New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-07


s. Az great and constant scandal, not peculiar to
of every age 1 would mention moral inconsistency
within s pale These are through the ais 81 r tbs
spiritual Church OF Christ various and multform as
hardly to admit Of any rhg are al
pleaded argument, however iOgcay, on tne
side o. ndet and ID PROPORTION 70 Tue shc Ss
on Protestant Christians hard to bear rms holds es
op Sr an o' an asSnsDted With the literature Of
unbeef fail TO have noticed what deeply nostlle
surt toward tho clerical has for the most part
peryaded it, and however unjust and censurable this
may have been II cannot In candor oe dgnl,u sne .
wordliness the arty aud tho insincery OF 100 many
OF those assled, though in some ages more thaH
have given much ground for the allegation That tnel
Christianity was only CLOAK OF selushhes', anu tias
the unbelever IN orders, differed from the unDehever
Without ron aS" Of PIX Rc6a Sao Baxter to Lord Herbert Of
Cherbury may he accepted 10y the earnest OF ChrstS
MINISTERS rn Ssgss IL nav be- Conceded
that oenses still come, which bind All Christian teach
ers To do their utmost to abate the charge OF hreng ana
professional advocacy brought against their support OF
Christ a.. ...,....-.
of proessedv Christian nations Unjust and aggressive
wars unrigheOus colonization ana commerce, enofOAcn-
ing on the possessions OF unprotected races ana nec
ing them with the vices Of civilization, class egslauon
depressing and irritating the poor anu 10 crown az
Protestant nations have darkened in them the hight Of
Christ and strengthened every preud adverse 10 us
late great country and the human race on the mighty
sacrifice, unparalleled in the history OF any Cnrsuah
g. The last set OF hinderances In Protestant churches
which | shall touch have been mistakes In dealing
the evidences Christianity too much from Christianity
50 as to exhibit them IN an oat S s sa ReTpa or
historical evidences when these have TO bear the whole
WEIGHT of the building Another has been TO
nit tho Christian cause too much TO points OF
detail. supposed difficulties emerging IN relsuSn
the Bible record. without weighing them against
the whole mass or the evidences, anu snoWins
that Christians could afford from tune to time
to leave these unsettled till further investigation OF ltsei
cleared the matters Of doubt away And the only other
which MENTION and is not SO much an error Oh
procedure as spirit and temper has been the unsY
pathzing and dogmatic spirit in which the CONFLICT
with unbelief has too often been malntahed. am Vs
forgetfu the great proyocaon given by the unfair
and dsngenuous style In which Christ mas Deeh
lowered by the tone adopted in reply, when,
n t has not rendered railing for railing, mas Deen
sparing in blessing In tenderness anu III ply io1
those who erred much to their own grev0us loss anu
repIy TO Collins work otherwise almost unmatched in
yigor and briancy yet altogether disappeared,
ana t tbe hest Tary on the Christian side can be
combined with the Durest sympathy ana the Iarest
thus gifted but for all others, OF woundlng ana fepe
where it is desirable to VIM ana OF iang snoFI 81
| as the ideal spirit Of the Christian apologist.
| HOW INFIDELITY, SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE rs TO BIZ
MET.
Having thus endeavored however effectively, to lay
open some Of the Of four modern nhdeity, 1t
would be necessary speak almost great length OF
remedies or counteracng agencies. But happily this
fnness ia not required in such paper and W the cause
| has been rightly Indicated, a Few hints WIZ Suggest
found / shall enumerate them under three heads ar
ranged according the order Of their Importance VIZ
0) PRAYER; 2) The General improvement Oh the ChIs-
Ian Church and C) The Use Of Specific Measures Tor
| the Defense OF Christianity Against UnDeHet.
l. begin with prayer az OF al remedies the most IN
portant needing to be used with every other but ITSELF
IN regard 10 all the deepest sources OF nndety te one
regard 10 tine most rooted and darkest class OF pru
dices against Christianity, which are moral 10 their
| Goa can fsTorabIy influence the human heart
| And as tho only means whereby man can elicit that
action is prayer this consideration IS enough to show
that beyond all nsrumentaties whatsoever, prayer de-
mands the most earnest and Jealous employment on the
part OF all Christians This state OF matters It Is to
be feared is sufficiently realized, and hence direct
and specific prayer Tor the conversion OF ayowed rec
place even in schemes aud topics OF Christian suppca
hon This charge cannot, however be brought against
ofore acted in the spirit OF that noble Good FRIDAY col
iect Of the Church OF England to which all Christian
| hearts must respond " Have mercy upon ali Jews,
Turks Inddels and Herecs, and take from them all lg
norance, hardness OF heart and contempt OF I worG
and so fetch them home. blessed LORD 10 Ivy nock'
that they may be saved among Lhe remnant y lny i4
Israetes, and be made one fold under one shepherd
H. The necessity Of the second remedy indlcated-the
general Improvement of the Christian Church. must be
unbeef that it has been nursed and strengthened
by Christian errors and abuses Exactly in the degree
therefore which PrOtesants work for the repres
and downfall OF Romanism, are they abating also
the prevalence OF infdey and as they naturally nave
bound to seek in them still nearer Held OF warfare
with every corruption and every evil. The exaltaon OF
the authority OF the Scripture lin matters OF faith the
assertion of the harmOnes OF the Protestant confessions,
than the development Of their differences. aud the
cultivation OF kindly intercourse among all sections of
| the great Protestant family, would have powerful
effect only upon the ROmanst but upol the skepc.
The differences OF Christians which have been favorite
argument OF unbee ever since the days OF CELSIUS who
no on IN enumerated existing facts but even added
ones unknown would thus be reduced TO their true
nitude; would dOctrina unity at all sulhce, put,
when possible suchiuny OF organization has happily
| It
since this strikes the OF the unfrlendly, and
! gives doctrlnal unity the prominence of Wis
the independence and self-snhelency OF the
certainly with view ~ lessen the influence OF Christian
ity the State. but to open wider path for the ex-
oreise that healthfu Christian opinion which sure
TO stamp its impress on the legislation Of all public
of free nations. Even more than In relation To such ma
tons not formally and AS SUCH members OF IT,
should the Protestant Church vigorously strive to carry
the law of Christ in regard to those individuals who
are directly within It's own pale me eVls OF lax com
munOn OF decayed discipline, ana OF prevailing formal
ism ana apathy should be more strehuouSly waITed
against in all sections or PrOtestanlsl ana general
and sympathetic effort made TO exhlmt the Gospel OF
Christ as living purifying, ana GShSae a, power;
each living episte OF Christ would become better
apoOgst OF Christianity Nor can recording place be
here assigned TO CHRISTIAN mission. OhuouOleIy tne
multiplication OF missions and phllanhropc efforts at
home abroad has within the last n years immensely
have been impossible to ytndIoate sagnant Christian
ty bur by movement it became only dfRused
but vital Professionalism, awaking from Its torpor
amd the commissions OF the French reyouon accepted
gong into all the world, rewarded the early miracle OF
propagation Its great and growing successes IN the
missOnhed far more than cOunterpose u recent
difficulties created by science and minute crltlcsIn
Strong and ever strengthening itself in these, IL can
calmly await the solution OF more formidable questions
than have ever yet been raised Unbeliewll point IN
VAN to nOtches sword while 1t Is duly extending
it, conauests and alleged flaws in its tltiedeeds will
avail little the teeth, not only OF possession but OF
evergrowng acquisition az the expense OF It's most In
Yeerate enemies.
III The third and last class OF measures for the coun-
teracting Of intdelty, yiz direct Efforts Tor the
srensthenIng OF Christian evidence. involve two things
the Improvement OF apologetcal science aud the in
crease OF means the diffusion and assertion OF Its
results Leaving latter the or churches aud
voluntary association as 1t may safely be left IN an
age which fails less IN the organization OF philanthropy
shall close ms