New-York tribune., 1873-01-16
THE HALL OF HERESIES.
A GERMAN PHILOSOPHERS LIFE AND
DOCTRINE.

1FR0M REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUERt
B0sroN, Jan. 6-The Horticultural Hall
Course of Sunday Afternoon Lectures for ths year,
opened, yesterday. by the Rev. o. b. rockingham OF
your city, II awful day 1t rained II 1t might
be the beginning Of new deluge The wind assailed
each single wayfarer with personal maligny. And
yet despite angry skies and slippery sidewalks, Hort-
cultural Hall was full 1t was. considering the weather
audience TO be amazed alto be regarded with sad
pity by orthodox eyes, cheerful congratuaton you
were heretic Mr. rockingham is a dangerous foe to
the reign of established ideas because what he says is
polished eloquent, evidently sincere, that he
oomps your admiration, and so Is in danger of begu
ing your Judgment. His subject was Ludwig Fener-
BACH and Modern Atheism" Atheism whether moderno or
ancient found be always essentially the same thing
AS doctrine 1t simply the denial OF senont Cod Its
manifestation and its expression vary In various times
Sometimes 1t is and material; sometimes phlo
sophica or ideal II takes coorng too from the moods
and temperaments of mankind Indian Atheism differs
from Greek Atheism, and that, In hs turn from Roman
The Atheism OF the North is unlike the Atheism OF the
South; and the Atheism Of the 10Th century does not
correspond precisely with that OF the l6ih The 18th
century metaphysical fond Of abstruse arguments
given to long disqustions the attributes OF God, the
problem OF Good and Evil the nature OF the soul The
10Th century scientiacit studies facts-metaphyscs
are discarded as has fallen into
bad repute-and even philosophy Is hidden to come
down from the clouds and lend hand at hciping men
along The 18th century tried all problems by abstract
IDEAS The 10th century applies to all problems the test
OF correct classification. The 18th century was revou
tionary Its distinguishing feature was passionate up
rising of the mind against the bondage of dogma War
was made not only on the Church OF Rome, but on all
established creeds, all accepted traditions 1t was the
age preeminently, OF deas-the epoch OF criticism. 1t
substituted free inquiry for blind faith reason for au
thorty. It's searching gaze penetrated everyWhere-
pierced all mysteries In the 10th century, this work of
destruction is mainly done and the weapons OF war
laid by II is an age OF rebuilding new foundations,
by the help Of plans Its spirit Is generous con-
hding pacific It aims at doing justice. 1t holds it's
opinions aflirmatiyey and it can afford to be fair.
The eminent German, Ludwig Feuerbach, was an
Atheist OF the 18th centurya representative man. His
works have been translated into English by no less
person than the authoress Of :" Romola" and " Adam
Bede" Three months ago he ded-in poverty, but not
in neglect for his countrymen here as well as at home
were dropping him the dew OF their bener-
cence, and trying to cheer his solitude by
testimonies Of their gratitude for his emancl-
pating thoughts. The seeds he had planted
in his active years became harvest that fed him in his
old age and garden of flowers on his grave The story
his life is told for 1t life Of thought rather
than of incident. His father an eminent criminal
lawyer; and he himself seems TO have inherited the
judicial spirit He was 1884, in picture sque old
town of Bavaria, Munich. He studied theology at
the University of Heidelberg but the professors there
could not satisfy his craving for light From Heidelberg
he went the age OF twenty to Berlin There philoso
ply took precedence OF theology; but Ludwig wrote
TO his father that he had not abandoned
theology lightly for Of interest, but because it
failed TO satisfy him, TO give him what he crayed The
prince OF philosophers, at this time, Hege-he was
prince priest aud prophet He sat in the chair OF Fohte
and gave laws to the intellectual world. He was going
to "teach philosophy To talk German" His honors
proved too much for him and he became as some say,
tool of those who had sat at his feet He discovered
l,Ih l.faa
the State-he became the apoost aud defender Of des
potisn Then the Church put in its claim for his sup
port his protection against rationalsm. And To- he be-
came orthodox than the orthodox; and supplied
them with new arguments against their foes ex-
plantations of their dogmas Before all this came to
pass Ludwig Feuerbach had ceased TO be his disciple
He saw the drift OF Hegels movement. and reyolted
from IT, To his brave soul. philosophy meant freedom
lie broke away and assumed attitude OF his own |
His maiden work, Thoughts on Death and Immor- |
tay clearly indicated his revolt and his famous book
on the Essence OF Christianity revealed the full sig
ncance Of his secession. Thenceforth he Travelled his
own road and he Travelled il alone At 25 hc!acceped
professors chair and tried to deliver lectures to the
nest of pietiss ErangeE logic and metaphysics
hut it would answer He retired to Bruckberg.
lovely little village where ho found rest TO his soul and
where, in 1893, he took to himself a wife.
Though Feuerbach early abandoned theology, he was
essentially theologian. He could not rest till he got at
consecraed His change from theology to philosophy
from philosophy to natural SCIENCE indicated secu
larzing process nhis mind tendency to wordlihess
or rivolity The theological method disappointed him
tho philosophical method did not meet hs expectation
the method Nature he trusted, would be more sat
sfactory But from each method demanded the same
result-THE TRUTH. He WAS skeptic except in the
original Of being seeker The secret OF his
thought and OF his soul is to be found In his works Two
Of them, the Essence of Christianity and the Es-
of Religion" will, perhaps sufficiently reveal it.
The first is one his earlier productions the second
the Of his popular lectures in Heidelberg in 1sis
To read his soul In his words not difficult for he
man os purpose, volcanic man." as one OF his critics
called him. His style is easy, his sentences short and
simple Of construction He doesInot address the Guilt
vated but the peopehe appeals out OF the heart to the
hearis theologian. that he may be imore genuineIy
prophet-philosopbcr that he may more ntellgently
preach-man of science, that he may communicate
directly with natural feelings. In his words
best state his opinions.
Docs there exist for men, he asks, anything (which
transcends nature and humanity Are weustifedjin
thinking of the absolute apart from these And
with full and feeling conviction. he answers No" lie
believed in the whoeness the integrity OF humanity
and he could bear to it divided broken in two
his apprehension It had to be. through the pre-
vailing modes of thought He saw, In the God
SHIPPED only a projection from themseyes-their own
shadow in the clouds and to man troubled exut
ant at tDe hgnt OF bis own 5nauOW tOucneu MIN 10 the
soul And therefore, when asked IL he believed In dis
tinct personal. conscious God he answered No for
he felt that whatever given 70 God was |
taken from man-that the being called God |
was but himself, under another name |
Why have two beings where Is suifcienti Why |
divide consciousness against itseff Man. he maintained
can conceive Of nothing higher than himself There
fore the conscou OF God s the sec0ncOusnees
Religion he defined the relation OF man 70 his
own inner being When morality Yas based on Theology
and right on divinity he Baw things the most immoral
aud scandalops advocated the Of religion; and
30 he thought 1t well TO spend his life in striking on
these the0l0gc fetters from the human mind Theology
he said made even love. the noblest human attribute
LII,