The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-17

and violated nature sorbore the propagation )
Of man. Under the bloody Instructions "
of an irreligfous ethics, the cruelties of the
Coliseum became the amenities Of Roman
amusement, and suicide was patsoniZed as
the euthenasia of philosophy. -
That religion is the life of nations is the |
solemn warning of history; but the truth !
was never SO impressively taught Us by the
fall of the Roman Empire. That vast fabric
Of power and opulence crumbIed to pieces
under the disintegrating action of universal
skepticism. Art expired. letters were lost
and for thousand years the genius of bar.
barlsm fbrooded over the melancholy ruin.
But, meanwhile, another and better faith
was gwen 70 man; and the light of the
Chrlstlan revelation. began to illumine the
world. by an inevitable reaction the human
mind swung from the extreme of skepticism
to the extreme of credulity and the middle
ages were period of the profouudest SUI
perstition. The spiritual faculty was unduly
developed; but soon the balance was adj.
iusted. s-rs '-y- 49, $3.50,
By the Reformation reason and religion
were reconciled, dogma and doubt appro-
priated to their legitimate functions. and
then humanity sprang forward on that career
of civilization which it is now running with
SO rapid pace. But specifically we are to
note the influence Of the newborn spiritual
life on the progress of learning. Even du-
ring the darkness Of the medieval night the
lamp of knowledge was kept trimmed and
burning in many studious cloister; and
the yearnipg of the heart after it's religious
ideal prompted to expression in rhythmic
rhapsody. The canticie of the Church was
the earliest form of the modern literature;
the monks, Copernicus, and Roger Bacon,
the first students of the modern science. On
the fall of Constantinople, the Byzantine
scholars sought asylum in Italy, bringing
with them the classical learning. And
thus again the Pagan philosophy appeared
| to perpleX humanity and to impede
| its progress. For, so fascinating are the
sorceries of this enchantress, that they be-
| wiIdered even the clergy; and so potent the
poison of her skepticiSm, that in the intoXi-
cation OF the draught Pope renowned the
| faith of Christianity. The civilization of
| Italy under Leo Y. was reproduced Pagan
| ism, with yet more of incredulity than cha
| racterized its original form. And mark the
| consequence Of the prevalence of the ra-
tional over the religious principle in Rome
and Florence during the sixteenth century ::
| universal deprivation of morals, loss of spi-
ritual energy, degradation of national cha
lucter, the supremacy of the Borgias in poll
| tics, and of the genius of Aretiuo in litera-
| ture "a portentous relapse toward the
profisacy and anarchy and barbarism of the
| Lower Empire. Happily for the cause of
| learning and the interests of humanity,
languishing faith was rekindled by the zeal
| Of Luther; and thenceforward, for two
| centuries, Christianity and civilization
| walked hand in hand, scattering blessings
| on the nations.
| But pride OF intellect is the inveterate folly
of man: and except by the scourgc OF some
providential chastisement, is hard to be kept
in subsection to faith. Again, in the
eighteenth century, reason revolted against
religion. and impinusIy arrogated to itself
an exclusive sway over the destinies of hui
mainly. The scoffing skepticism of Foltaire
| shed mildew over the mind of Europe,
withered up the flower of faith, ar blighted
| in the bud all the nascent bic ON of the
Christian culture. Deism in England, Pan.
theism in Germany, and RationaIism in
France, were the specific forms which the
prevailing iDti(lelity assumed; but there is
ever a sympathy and solidarity among all
the phases OF unbelief, and these co0perated
| in the fastening catastrophe. During this
-period the solitary ray OF glory emitted by
the genius of Britain issued forth from the
| disordered but devout fancy OF C0wper.
The spell of skepticism equally paralyZed
the intellectual energies of the continent, and
there was never time when irs literature
was so barren of beauty and power. Mean
while the morals of mankind retrograded
toward an Epcurean laxitv; and the orgies
of the Regency were the prelude to the
dreadful drama of the Revolution. Now
was seen the apotheosis of the secular phi
losophy, when, in the intellectual capital of
| Europe. Reason was deitied in the person of
prostitute. Again humanity was recalled
to its faith by the alarum of ruin to all the
institutions of society, and by the knell Of
expiring freedom. In the name OF tue altar
Europe was rallied to the defence of civiliza-
| ton, and religion inspired the herosm that
rescued mankind from the bondage Of a
worse than Nandal subiugation. Then for a
time sobered reason walked in humility by
the side of faith and was content to be its
obedient handmaid. This was the season of
the brightest etfiurescence of the human ge-
nius-when philosophy taught the truest
wisdom; when poesy sang its sweetest and
sutimest song; when eloquence spoke its
most persuasive accents when science de-
veloped its most dazzling revelations; when
ClNlIlLatlOu I'D llCuCSl Go
Gentlemen, we might expect that in the
face Of these repeated and most Impressive
1 warnings of history mankind would never
again try the experiment of purely secular
culture-would never more renounce thu
| help of faith in the development of humani
ty-Wou!d never again trust its destinies tt
the guidance OF unassisted reason. But
alas the lesson is already forgotten; and il
these latter days, and among the foremos
peoples, has sprung up philosophy the mos
instinct with the spirit of skepticism, thu
most alien from the affections of the Infinite
and the Eternal, the most subordinated Il
the supremacy OF sense, the most fraugh
| with despair to man, of: any that was
ever born of the phreDZy of speculation
Gentlemen, it was given to Lord Bacon
first to see and earnestly to inculcate that BY
no other process than the method of Undue
ton can the laws of the material universe be
successfully investigated. And the glory oil
that wonderful man is, not that he pro.
pounded IA new philosophy, but that he de,
monstrated the futility of the old system and
exhibited the efficacy Of common sense as
| guide to the discovery of the secrets of ma.
| ture. ProdigiOus was the impulse he thus
! impaired TO the progress Of humanity. Iu-
stautly the mind of Europe shook ul the
| yoke of the Aristotlean idea, and started on
| the right path in eager pursuit of scientific
| truth. Newton and Calico hlazed the way /;
| and poor Natures wild forest was vocal with
| the shouts of eXultant discovery. Time
| would fail me to recount the conquests
| which, during the past century, science has
achieved over the empire of Nature. Suf.
flee to say, that the mysteries of the material
universe, once yelled and inaccessible to pro-
fame research, have been invaded and re-
yealed, and the subtlest. as well as the most
stupendous forces of nature, tanned into sub
lection to nuns necessities. at first the in