New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-03

cal work results the hand in reforms divorced
from and antagon,sto to religion. and on the other
Joint result " is . bitter fanstieism and re;
dictionary the then GOs Se world
would look fora another gospel and our Christsnisy
must take s place with the RELIGIONS which nave aa
preach glad dnss to the weak to SaG up sn nS
% tho tn sm s 20 are will
not leave Himself and His great work without nSS
expec, 10 the years to come the past that the
gospel will the great reliance In every
sSe So GOOD Thus shall remain the power Of God
uuto salvation"
TIE FLOOD OF sKEPIICIsM.
But IN what special forms and in what elements OF It's
power shall tho Gospel take strong hold OF the Amer
can peoplei What special wants pressing and BY
what adaptations Christians meet those wants'
What work Is before In the service OF Coo anu 10
the interest Of humanity, upon which the FORCES
OF Christianity must be brought TO bear S"cn
questions these can only be answered. dsa the re-
gious movements Of yearsto come would be iraliess
presumpuous But 1t requires no prHphe. a zen
Of the peope. a resstabishment in their conyic-
tons Of the great facts o and pS' S Do with an
intelligent thinking people without a basis IN IN orr
country il similar form to that Of Protestant Germany.
and II out OF the general culture ana
dent thought the result Of history and our insti-
tuons II is by no means surprising that this want ex
ssnS Of tSe minds Of as to the truths
OF the Christian fath-not generally 10 tne ex.ent "a
There is manifest Of in our prevalent rel
gious faith when ambitious naturalist or %
OF speculative turn can stray from his proper neld
the realm Of philosophy or neoosy and daI Ss
himself at home and seem to himself ana many o, s
very foundations Of religious faith; or when Doa
as @ ana the osp
and the authority OF the Scriptures In the minds OF m
a souls the bosom Of the Church and possibly
the ministry find their hearts failing them Tor rear
sa OF The sTcnS and steady light Of
Church would keep those birds OF the night in tnelr
hiding places or leave them rs heipess anu in'ih"
| as a bat in the sunlight
RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE.
These Indications, however are not surprising nor
necessarily alarming We are not surprised nor alarmed
when q youth brought up In tho faith by christian
and begins at length nthe process OF
intellectual development, to waver in his traditional
belief and gropes around in perplexty and doubt for
foundation Of his faith We often smile at , tine
Spi sa with that which they S0 ares
| We keep him in safe and quiet Place Place
the ane opening ' of chrysalis It is process Of
nature involving some risk, IT NAV De- put , mcn
ton the Christian community as a whole seems to be
passing THROUGH TIE old faith T. questioned ana new
of progress. such as must come with our advancing
S we'll Shallow theories OF unbelief will multiply
every side and and acceptance but the people
period Of steady growth and Chris anity will strike
its roots deeper and spread It's branches wider. 49,,
history, when he can be kept in sympathetc contact
| with warm and vigorous Christian NE we depend
to hold him in place until the needed work be done.
But this is enough This demand for light and truth
must be satisfied The religious faith which we would
confirm in him have Its foundation laid in rational
conviction and for this ne needs help VERY much IKE
and it needs TO be promptly done There Is reason to
apprehend that the general religious sentmsht Is 700
feeble to be sure reliance in this emergency. Ihere
BEEN and are still communities where religion mas
tua apprehension Of its truths The emotional Impulse
20 great extent supplies the PLACE OF lnteigent
traditional ideas maintain their hold for generations.
That day is past with Large masses OF our people
are not under the control Of religious sentiment They
never enter place OF worship, or manifest any need OF
such observances. One of their greatest needs is to
have the religious sent uent rekndled I'm their souls;
and this can be done only by establishing religious
truth in their convictions Tho grand facts OF Christi
anty be brought to them IN such form as TO COM
| mand their understanding and their hearts
| THE WORK OF PREACHING CHRISTIANITY
This work we can readily see is not chiefly setting
forth OF the defenses of Christianity REORGANIZATION
of the authority OF the Scriptures and refutaon OF
objections, old and which may be urged by honest
doubt or dishonest unbelie Such work is undoubtedly
90 be done. The field Of apologetcs must be wrought
with generation Just as all science and his,
for all time The grand elements of the work are for
the same, but the old ideas must be brought into
vital connection with the current experience and
thought. There can be no end OF 60ok-makng on this
any other theme until human life hxsd or
requires this may not be progress 1t is sufficient that
progress. and the necessity that which comes wit
Growth This work of defending Christianity cannot be
Neglected aud will not be but it is only incidental The
Christianity by having 1t presented to them 10
9Rs own ap best ana a ben
may with TO speak to their hearsIto lay ms clear
their work. This method is characteristic Of the
ssvior's teaching He presents truth in such form
that it is its own demonstration His Sermon on the
needs proof of its doctrine nor the parable OF
the Good snr hSa Oh peranps to- the
inner life in the Gospel of John They carry with them
their the records OF the only be-
COTTON Son the Father, full Of grace and truth.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE RELIGION OF THE PEOPLE.
The system Of religious truth that is to receive the
waverng faith OF the people and settle itself IN their
convictions carry with it its own demonstration 1t
must be the natural expression OF the personal being
and character of God and thus commend Itself to the
rational acceptance Of men, 1t cannot be reasonably
questioned that the present weakness OF faith and con.
ep Is e has
kept pace with the progress OF philosophy or OF rational
divine Attributes nd Of human nature and character
has been greatly improved and simpilhed within
oogy exhibited by large portions OF the church has
been stereOyped for two or hree centuries and these
symbols still held up TO the world as the best ex-
preston of orthodox Christianity; and huge volumes
are still written by the socaled greatest thologians OF
the age to maintain expressions IN their original
Integrity to show that any modification Of the offensive
dogmas is an abandonment of Scripture doctrine. II Is
very moderate statement OF the case TO say the human
revots against the dOcna system thus held up
as the Christianity the only relief proposed
to us discredt and TO fall back upon an I'M
reasoning faith as The highest combination OF wisdom
and piety The result has been most unfortunate.
Many thinking and most OF the unhinkng suppose
tina, iu rejecting such system they must reject Chris
taulty ITSELF and thus they nave been driven away
from wholesome and reasonable faith II Is not sim
ple Scripural truth that oends Them but mechanical
theology wrought upon philosophy OF human nature,
which the world long since left behind. Gospel faith
encounters resistance enough IN the human heart with
ont enstng against it the rational instinct which God
| intended its chief support.
The religion which snail rake hold of the hearts Of the