New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-28
RELIGIOUS EMANCIPATION

LECTURE ny TIKI REV. WILLIAM r. AIdnR HOW
CHAINS HAVE BEEN FoR0HD AND FREEDOM WON
IN ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
One OF the best appreciated essays ever read
before the Liberal Club submitted last evening by
the Rev VIM T. Alger OF Boston, his topic being his
tory OF the steps toward the religious emancipation OF
Christendom He began with picture OF the uhbroken
unity or Christendom in the Ninth Century. whom the
authority OF tho Roman Hierarchy was almost unques-
toned. her servants scattered all tha world.
preached her doctrines In all pplpts and diaused her
sentiments among all classos The Church thus
ruled ppresente two things. hopelessly mixed up.
viz the pure principles of morals and religion and the
yrannica selfwn OF the priesthood with the artces
devised TO assert that will Jhs gainsayng resistance
TO her sway were. frat that always offered BY the igno
rant and vicious TO system OF thought and morality
higher than their culture aud contrary their self
sh passions. Secondly, the occasional struggling OF
secular rulers against the ecclesiastical encroacbmens
their prerogatiyos; and thirdly, tho protest now
and then OF some bold intellect against the pre-
tensions of the Church to do his thinking
for him. But this triple opposition. save In its first
clause, feeble, premature. and quickly suppressed
Tie proudest philosophers bowed In silence before init
crate and fanatcal monks. tho foremost kings and
perors kneeled bareheaded to lift tho foot OF the Vice
Gcrent OF Christ into the strrup when he mounted his
horse In short the Pope sat IN the chair OF St. Potter
throne. After nine centuries OF fermentation
and struggle, holy toll aud sacrifice. execrsbie fraud
and persecution, this tho result attained.
Christendom though as full Of crime and
ton. presented throughout its whole extent. IN u
religious aspect tho front of An organized unity, and
the voice of the Pope the voice OF God Ths i'm.
posing spectacle the result finally achieved 10y
Guiding equally the designs OF Providence moving down
the ages and the seeploss policy of succession OF
into despotio power For behind this exterior uni
formity OF submission WAS corresponding interior
largely ON an intellectual unity the common acceptance
in good faith OF vast body Of dootrinai Thought
Theological unity within csoned by medieval Chrstcn-
dom correspondence 20 its equally imposing poililoo
ecelcsastca unity without the theory prevailing tat
space the sun moon ana stars rolling around 1t above
FERROUS book dictated 10y the spirit OF God. and finally
the theory in regard to the day Of Judgment When tue
elect are taken up aud The reprOoate LEFT 10 torment
This NIFTY. the srcaser resumed reposed on two pill
the people, the other an interruptions use OF yrLuno'
power suppressng all freedom OF opinion II was nm
su6served In its time many good purposes 1t was The
then skcched the principal steps in the great con-
quest which had been achieved oycrhis low condition.
sineere faith Whatever caused the representatiycs
aud OF the Church 10 recognize truth and good
outside Of their system. and owl inside OF IT,
would naturally lessen their bieotry expand their sym
pathies and relax the severity Of Their government
slowly undermining the spirit OF persecution Aud also
hem against each otber ia engry debates aud armed
conflicts, would divide the influence, diminish their
joiut weight had held in strict subsection. an |
opportunity to assert their rights All these favorable
conditions for the requirement OF popular religious
freedom occurred and over again 10 the older his
tory Of Chrstendom with successive degrees OF benefit
The revival OF the creek learhne thc STUDY OF the
works OF Plato Aristotle, the classic poets. orators and
historians exerted an immense oIce In hOeIazing me
mind fthe Christian world The culture of The
better portion Of tho priests as well as OF Profane
ply, natural history and human sympathy and strongly
tended to develop diversity OF thought with an accord
ant na.-tnn fnpli hnr
against each other and 20 each one limited the rest
each was forced in mere consistency what II had itself
demanded, and SO liberation aud freedom emerged as
This Was the reoeemips work Of secarans1n. though
IL seems II its jealous watch and grow bad nigh nn
lshed their office, and were now passing ilto spirit
general head specification particularly important
the frequent antsGoni9m Of the sacred and the secular
provinces of the body and soul are 50 complicated with
each other that inceisan ana GeIe
acrimonious stragges tnat had occurred between |
nations SI Who had contested mis- rreroGadges,
and coming step further ho alluded warmly TO the
eI victims aud when Their blood and ashes bearing
increasing fruit Luther sprang forth WIN Gnelrd 90
feeling that irresponsible oppression could be d,Vine,
a as wGrx aHd Hsnqy v s adysDsHS With
mentous victories. The reputation OF the COncOrda IN
Austria the portenous power aud socularzing policy
OF the Empire OF Germany, the almost Incredible
liberation OF Italy from m0nastc institutions and the
Vatican the accomplished establishment OF tho IRISH
Church, and the similar doom impending over the
English Church-hese events whose nearness hides
their magnitude. IApplause.l
Another step towards the emancipation OF Chrsten-
dom consisted the free application OF philosophy to
theology, which could have other consistent close
save transforming the theories OF the secaran cl0ster
into the reasOnings Of the Cosmopolitan Academy. The
fret uss OF reason IN OF religious speculation
was an ensaved use forcing the conclusions OF phoso-
pby TO conform the teachings OF the priesthood Tho
second application OF philosophy was the exact reverse
OF the first VIZ 90 compel the church dogmas TO con-
form TO reason aud these two taught at last third APP
pcaOn in the sole interest OF truth ITSELF The lecturer
then criticised what he termed the errors OF the Bible ms
In all md
rife to sweep away the untenabl0 aud cruel theOogio
scheme dominant alike among Catholics and Protest
ants as mass OF erroneous history, metaphysics and
politics-n religion and replace IL with more adj
equae syson doctrines cOnformed to tho largest wis
dom I"
POLITICAL NOTES.