The New York herald., 1873-10-20

be considered but half-hearted MEASURE II
both sexes are not permitted to share it.
Christian and scctarian Sermons.
1t is surprising how quickly the odor of the
Evangelical Alliance has passed away and how
ready the bloodhounds of sectarianisnY are to
follow the trail and run it even to the DEATH
We have to-day Unitarian, Methodist and
nationalist agreeing that the Alliance was
narrow and bigoted and did not measure uptc
the spirit or the letter Of the Gospel How easyit
would have been for these critics to organize
and 'srun' an Alliance that should embrace
rationalists and free thinkers and Spiritualists
and Mormons, and every other kind and class
of creed or superstition or false faith We all
understand very well how much easier it is to-
run organizations and societies in theory than
in fact, and how much better every man is
fitted for this work than every other man to
whom it may be entrusted. And in this faith
men have tried to run newspapers, churches,
political parties and many other things, and
have met with what they least expected-uttel
failure.
Mr.. Clarke, of Harlem, finds fault with the
Alliance because it failed sadly in its treat
ment of science. The theologians were in-
competent to deal with it. They feared it, for.
sooth, because every article in science clashes
with every article in theology. Geology cam
not be harmonized with Genesis, and Darwin
ism explodes the tradition Of the fall, and the
doctrine of evolution annihilates the old
idea of creative art out of nothing" These
are, indeed, fine sounding phrases and
may perhaps deceive the unwary.
But if Genesis and geology will not harmonize
(Which has not yet been demonstrated), Gen.
esis and Revelation do harmonize, and show
that one Spirit guided the writer's Of the re-
vealed Word from the beginning to the end.
And this is the harmony which the Scriptures
teach, and not that of Genesis and geology.
And as we have read Darwinism and its treat
ment by Christian scholars it seems to us that
Darwinism itself, and not the tradition of the
fall, has been exploded. And Mr.. Clarke, deal
ing with such grave subject, should hardly
have fallen into such an error as to call
the theory or hypothesis of evolution doc
trine. 1t lacks every element of doctrine in its
character. However much we might like to
get rid Of the ugly facts involved in the fall,
we have fearful exemplifcations of its ex-
istence in history and in daily life, and to
those who deny the fall should be left the
difficulty of solving the origin and existence of
sin. What the Alliance failed to do, and what
Christianity has hitherto failed to do, Mr..
Clarke has faith to believe the Free Religion
Association and Rationalism will ac-
complish. We admire his faith, but do not
share it, and, judging by the gatherings at
that association here last week, it will take
eighteen thousand, instead of eighteen hundred.
years ere it can accomplish tithe of what
Christianity has already accomplished in the
world. A religion that can call forth no mora
enthusiasm than was there manifested can
hardly have in it the vitality needed to make
it proselytizing power in the world.
Other points contained in Mr.. Clarke's dis
course were also treated by Dr. Wild, Of
swered last week by DR.. John Hail. What good
has the Alliance done? And he finds that the
good it has produced in the better understand
of its members and the increased charity
among those who came together is counterbal-
anced by the narrowing of it's door of entrance,
by which many were excluded who were as
good as those admitted. 'Law, not love, was the
door, and it would have been much happier
conference had they more faith and less big
otry." But it may be pertinent to ask, Would
the admission of the excluded sects and indi-
viduals have increased the faith and lessened
the bigotry Of the Alliance? As this claim for
broader platform seems to us, it would bring
in men Of no faith and of no creed, and
consequently men of 0 greater tendency to
bigotry, to say the least than the
men who were in and who are acknowl-
edged to have been men of faith. And, be-
sides, the weight Of historic evidence as well as
of experience is in favor of creed organizations
and against creedless ones. So that, ignoring
the fact that the outsiders made no demand for
admission or recognition, which they ought to
have done ere they took up stones to stone
the Alliance, the logic Of their reasoning is at
fault.
Ii the ''religion Of humanity" be what Mr.
rockingham represented it yesterday how
absurd it would be for the Evangelical Alli-
ance, which processes religion for humanity
not of humanity, to admit to it's ranks and its
deliberations leaders and representatives Of
the former! It consists in patriotism, love Of
family, love of forefathers, and is so simple
thing that it requires no creed, no theology,
no church, no prayers" And hence the con-
ference of its representatives in Cooper Insti-
tute last week began and ended every session
without prayer and without the least evidence
whatever that it was religious gathering at
oil. Every special religion, Mr.. rockingham
thinks, is an idolatry-a worship Of tools, tho
honor paid to ropes and pulleys. But amid