud OF sweet DIS
pOsifiOOs nothing that we can rear ana no
Vpothess theology make our trust IN Supreme
Plan solid tnan II is Age cannot dn nor custom
stale feeling that we lie IN q great dsnd' whose
blossoms forth There is nothing that we dread saie
and sound souls are to-day, adopted by TINS uni
and shorers Of It's piimeyal substance tney sha
DenOt AFRAID or their creator OF maj
our gaduess is but mask 10 His pitfalls IAe Is 20
noble that decline 10 suspect TGalk Heaven that
the act OF Being IS an Act OF FAITH.
The discussion which followed the essay more brief
than msnal; for many OF the wellknOwn aud aecds-
toned lions were absent and the new ones who took
their places declined to roar. Dr. John Ware was en-
treated IN vain Prof John Fske had heard the essay
only IN part Frederick Douglass said that the current
was too deep for hn, and Gen. Armstrong hid himself
away 10 a side room, retreat unworthy Of his military
reputation d.. Bartcl was the chef speaker, and he