Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-13
Horace Greeley's Christian Faith.


illogical views. 1t was started by a
writer in the Lsaer, who said: eff Mr.
Greeley had had time to give the sub
ject, he would have been a nationalist
or free thinker and TO mistake This
statement is stoutly denied by cores
pondent of the Liberal Christian, who
takes offence at it, But there is no
need of Il controversy on the subject.
Mr.. Greeley exp,asssaksezs religious
views very clearly in the Icaflier NUM-
bers of the Golden Age. Without
quoting all that he wrote for these col
umns, we will deduce the principal
points Of his theological system
]. He believed in God. He was no
ATHEIST He recognized great First
Cause. He adored a Supreme Being.
"My reason assures me" he says,
that the visible and invisible universe
are the work Of an Almighty Father. "
II. He believed in the immortality
Of the soul. "This mortal state Of be-
ing" he says, ii. but the vestibule Of
human existence" The instinct Of a
future life was strong in his breast.
He often contemplated the next world
with a forelooking Of extreme satisfac-
ton. Full Of tolls, he would frequent
(y escape from their vexing weariness
by imagining heavenly rest. His
thoughts swept forward to the hereaf
ter with a comforting confidence. The
future state was not dim and dismal to
him, but bright and inviting. During
his later years he yearnel frequently
for death as being a higher state oflife
And during the last months Of his Ca
reer, he was especially full Of longings
and dreamlike, meditatiyc aspirations
for the exchange Of realms. i have
but one ambition" he said to Us, early
in tie campaign, land that is, not for
the presidency, but death"
III. He believed that God is love.
In other words, be held that the great
First Cause is Parent ef Good, whose
heart is full Of bencvolencc toward his
creatures, who has none Of the malice
, or evil passions which animated the di.
whites Of the older and barbarous the
ologies Accordingly he rejected the
Calyinistic notion OF he'll and wrath,
and eternal vengence. He was Uni
versalist member for many years of
DR.. Chapin's church in. New York.
Nothing would excite his fne CONVEX
sationai faculty into greater animation
than any ao--satron against the Divine
Charity. Fond Of religious discussion
in all its phases, he was specially fond
Of arguing that the God Of all goodness
takes 40 delight in the death of the
wicked Il know" he says" that
goodness is an attribute Of the Creator,
because my senses attest that lie has
made the happiness Of His creatures an
object Of his unfailing solicituJe' -
Ana yet on the other hand, Mr.
Greeley did believe in retributive JUS
tice, as administered by the Divine,
hani- He said Gin the ':busy life }
"Perceising that many leave this stage
Of being depravel and impeaiteat, [
can not believe that they will be trans
formed into angels of purity by the in
tergention of a circumstance so purely
physical and Involuntary as death.
x < | infer that, alike in all worlds,
men will be chastised whenever they
shall need to be- y x If man is
punished because he needs to be be-
cause that is best for him why should
such discipline BE- restricted to this
span of life %
" Mr. Greeleylbelieved that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God and Savior of
mankind. We do not mean By this that
he held the coSsmonIy received and or
thodox view Of Christ's co-equal divinity
with the Father. This idea was repul-
sive to him. Nor, On the other hand,
did he accept the radical Unitarian
doctrine that Jesus of Nazareth was
simply q man among men a man OF
supreme gifts, it is true, but still only
man. Mr.. Greeley thought that the
first six chapters Of Hebrews taught a
view Of Christ which put nim above
men and below God in other words,
suspended him, in the. rank Of intelli-
gence, like Mahomet's coffin, between
earth and heaven. This was one of
his favorite doyuas, and he would dis
cuss and illustrate it by the hour.
Y. Mr.. Greeley had great sympathy
with the supernatural and was devout
believer in the miracles recorded in the
Scriptures. He writes, . [ hear those
who say. An all-wise\God would new
er interfere with the operation of His
laws, but [ do not agree with them "
He further said distinctly, "Nor does
my reason revolt at what are popularity
termed miracles. or special interposi-
tions Of the divine hand %
VI He was a great reader of the Bi-
bic, and was so familiar with all its
parts that if you gave him a fragment
Of an important verse.Nhe could gener-
ally quote the remainder. He was
quick to detect in sermons misquota-
ton Of Scripture, and whenever any OF
his friends could catch him in an mae
curate quotation himself, especially
from the New Testament, they always
made as much Of boast over him as il
he had blundered in the election re-
turns, or forgotten the statistics of the
Tribune almanac.-Gotden Age.
What difference have we often