Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-05-27

days. The first is aiming at a stricter or.
panizaiion and a soverer aud more authori.
tadve system. The second looks to a
greater freedom and vitality-a more lib
eral construction Of dogmss and forms,
The first makes the meat more than the life,
the clothes more than the man; the other
makes the life Of more consequence than
the kind Of food he eats, and his body more
than the kind Of raiment he wears These
two tendencies stand scowlng at each other
oil over christcndom The first wants to
make an ecclesiastical despotism the Sec
ond a religious freedom The first thinks
more Of the cask than Of the wine; the
second more Of the wine than the cask.
The one forgets that the cask is Of no use
when the wine is gone, the other that the
wine is Of no use when there is no vessel
to hold it. Both are partial and frag.
mentary in their ideas, but the last is rather
the more in accord with Christianity, and
appeals more vigorously to the popular
sympathy aud to common sense.
The Roman Church is contendiug siren.
uously against the liberalizing tendencies
Of modern thought. 1t issues its fumina-
tions against religious freedom, intellectual
liberty and scientific enquiry. 1t aims to
retain its ancient supremacy over the in
dividual conscience and bind on men its in.
falliblo decretals aud usages But the task
is more difficult than it orce was, when it
had the possession OF temporal power The
wearing off Of Catholic states from the
Roman Church has taken from its hands
the ability to enforce its dogmas on the
minds and consciences Of men Hence the
liberal Catholic movement in Europe, led
by such men as Dollnger and Loyson, is
assuming vast proportions and making
great inroads upon the organism Of the
Church. Thus far the liberal tendency
seems to have the best of it, and the old
hierarchy is losing its prestige and power
These same tendencies are also in active
hostility in the Anglican church. The Rit-
ualistic and the Broad church interpret the
opposing thoughts The former would add
new strength to the ecclesiastical organiza-
ton, make the system more authoritative,
increase the sanctity of religious dogmas
and forms, and bind them more forcibly on
the human conscience the latter extend
their sympathies to other churches, meet
with them on common platforms declare
that creed or rubric is not so great as
manly Christian life, and are thus coming
into warm contact with dissenters and nom
conformists, and laying the foundation of
broader religious life. They are teaching
the world that church principles must not
overlay Christian sympathies. Thus far
the Broad church is gettingthe best Of it, and
ritualsm is suffering check in its career.
In this country the same process seems
to be going on. In the Episcopal church,
Bishop Cummins is giving an outward and
perhaps premature expression to the liberal
thoughts Of that denomination. His move
ment is formal protest against the ten.
dency to a stricter and severer organism.
1t is a visible reaction against religious
dogma and form as binding on the in
tellcct and conscience. He is the exponent
of large number who still remain in the
old fold He expresses outside of the
Episcopal church what multitudes feel in
side Of it. He has more sympathy than
visible cooperation. But the conflict be.
tween organization and spiritual freedom
goes on all the same, and the tendency to
more authoritative form will be met and
counteracted by the tendency to more lib
eral construction.
And even in the Congregational churches
there has arisen determination to crys-
talize into church Of dogma and form
The National Council is the outgrowth Of
this organizing tendency, which aims tC
submerge individual freedom and the loca
church undef the tide of authority and cen
trail power. The Brooklyn Council was
movement also in this direction. 1t was al
attempt to cut off the head of the most ad
vanced and earnest champion of personal re
ligious freedom. But it was far from success
fnl. The spirit Of resistance to the claimi
oil authority was too strong even in tina
picked Council" There was no disposition
to establish an ecclesiastical court or Judi
catory. Congregatonalism has never ye
found personal freedom to be detrimental
to truth. 1t is not anxious to set up prn
cipe to whose reaction it owes its life ant
history.
And now Presbyterianism, which boasts
itself Of its Conference and solidty, is in
vaded by the forces of modern thought
Its creed declares, with hard and logica
exactness, that God has made men to be
damned, and orders all the affairs of his
moral and natural government so as most
surely to effect their damnation. Against
this bold and devilish dogma the tides Of
emencipated Christian thought are surging
Bold men are denouncing it. One of them,
David Swing, Of Chicago, has launched
learning, eoquence, the excellence and
dignity of an exalted Christian character
and reputation, against it. He has just been
put on his trial for heresy. Fifty years
ago he would have been convicted and de.
posed. To-day be is almost unanimously
acquitted by Presbytery who have pro,
iessed their adherence to the same creed
that in this respect he impugns
Thus on every side, the idea seems to b,
gaining ground, that whatever excellenc,
there may be in dogmas or in forms, what
ever temporary purposes they may serve
however needful they may have been il
certain ages or states Of society, they ar,
not to be universal or eternal, They be-
long to the things which are seen aud tenn
poral, and not the things which are unseen