The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-30
A New Religion Dema nded.

To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
The New York Sunday religious HERALD once
tersely inquired, where can case OF "vital piety
be found nowsm No man can put his finger upon
one Then what do all the works of former times
amount to, which have. been written under this
spirit and influences Such works as thcse-"vital
Piety,' ''The Life OF God in the Soul OF Man." "Imi-
tation OF Christi "Almost Christian" &c. These
were works adapted to the tmes-tmes following
the Reconsideration ideas were mpul-
sive and thoughts were fashioned to suit
the era. Luther, for example, discarded
a part OF the New Testament, because
It seemed to be inconsistent with another part, but
the Lutherans Of to-day make both agree. He de-
clared to the world that he had to fight with the
devil daily, on one occasion throwing an inkstand
at him. The Monks In the time OF Luther believed
the appearance Of Satan to the saints a certain
thing hence Luther, under the influence OF his
times, naturally fell into this error. Take Calvin
period later, the great statesman and divine, he
could not rise higher than the times In which he lived
To dispute the authority Of the Bible was worthy
OF death, and Servetus was burned. Melancthon
the lovely spirit OF st. John, acquiescsd in this
happy fermentation. Calvin was asked how he
would explain some OF the Scripture doctrines, to
which ne replied, "They cannot be comprehended
but must be accepted Truly is 1t of predesti.
Even God, the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, cannot be
underst God OF man, Adam and Eve. The days
OF creation are equally dark. These are funda
mental principles. They shape the whole religion
or man, and that faith must be and cannot be
otherwise than the one called adoption" This
Is religion OF adoption, winch means
that the reason OF it cannot be understood, and
those who hold IL are to do so blindly. The New
York Independent confesses that letters have been
received from the clergy in all parts OF the country,
who are regular ministers OF the Word, declaring
consciences burdened in compelling unwilling be-
lief Mr. Beecher does not God as He was be.
lieved OF the fathers and repudiates the "West-
minister Confession He does not believe In eternal
punishment, in heaven as location, and several
principles OF less Import The Christians mold
Christ to be Almighty God, and Others
that He was man inferior TO Moses All the jews
reject Jesus: yet He says that the man cannot be
saved who does not believe that lie Is the Son Of
God Then the Jews are all lost, all emma Is lost
and all the heather world. The lew who believe
this rule are a drop In the ocean Ihen Coo, VINO
made Adam failed to his children, and In Christ,
again, the second Adam failed to save all mankind,
Notwithstanding the terrible death lie suffered TO
do IL. There Is someth ny wrong somewhere.
IL is question that VIII have TO be
settled, Who and what was Jesus onris aor
the day will have 10 come. He declares there Is
perditlon for ungodly men; IT cannot be got
around. So say Albert Barnes and Isaac Watts;
30 say all honest Bible readers. He says man
cannot get into heaven (Mr. Beecher notwith-
standing unless by ms death, burial ana resurlec
tion with fear and trembling that the Holy GDost
pleads for us WIN untold fervor. rich man can
not enter into the Kingdom OF heaven as men
could comprehend ~. Jesus says that His appear
ing In the clouds for the last day would
take place In that generation; but still we
live. Now, where ~ the trouble These
things have lain dormant for eighteen hundred
years, each man trusting TO the opinion OF his
father before him, and In this day want
something like the philosophy Thomas required
"a test.n We want to feel Jesus in order TO know
we are right and then certainly we can rest salts
ned. know very well the replies which may be
made TO these Inquiries for they are sterreotyped,
4 OF the times. We live In an age OF reason more
than Paine did when he was alive, and whose
works We have never read or seen; we live In that
ago when reason commands the understanding to
KNOW In all things what Is right and what Ii
wrong IL Is beneath US to cast reflections upon
any one who believes what he may, and We say
l with regard 70 the truo positions held BY sll re-