New-York tribune., 1873-01-21

Considered in the light OF the religion Oh n'''
the following exposition of this idea canno' i'' ~
| be read with peculiar interest; -, J., r,.
.h, a century ago. France and elsewnet9 re- III & a,u
Ao1Ss Out he;ef I'M Goa seemed passing away The very
nm o 81 cod was spoken In derson as w9ru ,a, Ne
cd am article God for his encyc3peas SAYING ni
question God had no sSniicane&e &c nS nSs Sno dsiin.
ST"ned American-I think it. was Dr. Faanknh paris
marking in never PS0'oPn''' saM a@ atheism and did not
believe there was one. q gentleman feplea' piled
"Well, you may have that pleasure nr nov. Nv,
IoS hoSr lhe 1 belief in God had lost hold cultivated
minds materialism had the arguen., % b brs and bo
steadily pushed antagonist 70 the WALL Ana th III the
| aitaiDed 9rodigonS growth. aud has been sweeping
gods and demi of the world as the hOusemad
| Cod have been vanishing idols have been tumbling,
symbols been fading away trnites have been dis
| selves in light in shadow but the Being has
been steadily coming forward from the background,
looming from the abyss occupying the vacant spaces,
flowing into the dry channels, and taking possession oi
every inch of matter and mind. The mystery OF 1t
great John Newman, the English Catholic says oI al
points Q, faith the being Of God rs sfs sos @
pooer." Ernest Renan, 10 whom the word re
h1on" means about as httle as aoes 10 any any
Under one form or another, God will always
| stand for the full expression of suDersensual
needs. He will be the category OF the Ideal, the
form under which things eternal ana divine are con.
NAV need TO be Interpreted in senses more and
fined but it will never be superseded" Etienne Vache
eTSn man of pure intelligence, who believes that
| hgon under every form belongs 70 the childhood OF
by philosophy as it is already in educated minds will
not let 20 the thought of the absolutely perfect Being
IL Identifies this Being with imperfect, undeye-
oped universe, and drags perfection down 70 mere
conditions Atheism is ntolerabe because 1t aboshes
the ideal world altogether and leaves man hotns mn ~
aspire after The personal Sod Oh ae M e W MUST D e
accept, for he is too much IKE man MS uel, , st %
OF the most refined nelloctuality the most etherea
ated he is the most solid and positive entity there is
The avOwed athest-or there are such1nds III haruer
TO put his creed into words aud TO adjust II TO the human
mind than ever Athanasius did TO define his doctrine OF
trinity You cannot push him into corner you cannot
eompe him to back out OF the region of confessed
divinity He beyond the reach Of definition but
Comtc says, 1.-THE principle Of theology is to explain
everything but supernatural wills Lnat & Plisee seap G o
to be beyond our reach ana limit 10 ne
adopts as its fundamental dogma the fact OF the
existence OF an order Which admits OF no VAR,
sfion. and TO which all events Of every kind
are subject That there Is such an order can be
shown fact but 1t cannot be explained HOW can can
Sorder" hesitate to the other tremendous words
"cause" and "Godi" What is lac but steady, continu
ous persistent, consistent power cumulative urgent
regulated power power moving along even tracks ana
pressing toward distinct ans power with a past be-
rhyqhmeai @ as he calls it himself ordeiyF Can he
OF it as intelligent and purposelessf Can ne conceive OF
IL as purpOseful and yet uncausingi Does not the
cation with mind and viii And can we think Of mind
aud Will without thinking with the same brain
| If one must have completely suppressed
in his memory the constitution OF the human 1 ldhd, o.
claw" and force and order," upward out of all the
meshes of materiaisn toward the Infinite and Perfect
one Its ogca precision itself that lends wings The
very OF fact become ethereal, anu noa' us upon
the eternal sea.
With regard to the idea of immortality, Mr. Froth-
incbam airms that thus far the only faith that hui
manity accepts and is firmly pledged to, is the faith
in the persistence of the individual after death.
The modes of that existence, it does not undertake
In explain But the existence itself 1t has steadily
prophesied throughout all ages, and by many voices
1t has been heralded alike by prophet priest, and
philosopher and by the hearts of the believing peo-
| ole. This faith remains unshaken Men of
! science, on their own special grounds neither
affirm nor deny il, although 1t was held
| by Davy and Faraday with the tenacity OF the
most smple-miuded saint While they admit that
the future life is beyond their province, that they
can neither prove disprove, they stand with
bended head at the extreme limits of the palpable
domain the spiritual facts not touched by their
| instruments. Within this stronghold faith cannot
| be overcome. In an age of immense material activ-
ity the position may appear weak, but every Teac-
tion from period like this brings out its strength
| with pTodigiOus force.
The vital conviction of satisfied with itself
It's attempts to account Tor It's existence not
successful its arguments are commonly weak It's rea
sonings are so futile that they hardly bear their own
weight. You can beat down its guard and pierce IT with
deadly wounds but 1t will rise with twenty mortal
murders on its crown" and push skepcism from its
seat. The look into the origin or the beef IN
conscious Immortality test the supports on which 1t mas
that it, scrunize the characters OF the people
who entertain measure the reach of the anticipation
by the minds that cherish itln word, sound the
sOnableness OF the hope, the more We wonder that IL
should ever have fosered that it should ever have
taken root To hold such belief seems the hight OF
audacy The visible proofs against it numerous
the multitude cases. overwhelming. and especially
the of those who hold il most stuo6orny that It's
mere existence becomes one OF the problems OF history
The audacity OF the belief avOrs it, its wildness is its
questionable As the race grows older, more expert
enced thoughtful the faith seems 70 lose little or
its vitality. The problem retains It's interest for the
best minds hearts. 1t takes different forms,
phases presents new aspects, seizes on new
ance OF men all conditions. grades OF culture orders
of faculty. 1t is, apparently, still cardinal faith
The religion of humanity, accordingly. adopts the
confession that humanity has most persistently
made. 1t takes account of organic beliefs and uses
them for humanity's welfare. The more we eel the
power of the universal moral conviction, the more
we believe. The more we identify ourselves with
that conviction, the more profound aud vital is our
assurance.
We have only briefly touched upon or two of
the topics that treated at large in the present
volume. Our space forbids more ample discussion
Nor is it necessary in order furnish readers
with an idea of its breadth Of tone, its profound
analysis of principles and its devout and reverent
spirit. The author stands a level with
the great scientific lights of the age !;
he is familiar with their methods and
master of their results; no province of inteec-
tual activity has escaped his notice; and in the
special field of universal philosophy, he is equaled
by few living writers for the extent of his knowl-
edge the candor of his procedure, and the sincere
love of truth which prompts his conclusions. He has