New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-15

hiatt effort must be made 70 tncm. -
thisstsas whom the trbcs assemble they are told TO
that ssy ,ns Sss ,Ss
ton and prayer III the Alliance had rung OUT trumpot
cal Inc Lnhsr sa on IL. Banner the stern
of the FATHERS had rearmed the cardinal deas OF is
theology had their no rng Surny with the
wants OF humanity and tho needs Oh tne hour, nau
shown tried 10 show their 70 n
the ar of the old gospel 1t would have ut least eynced
couragejf moi wisdom In declining 10 90 TINS IN put
~ admitted IT, feeleness aud fell IN with the most fatal
tendency IL has 10 contend against-the tendency TO
drop theology osenel n ara tne tsdns Of the natural
will carry tbe day over the feelings o. one Evan
gelical" men. Aud the result VIII p obIantbfopy
Social reform social science the dedication OF charity
the worship OF ealtare reports .. deelia Of
the TbeooricSl Spirit shows that the future is not for
Professionalism. at least as organized az present -.
coursr lived through its period OF usefuness and must
henceforth vsbly decline. has by no teans nasneu
r ~ Soss ~ S Is rich and influential its
churches numerous, its Constituencies large sectS
rsbe is Traditions noble its aims high Its hopes conf
dent But the future is long; the county
meas To overlook the forces that working against It,
Both Romanism and Professionalism nave uono kioIou9
work and will do much before tey are oisiSseu
w fsr reward Bnt the work that religion requires TO
be done In America we cannot beheVe VIII oo uo"o W
either OF them.
spIRIrUAIIsm AND IT'S PEoULIARirIEs
Religion In America embraces vast number OF people
who are neither Romanists Protes,ants nor Chris
tians of any defined name but who IN business, poll
tics society literature. journalism represent the In
teectual foroe OF the American mind FrsI OF all must
be mentioned the sprituaists. Spirituaism Is rapidly
becoming distinct form OF religion. l. n1s an W.
niece There arc different schools OF IA senooi Oh re
cromanoy and school that Is devoted 70 Irutn mas
different philosophies-a philosophy Oh In wes
the low kind OF indiyiduaism that seeks deyeopmont
through the generous indulgence OF wae ~ an no
moral and spiritual ntuilions ana INDUCES
hopes for man the ground OF culture ana onarly.
The lower school, though loud and yehemeht Is rapdV
sinking in esteem declining in influence Ihe higher
is gaining strength and In dignity inc OLDER Sprisu
aIisn grows the calner and more lntehecIual III Do
Gomez the clearer its view, the louier ~, range OF
aspirations AS scholars, thinkers teacneres COINS 70
nroiess H. il takes on noble character ana exerts
wide Influence through the upper classes OF society sta
tisics. Its existence rs fact In the rengous Wosa
and a fact of vast moment IL unquestonaoIe IN MS
prIyate journal OF the year 1885, Theodore Parker an
impartial aud keen observer OF the signs OF the les,
wrote 1t seems now more likely mat oprltuallsm
viii become the religion America than In l66 II dld
that Christianity would become inc renglon VI tilo
Roman Empire or in $50 that MObaurDedanls WOulu DC
tba of the Arabian populations l. II has more evidence
its wonders than any historic FORM Oh TengQn
TO- IL is throughout aemoorn, at ,im 10 he
fnalitY IL Is not puncttm sdns Dut Poum y.ue"s.
1t admits all the thruths of morality ana rehSon III
all the worlds secls."
That is strong testimony from one who was not him
self technically sprtualis by the truths OF Religion
and morality Parker eant the essential truths inc
divine rule OF the world tho immortal developments OF
man, the supremacy OF moral law and the moral one
ness of the human That prophecy was made nearly
twenty years ago Mark what twenty years have done
toward its fultlment o..
Now Spritualism has nothing in common with either
Rnmanirm OF Professionalism, Ia recognized form.
The Christian Theology IL rejects entirely, whether us
doctrines be taken rs q system, sngly by one.
Tho scheme OF salvation 10 has concern with; the
drama OF redemption 1t never attends III mas horror
of priests and prlestcrat; the idea of church as
"A of he
ton is utterly foreign 10 ITS modes OF Thought as
cards the authority OF inc Boie Sims Ie Oh ess
cepted version OF Christian history dsruss the RECORDS
of pens believes IN W as on
character opposed 20 regeneration, III human sui
ness as against supernatural grace, in universal reason
~ against partial inspiration, in ultimate Deattnde Tor
t takes "a new departure and follows new pain toward
And This it does necessarily in obedience TO its first
accordance with its inevitable logic ThlS
does for all who receive IL, whether they nave leit
the churches or not, by whatever names they SUI eau
themselves whatever they may still persist IN thinking
themselves This IL does within the bosom OF Christian
innumera6e. -,.,,,
Town the wall OF separation between this world aud the
In doing has made both worlds cordially one
II has called view spiritual universe II has re-
veaed the fact that peace between earth ana heayen
the mortal and the immortal the human ana inc dyhe.
creature and the creator the and the SAINT is
not something be effected. but something already
made, something established in the constitution OF
things established from the beginning. This revela
lion revOlutiOnlzes religious faith, elects complete
transformation in the character Of religious ideas-in
ION hitherto been and still Is regarded as device
for reconcng the here and the hereafter-for making
between heaven ana earth possible. Now
the first word spoken by Sprituasm declares that the
unity broken and consequently that all de-
vices for restoring may be dropped as unnecessary
The priest is an impernence tho Church Is insttu
ton without object the Blbo Is NOBLE collection or
human literature the record OF special revelation;
Dreeds and confessions their place with other party
Mediation OF every KIND dispensed with.
as being outworn machinery that cumDers
The enginoroom.
sPIRnUAIIsM OUTSIDE CHRISTIANITY
Thus Spirtualism Is not another form OF Christianity.
1t is another thing 1t hos nothing In common with
Christianity. 1t has connection with 1t. The two
systems do not understand one, another. They may
to cOexist the minds of many unsuspectng peo
pie who are church members and they fancy perhaps
all the church members Tor the aud beau
fu faith they cherish, but the intrinsic ncompabty
1i the two schemes becomes manifest the moment ac-
count is made of the minds contents spirtualsm is
taking people out OF the churches. We do
zed orthodox Professionalism beyond repair IL 1t has
exerte1 less effect on ROmanisni, IL Is merely because
does allow intercourse between this world
Ind the other, and therefore TO grant all
5pirituasts desire, evidence namely OF personal i'm
mortality. But when 1t IL understood as IL must be
and ought to be Immediately that Romanism does
grant any degree what Spiritussts desire that
1t comedies cordial sympathy between the two worlds
leaves the moral gulf between them wide ever
aud hopeless of overcoming except by the mediaor
help when 1t TO be felt that the intercourse Rome
allows Is intercourse purely OF condescenson, patron
age pity and gacea privilege accorded 10 the saints
below by the saints abovethat the wall Is not broken
down but overeaped by the celestial angels for certain
purposes, Sprtuaism will effect same
decentralization ID the religion OF the Romanist that 1t
has effected in the religion OF the Protestant.
Spritualism lets the soul OF man out OF cage. The
freed bird unaccusomed by long confinement use
Df its utters feebly at first. and perhaps
helpless to the ground The air and space bewilder il
but the wings in little time will recover their strength
and then the creature will reyel In the width that ap
pals II and fly toward the sun 1t fears.
POWERS IN LEAGUE WITH sPIRIrUALISM.
In unayowed league with tho general purpose and
DRIFT of sprituaism other powers less conscious OF
their mission less compact in their array but in their
tendency 10 less significant 70 which a word must DO
given.
The first in Importance is literature, which, In its DIFF
ferent FORMS gives expression TO the mind OF the age
Whether literature DO the power 1t Ia reputed 10 De- we
need not undertake to Judge but as demonstration Of