The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-09
The Eya.-gel.cal Alliance.

uall, aAu DucueHeF. Tie pF8uioIe0 Ill
the tide Of Infdelity that was sweeping from
the Eastern world across to our continents
foreshadowed the great conflict of Armeged-
don, and the tirns was not far in the dis
lance when the shock would send a tremb-
ling jar throughout the limits Of christen'
dom.
When We glance at the current history OF
the times, and note the significant demon
STATIONS that have been made by the ad
herents Of the Roman Church, in the Ecu
meuical Council the disciples of the school
of scientists, who argue from scientific premise,
the materially of man, and the Evangelical
Alliance, representing the Protestant
churches of the civilized world, now deliber-s
ating in the city of New York. the idea Of
DR.. Roszell comes before us with pertinent
significance.
1t is Faith and [nfdelity that are to meet
in the shock of battle, and whose forces are
now being marshalled with all the discipline
and technical severity of military Iegions.
The metaphysical strainings and startling
theories, explaining mans origin and destiny,
issuing from the busy and massive brains Of
of such men as Darwin, and Tyndall and spen-
Ger, and Buchener, would seem to Indicate
that they had combined their intel 'ects and
learning to uproot the very foundations of
the Christian Religion, and iufame doubt
into conviction as to the nsn-existence Of
God TyndaIl,i 10 all of his the ,ries and
speculations. as to mans origin and destiny,
never alludes to Deity-Buchener argues
that death is annihilation, aud the soul a
myth-Darwin, that man is an educated mon
key, receiving his emotional nature through
process of Intellectual refinement, and
Spencer, that he sprung from some filthy
sea weed, and is only wonderful illustra-
ton Of the perfection of vegetable growth
transmogradsd plant, whose existence ia
traceable to some elastic substance on the
billo.y shore, passing into the weed that
fourishes in the saline waters, thence into
other vegetable substances, and thence trans
formed into animal life, reaching its perfection
in man. And then we
'.Die, and go, we know not where,
To lie in cold obstruction and to rot!
The insensible warm motion to become kneadod
clod,
And the delighted spirit to battle in fiery food
If we trace the paths of these three grand
divisions of faith and thought, which seem
to be discipilipg their legions for the shock O.
battle, we will find that they all have 4 di-
rection to the New World as the theatre
Of COZ hict. In glaneing at the condition O
Catholicism in monarchical countries, we are
arrested by the fact that the influence anc
power of this great church is weakening
where church and state are intermixed, anc
that in France, Italy, and Spain, where il
once fourished in undisputed supremacy
rapid inroads are being made upon its au-
thority while in England and the United
States, where religious freedom and tolera.
ton are cardinal ideas in the fundamental
structure of government. its advancement
and spread exceed that of any other ecclesias-
teal organization. 1t is here, too, that
Protestan tism finds its most luxuriant growth
and is spreading its branches far and wide
reaching out from ocean to ocean, and cast
ing their shadows over the fragrant tropics
and the ice bound regions Of the north. AT
this time an immense representation Of all
the denominations of the civilized world. ar
raysd against Romansm, is meeting in
grand conelave, in the city of New York, as
one church, to harmonic and unity, for an
aggressive movement. Here, too have sci
entists, but the other day, proclaimed their
lrreverent yet sophistical theories, which
aim blow at the very base Of the christian
faith, and make war indiscriminately upon
Protestant and Catholic, announcing, in the
confidence of "much learniag," the doctrine
of "Materiaism," as against that Of orthodox
sp;yituahty-a solution Of the mystery of
mans creation upon scientific principles, and
the mythical existence of the soul, as against
the existence of Great First Cause, resting
on 40 abiding Faith in the Divinity Of Christ
and the grand Plan of Human Redemption,
which unites in its Scheme Earth aud Heav-
en-.
While it is not the legitimate provinces
of the secular Journal to elaborately discuss
the thoughts which come trooping into the
mind, as we contemplate this grand marshal
ling Of the forces Of opposing ideas, embra-
ing such momcntous results, it may not be
inappropriate to occasionally direct the pop
ular mind to them. Especially is it allowa-
BILE at this time, when the Evangelical ALI
ance, composed of some of the first theologi-
cal students and teachers Of the world and
age, is n session, celebrating upon the very
thoughts which have suggested this allusion.
They meet as an antagonizing body to the
Ecumenieal Council that assembled in Ro me
few years ago, and to the doctrines of In
fidelity that have recently been promulgated
with SO much attractive learning and oratory