New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-07
PHASES OF AMERICAN NFmELIrY.

PHASES OF AMERICAN NFLDELITY.
BY WILLIAM f. WARREN OF UNIVERSITY or BOSTON,,
What are the forces and forms of American
unbelle2 Whence have they proceeded What is their
relation TO American Christianity These of
the questions which naturally thrust themselves upcs
the attention Of the first Gcumenca Conference Of the
American Alliance convened on American soil To an
swer them nteigbly especially to our foreign visitors
it will be necessary glance at the genesis and develop
ment Of the social and religious life OF the nation. His
toric forces and effects only be understood hster
ically.
Going back, then, to tho Colonial period OF
ys history struck at the outset by the remark
able fact that the first effective preparation Of the orgt
nal British American coonists for social aud political
unity was due great religious awakening the ro-
vyal which commenced In l7l0 Down To that time the
spirit Of ntercolonal Jealousy isolation and repeaney
ling influence. Till that time there had been
neither chronological, political. social nor rel-
international, civil, social and religious antag.
Onisms Of all Europe seemed Concentrated upoa
strip Of this Atlantic coast smut IN between
the territories OF France upon the north and west and
spanish Florida on the south, bsected near the middle
and Delaware overlooked with settlements OF every
European nationality. the little British colonies or go
aspect OF all the European dependencies in the New
World. No two existed under common
a ROmanist colony nearest neghOOr 20 set
Elements OF fugitive HuguenOts, there the plain and
quietlstic Quaker was separated only by boundary
line from the formal and rite-Oying Anglican. Noble
men and peasants, Papsts aud PlOJestauts, Round
heads and Cavaliers ROyasts and haters OF royalty
believers and unbehevers, ali found themselves indng
on common platform, all aith1u TO their old woli al
nnes. OuOf elements utterly Heterogeneous whence
could unity and order come 10 could only from
that Author OF peace and Giyer OF Concord, who do
lights to reconcile all antasoniss and unity all tnat
has discovered.
Toward the middle OF the last century came tho full
Of Gods timei for generating Christian
tlonalty FIRST soul was needed 10 organize the rich
though motley elements into one living. national body.
a
the Whtheldan Revival In It's mighty neat the old IN
teecual and spiritual partition walls by which the
Colonies had been long isolated fused and les
tide of gracious influence roll through the whole DOMAIN.
For the first in their history, British Colonies
agltated by one thought, swayed by one mind.
moved by one impulse. Again and again through all
these colonies tins Eost famous evangelist OF history
moved in triumph. Puritan Now-England forgot that
he was gowned priest OF the very church from wAoso
oppression they had ted to the wlds OF new world
Dutch NewYork and German Pennsylvania almost uu-
learned Their degenera,tng yernacuiaT as they
was delighted with his Gospel simplicity, the
Covenanter and Huguenots with his doctrines OF
grace" The EpscoDalians were his by righfu church
fellowship and thus when IL came To pass tnat HheD
ministry. he lay death in Newouryport, he
unconscousy but in reality the spiritual father OF
acknowledged by the historian, but fact il Is.
The outward providenral discipline, by which the new
national spirit nurtured aud strengthened and
gradually made TO take the form and functions Of
organic body polite, was admirably fitted TO its end
young nation in the Of preparatory to tho
great struggle OF tho War Of Liberation. TIE soon
completed the work Of national unihcatlon. Thence
forth there was an American people self-oonscoas
Colonies had gwen place b. emans-
pated States. these To unified consolidated Republic.
How stood the evangelical and evangelical
forces this nation at the commencement OF pO
cal independence Enthusiastically considered Dy no
means unfav0raDy. Almost tho entire population DO
lOnged TO evangelical churches, and, what still moro
favorable, 10 evangelical churches with which they were
Identified by all the ties of education and loDgstnding
tradition. In New-Engand, Puritan lndependency OF
COugregatiOnalism was not only the religion eStao-
lished by law, but the real faith OF almost
the entire community. In the MldIe ana
Souther states, with the exception al PennsYlyana
the Church OF England had been the established chuod
though In many sections the Reformed Church lnGad
ing ITS three great branches, the Scotch Dlgeh ahd
German, equaed or surpassed IN nemOefs ana lnDu-
ence the communion, established ana Iayoieu oy law.
Though tho disruption OF tho new nalion Hon
the mother country loft all commandments %
the Church OF England disorganlted and church
less, they remained 80 for Dtlei periou VnY.
In 1874 and 1879 they organized themseiyes insg
two new Episcopal churches tho methodist EDlsoOpas
aud tho Protestant Episcopal eaeh RETAINING, Win
slight modincations, the Articles OF kongiCn, INC
Iturgy and many OF the traditions OF the Anglican
mother Iutheranism this time was MOI strong btn
incndin fhe 10 or II MOrayian societies, tue Wh0is
strenrtb az the American Lutheran Church did
not exceed some 70 parishes. btll 10 was
not sresTIy dspropOrti0ned " the German p0pu,
i,tio5 10 sum up, with population OF abou
c1oooo thoro Was very nearly al evangelical minister