New-York tribune., 1874-10-27
HORACE GREELEY'S FAITH.
A REPLY TO. ASSAULTS UPON HIS RELI-
GIOUS BELIEFS. .,

sALIsM-HIs OPINIONS ON ENDLESS RETRIBU-
TON AND CAPITAL PUNIsHMENT-HIs FAITH
THAT A SINCERE CHRISTIAN.
70 the Editor of The Tribune.
SR When Horace Greeley died, the news
paper press without regard political differences and
putting aside all ealouses OF professional or personal
kind paid the most touching tributes to his memory and
recognized the purity herosm and Dobleness OF his
character fe The ministers OF religion, Of all
churches and creeds some Of them differing widely from
his theological views, pronounced him man OF Chris
tan faith and aims whose years and strength had been
spent noble work. and whose dying expressions gave
ample that he true disciple OF Christ
From that day TO this have never heard OF but one
sect who has attempted to set aside this
unanimous testimony Of the pulpit and the press. and
to prove that Mr. Greeley discarded the Bble turned
away from the Law Giver Mount Sinai TO fnd his
Teacher lof relgon In Greek theater," made Deme-
trus of Athens his beau ideal" IN lieu OF Christ. or
lived and died. in faith and spirit as pagan than
as Christian man
The Rev. Justin d. Fulton. d. d., once Pastor Of
fremont Temple Baptist Church. Boston, now Of the
Hanson place Baptist Church. Brooklyn has undertaken
to do precisely this thing Mr. Fulton preached SER
mon In his church, July a. 1874 The Need OF Pos
tive Faith illustrated by the Life OF Horace Greeley
and the appeared in The Christian in the World,
a small religious weekly edited by Dr. Fulton. July 16,
1874 The OF Dr. Fulton relative to Mr. Gree
leys religious views are thoroughly inaccurate and
false that they should receive some notice
and correction in the columns Of THE TRIBUNE. Almost
every thoughtful will approve what Dr. Fulton SAYS
Of the potential power OF faith Creeds are sometimes
worn as loosely Summer clothes, and, II may be, as
readily aside. Multitudes OF men do not think
what they think they think but hear,fath must color
and mold mans life Here Dr.. Futon is right He is
right, too-and he to put his heart into
his words-when he sketches Mr.. Greeley's early
life, and eulogzes his energy, his marvellous
industry, his sublime courage, and his heroic
will But DR.. Fulton surely bunders when be attributes
oil Mr. Greeeys noble qualities and acts to his faith In
what was good and then says that "n so far as was
right his faith made power for good, and in so far
as IL was wrong made HIM power for evil For the thing
which he has set himself 10 prove Is ths hat Irom Ten
years of age Mr.. Greeley "discarded the Boe' re-
iected Christ" put the faith OF the Gospel and
that he lived his dying day without either Christianity
or Christi Fdlton would show the need OF positive
faith In Mr. Greeey's cise Tue term does not seem
wisely chosen Mr.. Greeley positive in his views
Dr. Fulton In his aud certainly man may hold
very positive faith, and that faith be absolutely untrue.
Dr. Fulton tells that ~hen Mr. Greeley was twelve or
fourteen years age he turned from the Baptist eed
to Universalism" There Is no authority. OF woich
I am aware, for this statement. Mr. Parton
says life of Greeley, PIP. 7o-7l), THAT both
Greceys parents assened to tho orthodox creed
OF New England :" that his father inherited prefer
ence for the Baptist denominations" "his mother lean
ing to the Presbyterian - "that neither was member
Of church, and neither particularly devout" Mr..
Parton adds: 1.-THE religious education OF Horace was,
IN short OF nature to leave his mind not unbiased III
favor of orthodoxy but as nearly In eqni-
librium the subject, in state as favorable to
religious inquiry as the place and early circumstances
Of his life rendered possible" Plainly the boy had no
theological faith. and no creed :" to set asiie."
DR.. Fulton next tells us that Mr.. Greeleys faith was
formed, from a study Of Gods word, but from the
study Of ancient histOry-Demetrius' treatment OF the
Athenans their base ingratdde toward him that
he fancied God after Demetrius heart, that from
that time the God OF the Bible bOtted out Of his
heart. audaciOus, shocking mIsstatement
could scarcely be made by any living man
with Mr.. GreeIey's words before
| his eyes. The theology in New
England in that age affirmed that repentance was no
for pardon. Gods law having been broken the
legal penalty must be borne by the transgressors
substitute In their stead there could be for
giveness without shedding OF blood" The popular
thought that God filed with wrath. and needed
to be prOpitlated and was pached by the blood OF
Christ Young Greeley had never heard, We may pre-
sume any other view, aud that he could not accept.
Reading the story OF Demetrius and his treatment OF
the Athenians and "refecting with admiration lMr.
Greeley says this exhibition OF n magaaninIty too
IN human annals was moved to inq dire II spirit
so nobly SO wisely transcendng the aDd savage
spirit which too often DISCUSSES justice, when IL
is in essence revenge might not be revcrently termed
Divine; and the firm conclusion 70 which was finally
led imported that the old Greeks treatment of van
quished rebels, PROSTATE enemies, must forcbly
image body forth that of the King immortal, inyis
ble and only wise God" Is there q upon the
| earth who sees any renunciaton OF Christianity in
| this, who is not touched to his innermost heart
| by the devout and reverential spirit which it
breathesi Did Mr. Greeley, then, renounce the Bible
| for a pagan creedi Toe charge Is ridiculous in
| the extreme Mr.. Greeley says, indeed that while
| nf ,v
led him to embrace what he afterward found were the
principles of Unlversalism, aud that lie OF the
class converted from creed to another 10y studying
Bible alon ;" yet that re-readng the took IN
| light OF his convictions II found therein abundant
proof their correctness in the of patrarchs
| prophets apostles, and OF the Messiah himsek"-(My
Faith, PIP. 70 And he taen proceeds to say that
only particular Passages to which he refers by chap
and but that iu the spirit and general scope
of the Bible he found ample warrant for the hope and
that all suffering is disciplinary aud transitional
and shall ultimately result in universal holiness and
consequent happiness" That s in lien OF setting the
Bible aside, Dr. Fulton Mr.. Greeley became
dhgent student of IT, and found IN the inspired words OF
patrarchs and prophets and apostles, and OF Cnrist
Himself proofs for his positive faith In the final
| citation Of all souls 10 God
Dr. Fulton having said without qualification that
Mr. Greeley put away the Bible the word Of God. in
Gods Word what suited him. and rejected what he
disked!'" The latter charge is as uugracious aud
Bible DR. Fulton does. but II there Is anything vital
or precious Protestant Christianity. 1t affirm
ing right OF private judgment against all councils
and creeds. and full surely Mr. Greeley did not differ
more widely from DR. Fulton In his private nterpreta-
| ton than DIR. Fulton did from him. What would DR..
Fulton have said Of Mr.. Greeley H. IN soue public
| he had branded hun man who set the Bible
aside or took of Gods Word what suited him. and
rejected the rest" because he did not find the doctrine
| OF Universaism III its pages
Next told that MI Greeley denied future
punishment because he disliked ID and ATTEMPTED TO
do away with the express command OF Gods word
cernng murder" Horace Greeley. In common with