New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-12

Inc previous disIensatiOn was conserva
| tive and separative for the purpose of radi
cal inner education. This Christian dispen
| sation is for the purpose OF. radical outer
aggression, by the conservation and growth
OF purity within, in the act of assimilatine
the world to its own ever improving char
acter. Under God true Christendom is tC
be nourished and enlarged by the transmu
tatlon OF Gentle and barbaric forces into
christian forces; as the human body grows
ana acts by similar process from the outer
world. In other words, the church mill
tant, since Christ. has to keep itself pure
and progressive, by seeking the develop
ment INTO it's own increasing purity, of the
world of men and nations without begin
nlng at Jerusalem; beginning at the house
OF God; beginning at home, at our OWL
hearts; but not ending there.
NOW, In the progress of this work upon
the same human nature which was subject
to the old dispensation and it's conditions.
the new work must proceed somewhat &C.
cording to the same laws of human nature
which governed the necessities OF that
era. The evolution of Christianity and the
church, and the saving work of Christian
to the law of possibilities in their prepare,
ton for that work. So We find that the
early church was efficient as long as it was
pure. And it was kept pure by opposition
| from temporal powers, that scattered the
disciples as leaven; kept alive by their lone
dependence on God, poor in this world, but
rich IN faith; wandering in dens and caves,
but, as in the catacOmbs of Rome, under
meath that mountain of empire, mining for
the overthrow of it's hollowness and cor.
| ruption. The church was effective because
pure, and not intermixed, owing to its IN
popularity and tribulations, with unbelev-
ing men, whom it was, however, one by one,
saving and adding to itself because. not Of
it's own debasement, but Of their change of
character.
But now crme the times of Constantine,
whose empire, resting upon the rotten ruins
OF Rome and inaugurated with something
like Christian flourish of trunpets, be-
cause he had seen the sign of the cross in
the heavens and the blazoned command
''By this conquer" made the church popu-
lar. Disciples were taken from prison and
petted in high places. Christianity was
made the state religion. The world was
baptized as Christian without q change of
heart or sufficient sense Of duty in its spon.
sors. And the load was too much for the
back OF the yet true believers. The alloy
was too much for the pure metal. The
clay tended to defeat the purpose of the
iron. And from that day to this, whene ser
the true Israel of God has been thus over
weighted, demoralized by too great inter
mixture with worldly elements and human
invent0ns and expressions, as in POpery, it
has virtually gone down into dark ages,
middle ages, wilderness wanderings until
God could raise up new. generation, free
from Egyptian idOlatry and cowardice. He
has always had a people in the earth, and
they have been increasing constantly, TAX
ing the ages together.
But their increase has not been by their
q m hvo ovVrp IS
carnal elements at once in their body. For
wherever that has been done the body has
suffered. Its constitution could not resist
the evil sufficiently to overcome it and sur
vive in the same form as before. Hence by
some sally. port, some straight and narrow
way, God has repeatedly said, "Come out
of her, my people," And Luther and Knox,
and the Plymouth pilgrims, with their
several squads, that soon increased to the
out and left the old juggernaut looming in
dark proved anger behind them. pause
here to remark that it seems to be proven,
by ecclesiastical history at any rate, that
the effort to stay in and reform an Organi.
cation needing thorough reformation has
never been successful. All our true and
successful refOrmers have come clear out.
No half way work. No snatching Baby
lonish garment. No going back to the leeks
anu AOchPVec Va OUAudSC AOI 0OO OGuddu'
bound emigrants. No mistaken zeal to stay
and purify the old body. Its hardening
bones and senile, dry integuments have
shrunk remOrselessly and hatefullv upon all
such tender souls and bodies as would reiu-
venate it by their youthful enthusiasm and
ideas that were not juvenile, but the old,
ever young truth, and such reformations
have been abOrtive. The bones of their
advocates have whitened the floors of the
In iai ma md thn
of relapse into the embrace of the Harlot
has paled their souls lite. Time and men,
DRY would fail me to give you the tragic
history of all such. And l may remark
that the present '.old Catholic" movement
in Europe is likely to be found wanting,
unless it leaves behind entirely any and |
every trace of Romish catholicity. "Romish |
contradiction in terms. for |
how can the church be Catholic (Kath- |
whole. and rightly named and ruled &C.
cording to close.ribbed section
No, the Puritans, from whom we trace
our descent in part, tried to stay in the |
forms of the then tyrannous church Of the
Did country, with the hope of purifying
them; and from this mistaken conservatism
Of theirs came doubtless many Of the rigid
puritanical tendencies which we now
,riticise. 1t was the Salem Puritans who
burnt witches. They finally joined the
freer policy Of the Plymouth Pilgrims,
which began with clean breach, as the
dividing sea, between them and the old
she'll they had sl0ughed off.
So, then, We had truly free religion in
! free land-''a church without bishop
md State without king" We were free
rom entanglements with the Old World.
Even our form Of government sprang from
he state government, which sprang from
he town meeting, which sprang from the
irst church meeting on board the May
lower, in which the majority were made
sovereign. A whole continent was before
IS, with what heather there were to be
'riven out fleeing before us, not mingling
With us. Our stock was pure, of the best |
# AnglO-Saxon blood bounding in our
-eins under inclement skies and conquer
ng forests and a rugged soil-troublous
lines enough to test and harden our muscle
nd eliminate lazy material. eEnervating
occasions.
But now comes our turn to be contami.
lated by intermixture of alien material,
nd 0verweighted by burdens such as
either the church nor other nations have
zen bile to bear, and to add to our native
epravity and backward tendencies, which
We have in common with all men, as they
re sinners, the heavy downward pressure
4 mass of hcathenism, lifted right out Of
he bosom of darkness and into the bosom
f this young and growing nation. Now
ONES our turn to furnish, If we must, an
ther demonstration of Gods principle
hat mo man can, by any means. redeem
us brother" and no nation its fellow. nor
he church the world, if it loses the pur-
base and fulcrum of the Almighty arm, BY
ot being educated to or failing of the |
urity which alone lays hold upon that
everage. l allude now not merely to the
arly and incessant and increasing influx