Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-09-19
PRoGRESSTvE RELIGION.

/ PRoGREssIvE RELIGION.
In perhaps nothing has the world made
I greater progress thus far in the century,
than in freedom of religious thought
and action. We allude Of course, to
those naiians protesting, or protesting to
profs.. Christianity. The stern and
gloomy doctrines taught by the divines Of
the la., century, would fall unheeded up
/ on tho esrs Of the present generation.-
/ This is aa age of thought, and we are
not disposed to blindly accept any teach
ings, whether ot temporal or spiritual
charac.c~, without asking the why and
wherefore. While not denying the truths
OF revelation, we are disposed TO put
construction upon the language in
Which revelation is given, more ir ac-
cordance with ou- ideas Of the attributes
and cha,acter Of Omnipotence, and more
/ in con.uaaece with our ideas Of right, and
justice aud common sense. Such hor-
rible do-ma- as those Of infant damna-
ton, and 4 literal he'll Of fire and brim-
stone. which were preached from the pull
pit will .hc remembrance Of some who
are nov living, would, before an audi
cree of he present day, excite but one
feeling -that Of pity for the clergyman
who had SO poor an opinion of the reason
ing pavegs, and so good one of the
credaloasness of his hearers. Yet there
are some points OF belief sti' taught by
The church which could well be expung-
ed from its practice, and the world, we
think would be none the worse for it.
]. is not on this continent alone that
this progression is taking pl,ce-the Old
World has also felt its rcyiviying in1u-
ea.a and has, to great extent, thrown
oil he shackles of bigotry which have
h.I 1t enthralled for centuries. Yet
there are some points wherein we could
pattern, with good results, from the
u hod Of observance there in practice.
IT. The manner in which the Christian
sabbath is observed, we cling too much
.he tiadihons handed down to US from
81. stern pilgrims who sought, in the
a..ds of the New World, that liberty Of
c-a5cience denied them in the Old 1t is
o.a that we do not s,ill hold in reverence
Zoe Old Connecticut Blue Laws" which
made it an oftncc for man to kiss his
U.e, or woman her chi d on the Sab
ath day. Yet the DEGREES Of the church
aImoai,h us to abstain from labor, to
ye attendance upon public worship, and
- refrain from the indulgence OF any rec
ta,ion partaking Of joyous nature
We are supposed, If true Christians, to
give the day wholly 70 serious thought
ut nothing can Be said iu favor Of this
manner IN which the Lords day should
be kept, excop, chat it is sanctioned by
long custom. II has been well said that
IF there T. day OF the week which should
ls devoted 70 serious and gloomy
thought, it should not be the Sabbath,
but Frid1y, the day on which our Savior
perished that the sins Of the world might
be washed away. In Catholic Europe
Sunday is not Observed with the strict
ness displayed in Protestant America
" hen the devotional exercises are con-
cluded the day is given up 10 innocent
enjoyment. Such, also, IS becoming to
some extent the practice in this country,
tnd there arc now clerpymen of high
standing who, while recommending the
Sabbath %, a God given day Of rest and
devotion, DO not scruple to admit that it
is DO put Of our religious duty TO st
throughout the day with folded hands,
Will The mind must be filled with sol
emn thoughts. Such may have been a
suitable method Of Observance for the
Jewish Eva, but the world Mt the present
day asks for a more enlightened render
ing orthc divine command.
Sooner or later the words of Holy
Writ Wll be invested with a meaning
which sill appeal to the understanding
rather than t. the fears. We have not
yet reached that era, but viii ere many
generations shall have passed away
Then the teachings of Divine Revelation
will De- given in their true sprit--that of
charity Of mercy, Of love of peace on
earth and good will to men" There yet /.
lingor~ in the pulpit some of the relics of
old time zuparstitions and dogmas-of
the kind which tells us that death bed
repentance will atone for lifetime Of sin, |
and other absurdities of like character,
but the days Of such beliefs are number
ed. AT Atprcsent, the gallows may almost
be REGARDED a means of saving grace.
Red banded murderers are ushered into
eternity with, (to use the cant phrase), /
The confident hope of a blessed immor-
tality' until it would seem that about as
sure and safe road to heaven as any, is |
to kill a fellow being. How much this |
religion begotten Of fear would be worth,
if the condemned were led to liberty in
stead Of death, we leave the world to
judge But TO us it seems that life de- /
voted to works Of charity and brotherly
love, even though not mpaned by the
outward forms Of religious observance,
is more in accordance with the teachings
Of The great master, than is the religion of
forms and observances, and it is certainly
more in consonance with reason to be-
lsse that the reward Of the future will be
to the work Of the present.
AYcIENT LovE.-It is rot men aloue
Who make precious fools Of themselves