Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-04-24
RELIGIOUs TOLRRANCE.

OF all the changes wrought amongst
mankind during the last four eentur
! les, none has been greater than that
which has so largely tended to the
superlnduetiOn of a spirit of charity
and federation for every religious be-
lief that hears upon it the stamp OF
genuine sincerity, and no change
shows so surely as does this the ad-
vance that mankind has made towards
true religion. The breaking down of
the barriers between sects, or, rather,
the approval accorded by seeJs to each
other, and the recognition by each Of
the common purpose of all-fresh evil
dence of which we see every day in
acts of mutual coneession-is the best
proof we can have of how wide
spreading and far reaching the toler-
said, are but mirrors in which are re-
tiected the sOul-life of the people
among whom they sing, and Tenyson
has truly reflected in the following
lines the spirit of the present aye:
IT'S not the creed that saves the man,
Il is the man that justtfes the creed;
Since each Is burdened with different
need,
The contrast between the feeling on
religious subjects now and that which
existed four hundred years ago is
startling indeed.
Then, in Europe one single belief
was regnant, and to all who dared
stray beyond its narrow bounds was
meted out the penalty Of death in
some hOrrid form. In A la still daik-
er cIeeds held sway, and upon their
doubters were visited like penalties,
while in other quarters of the world,
there can be no doubt, were pIacticed
eruelties whose only difference was
the difference Of the law for the |
of which they were in
fiicted. To contemplate, from our
present standpoint, these benighted
ages behind US, causes soul sickness |
to every true man, and the fact that |
the beginning of their sad story reach
es back to almost the foundation OF /
the world serves to impress upon us
still more strongly their weary, des-
pairing gloom.
The change that has come over the
world in the past four centuries has,
verify, been great, and one. for which
too much thankfulness cannot be felt
Dr. impressed. Now in every civilized
and religious liberty is not only con-
eeded as a privilege, but is accorded
rs a right; while even in most of the
ands which we term "heRthen," be-
.ause their ways are not as our ways,
here is practically the same freedom
If worship granted to all seets and
,reeds: 1t cannot be believed that the
lark night through which the world
las pessed was without its uses; the
aith and trust in One who does all
hings well, and does nothing un- {
ldvisedly or without purpose, forbids
he entertainment Of such thought.
The trial must have been necessary,
II it would never have been ordained, |
md as we look back on the record of
ime We feel sure that this Is indeed
,elief that is true; for looking thus !
,ack we can see that as progressive ]
ges have rolled over the world, puTg- !
NO mankind with fires of sorrow and {
a purer life has been gen.
rated and the fierce heat of seets and
ations which have existed for eentu-
les have been forced gradually to
lde awsy-tO fade and give place to a {
1idespreadings spirit of love that draws
Dgether in bonds of sympathy and l
ffection all classes and conditions Of I
he race created in the image of its
Tod.