New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-16


revealed 20 that soulf To the highest and best,
stretching of to unseen nights, and connecting
niie Observation-Disclosures ana aim at universal goodi And II
this be religion the revelation OF ~ must necessary DC
chureh the instituted guardian OF its interests in
past discovery IN the realm OF moral
and spsitua that shuts the doors against the truth
that ~ coming to earnest minds and hearts to-day Aud
the ecclesiastical foes to rational progressive and prac
First there is the spirit of dOgmatsm next. grow
inc directly ont Of dogmatsm, the spirit Of sectaran
ism; aud third, superstition. few words on the still
prevailing power Of each.
THE SPIRIT OF DoGMATIsM.
1 The spirit Of dogmatism. what is it, How shall
define II is the spirit that makes belief of i'm
porance than character More than this it spirit
that regards belief in certain enthusiastically authorized
doemas--or what Is called sound bolef-as having
saving efficacy the soul OF the believer and the alb
sencc of such belief as peril to tho soul to be py az
means shunncd. When very strong, ~ not Only Hno
religious fellowship, but social fellowship, ana le-
lOwshlp for humanitarian aud phanthrOpic O9Jeots ~
the barriers OF dOctrinal confession. 10 Is the sp
That says Beheve TINS IKE me anc you are rt that
believe it and YOU are damned" IL Is the spIlt In
says. "What my church believes IS orthodox uei fo
uine yours believes Is false and leads 10
What my church teaches Is direct rcveiatioh lt t
with Hun; what yours teaches Is inc proI tu
OF csrnal reason, ana =, must he aJn5itted
has become very much mOhed 10 these litlSr uays ~
not oxniD itself in such neTceness anu Grei ~
which have sprung all the bitter prosecutions mat nave
olshOnOred the CnuehI.ne sPit WI" WI ,usf t6era
, ~. b,, helieye by force so as either TO his
soul r n, t Is IMPOSSIBLE. other souls by the
r - 81 H,s sutliring aud perdton." Ii may have
dronrd some Of its Old methods but ~ sui exists, ana
g.ds abnudaut WAYS for exercising us power. Prac-
t,caiv II rs the phariSaical 4" am hOer than thou
sprt which attaches itself 10 certain theOlogieai sy-
t,ns E feutav IL is form OF spiritual selfconceit,
,rT",nflr claiming an access Got, which It assumes
is denied 10 people holding different beliefs. PhllOsOph-
g sS no q 6T showns the reasons on which It
m be based but by the sheer force of authory-elter
tho authority Of ones own individual Oenel' OF tne
authority oil ecclesiastical DEGREES aud power In en-
forcing p0wcrit has given up the thumo-screw the
rack. the dungeon aud STAKE but s haunts an Tue
Ways and ty-ways Of the church. appealing To motives
which the OF men, are hardly less patent than
W,s the oar OF these fortunes IL appeals 10 peoples
tears concerning the future life, 20 the prudent feeling
lat would be the safe side of TRUTH whatever hap
pens II operates upon the natural s9numeht oil re-
morse wrous-donc, and lashes 1t into
. morbid activity. 1t dexterously weayes IN ITS
demands among the most sacred ASSOCIATIONS ahl 3 @
memories puus souls, and threatens them Win the
loss OF all II its demands are not complied with IL
threatens, moreover loss OF fepuatou' Oi POsiion 9
rhIcnce OF ecclesiastical advancement-ayc, even the
los, OF business and the means OF daily bread l re-
1asitons are not conceded Formerly the spirit OF dog
ni.tIsm did 6ercest work by the dungeon anu tDe
sword Now, when bltteTest, IL accom- Tvs
by the mclner method which we may call ecoesi.Suc@i
baCkm8lling. -. l. =,
Bnt vii through ChrstendOm and 10 extent in all
TIE seots may proofof the same sprit-lnlnstes
rcstrancd from uterng their real convictions from fear
losing their pupts and the means OF supporting ther
fsmies school Teachers professors IN colleges news
paper writer's public lecturers condemned TO Keep her
religious opinions silent or lose their posluo ana lne
popular favor; business men made 20 feel by many
Of their patrons that II they want business they must
Iefs There Of public reputation In the CITY OF
NewYork who viii not dare 10 speak on the platform OF
this Free Religious Convention, though their cOnVlc-
and sympates are here because tney 90 tney
know II viii be at the sacrifice OF their pubic influence
right to charge them all with moral e0wardce,
they may not think worth while to give up Ire
career IN which they may accomplish much public
good for the sake Of an honest expression OF their opn
ions religious themes so long as they nave NOT a
spccia mission for the propagation OF these opinions
But the fact that they do abstain from this expression
their religious views because they see II will be at the
eosfO NJ
tells volumes against the character and power OF the
ecresiasticaI dognatism that still rules ChrstendOm.
That learned cultivated, and noble men should thus be
senced respect 10 the uterance OF their religious
views else be compelled 20 vacate their places OF
general public usefulness Is proof that even IN tbs
country there prevails a spiritual despOusIn, the
machinery OF which though less external and material
than formerly, is still potent TO accomplish It's ends
.. Turn now for a moment to sectarianlsm. On tbs
point needs to be said since sectaranlsm is only
one of the phases of dOgmatsm. Sectarianism is dog
matsm organized; dogmausm IS us working dress
Dogmatsm IS the root from which the sectain ieeIlng
springs We hardly conceive that there would be
sects in religion dd not men think that certain re-
AgOus beliefs are almp0rant anu mat Is necessary
10 al mankind 10 the acceptance OF them Did
people simply wish 10 come together Ior M lsoite
ment aud elevation Tor moral culture, anu Iot uEng
phanhrOpiC work. seCts could not nOuTlsh III Is When
these moral spiritual ana philanthIOpic objects are
euOOrdlnated TO- or are feRaIueu as III Deilg
in some theological dogma that the sectdllan spirit
assooIaton is not moral, spiritual, phanthropic
but dOctrnali and all those VINO believe
together 70 defend and propagate 1t. Thus sect is
built up First doctrine-and doctrine conceived as
and the guardian of the doctrine Tue
guardian becomes therefore, as Important as the doc
But Il may be said the fact OF the existence OF
scots is not wholly an evil fact. AVID this Is true.
5ects, like religions, grow out OF certain hatu-
raj historic exigencies. A religious organiza-
ton becomes scctarian only when 1t endeavors TO
clude somebody or some thought from it's Fellowship
Ana who honestly LAY that TINS evl OF sectaanlsm
docs not still largely prevail in ChristendOmf What is
tn, me Yunr Men, CLrisan Associatons in this
FRY ina cf.u.fi INIT ma Of W
membership by admitting as active members only
such as are OF evangelical doe'rnef -, ,,.
g. But there foe. also within the limits OF
the church itself. with which rational religion has to
oOntend-supersuton.
REMARKS OF NJ. l. ELLINGER.
NJ L. Elliuger then gave the Jewish view OF the sub
iect discussed by Mr.. Potter. He SAID among other
things;
feel proud to appear here on this platform. and TO
tako paIt IN this movement for the advancement Of
thought and investigation IN the cause or renglOn.
feel proud that do II Jew, and as representa-
vance Of other churches in procaimng that reason Is
the only tangible platform on which any church can
stand II proper that the Jewish Church should be
represented IN the Free Religious Association because
in itself 10 nothing but free religious association
no doemas II mas nothing by which it condemns
one aud elevates another. IL is. say, Free Re
lgious Association which admits every human being on
that one single platform hat ne PeneVes III reStOr
no more and nothing else. without dogma, without
nine n has nevertheless existed through ages and per-
secuon without coming together and celebrating IN
",
through the world without any other power than the
power of The mind and nothing more. The jewish
church further right To be represented III the free
Religions Association because 1t has not any antagO
with science 1t courts science and lnyestlgatOp
10 humanity which Is the Messiah OF the Jews and
believe IN this faith aud this hope They work the
platform with the who eudeaYOrlng 10 en-
tighten mankind 20 bring them nearer together TO ask
them TO az into their belief and see II
there platform possible which every human
being stand whether he belong 70 church or an
other. The question asked here last evening
whether Judaism had future IN this country believe
lag nj As "A
the messenger OF religion that says humanity begins
when churches will be pulled down, when Judaism
shall have ceased, when Christianity shall have run
course using the pressure OF society," in using the
pressure the Government in using force in order 10