New-York tribune., 1875-02-15
STICKING TO OLD PATHS.


irh Of ,hc fathers because OF the present "progres
,venos" as Mr Boccher called II OF the age His text
was from jeremiah, VII I6 Thus saith the Lord stand
ye IN the wave and and ask for the old paths where
l. the good way, and walk therein, and We shall lind
rcst for your souls But they said We will not walk
therein" Aso, rom jeremiah xvii. l5 lie began
Tic word path" is equivalent TO our word road"
We have been millar from our childhood with tho
nnNeF-"iiy "i roads shd tuelr pefmanehce. we we
of tue hEtcst marks OF civilization. believe
tle o lv hor. uauia.s; but IN ancient umos when
du and needless. ana selfish. even these paths
tUckcts oNcr-tcw rhcm; and as there was no inter
Change Of iumerce ps,us disappeared FOR the most
pr. and hrI taat went from province 10 province,
81 from Ui0e 10 trite, were obliged to thread
r,fse. TS tI!,kcf. and over the rocks, STUN.
Oug here tn,rc Ia the most neCnvenieut way pos
g. le T4c Nay IN winch men are accustomed TO walk
~ which mems Ia u<lts Walk. And so we hnd the
woe WorI 4 GOD fu OF paths, ways walks, as equiv
q ut g. ic ndts social moral and political. OF people.
Tie transfer was almost Inevitable from physical TO
uu Ia toe Ola Testament partcnIlry, that paths refer
only pLy sieI hOs, but also Apply onanuers and
Oh TcsgcLt, refer 10 the regular carriage also OF
mans deposition 20 thc lac or path which ms thoughts
Jnrsu- ana especially the moral disposition; 10 al
tus~ nabs NGcu were tugeudered by institutions and
moral sense tlat We shall employ tie passage
to-day, Tor the sake 0i pointing out t1e
- aurtf. Iu keeping upon the old wavs, the es-
Ccr4iBe1 waVs. tao methods that have IN the e1pe-
sr4r-c ~ Ecar tr talk about hold ng old things
C1 doctrines. when history has been au indictment to
Etw thought ana dcvo.Upuent~ As II there we're any
Isil autu-jnsn between SDIlDg and Autumn, between
tnr La,d i..t goes cut 10 SOW seed and that which
q lnes 8ck sicAle 10 reap what ~ has sOwed
a., Oc Wise Conservatism that could
Ut 10 S..uN ou wise lrogrcssiyehcss' There IS
t,mciuing n tbr wbOl- spirit OF our age and nation
.. .,..s 10 r,yot nom going IN the Old paths aud
VANS Toe IiCi CHEluZ TO the past mas In IL much
{. conr-,u T. We look upon our peopie with Their new
IasdI 4s. aIa We tDlnk lhry are great oe@ lever ever
tn-n t", r.. nave hV'unS ~ - o"ne uo"1 % i!O'n 10!
TIE lcudh age, age all new made, We stand IN "a
lur1t contrast 10 tle imperfect past ana We glory IN
o.. .pw.t-- ..- it Do l..rt Al advance.
ND~ in fnr pr-i pace. ar5 not half 81 new IA VIC
Ne n"Vc impottrd Cut ideas from EEyPi,
l,.-.t'. N-tJ 100, ul.,c'' l'ouAv' anu iOh va
EnI"pr. or ur'u>nts ana an Tue chtnnels OF our
thc result OF the experience and study oI
Toe " i noi ''h sn 'r1 and Yur rsip. but the
eul .s o. tac supNlcdge Ot justice ana eqdty, O the
. o.. ..,.,. D. vc' ',.. IN or .ctatly unfoded through
t.,as.ut- oi wears, ana although we NAV nave beeh
f. i.f sI..h rrerarcd heretofore. the trees winch
W. uNt hcWu tuiO dOcr have been growing Tor lhou-
.I 81 wears. ~, Not 80 new. nor did we hist dg
tt.c rc sl nor fret un'o.k tue secrets OF P9l-
lo .ut.y. ttl. D. Use sulnt OF Young America. We
sac O., pe..r -ud 90. n-ooH' M'9olh ana pSa'Na @ Ca,
Jt- ou To s'uiethiug new, ana Nithih ctItaln
@ - H 'YS "a s s, l'1 otsyas .is hI thit OI1i'1 W dS e
hong t. sOw aecs. tat We belong to tne axe when
u ,.crc s iast at this time an exrraord'nary out
g. Auta,t,l.5 ta0 glt. Perhaps tho last 80 years
L., u.u ..lH-t .,yo thiukug OF auy period oi
Iuiu.u l.,o, t.oJ-p a. 10 diicu't to gauge snd meas
U4r -,,l tIuE aa t.ai. But certain, hlol.al M Z lv
.. is. t.s,-t IN ..I, IT. dom aud religious activity.
s.oyr . a.. q. -i.. D. discovery the prophecy of
G.At- .lyo -c, o h.e tAe Imagination, ANA men ieel
q t.J.-u ga tl.-, we're passing away, dhd a THUGS
W., oo4i o. ue,cue new. 1De cons irnce Is tLAt
: ou-anls Of mtn inclined u GOdOt generally
t.e solill AID tue moral results OF past e1-
- tat lro'arly we are yet to mad mat
ying very narrow way, ana II II doubtful IL
t.r lla.,u..l L.N.,us AMI tLs Conservative customs
a.. toe sOci4 Ot the past nave not answer
t"'r @ a. va tHeL m nne, 'I @ nom Nav p ihe lid
W.,a g. 10 'e -atAeIeG up lhat "e i'"y to" ~ i,. @ ~ ~
d.. aDo. Acr better u~rytst As II lLe experience
v.- i,Ji soue iugs Iearned once are learned
forever! IL Itaas many 10 thfO" ulsuuNt oh 'no ic
tl.ciI uot4uyc OlsOcIti, bnt uncertainty anI 80
Ia tIe moral power OF religion Is tOhcerncu hihpe
-. ava "a i,ry IT s faith col victIon.
Just 50 Tar NOu shake confluence IN TelglOh you
M, tae senelA uprising of thought and the re-
al ian.ruce of nr1 yiews breeds. tends 10
utecd. young supoiAclh m'nds especlaIy. II tHey
have CERTAIN ucl td application aDd great deai OF
c,noelt EDnerei impression thEt We dons know much
a1oal D. .4ou nov, Lot worth mans wh!le u
touble Limsef about that, ANA u is CONVENIENT iol
man uuroate uIs pah Is sOciet ana ~ Is pest not
T. kuOek us besd 4galus the eHurches. lhen there Is
all. in morals u.au used 10 be Then sociology Is de
VaiotIug tDete are religious customs ana III
sutuuOLs WLirh uoa nave ia cary ~ass oee -. It' ,i
vtre u DNinr iuc" paOu-tAat they carried ia theln
ars good Oe retained, but are not OF
Divine autuOtty, tucFe is tendency on the part OF
tLtus uds 20 throw them away atogcthcf' III Veacn
Ut lie CAutCu On ndspehsahle element ~ the moran
gr5WtH OF cOmmdrity, nat as m.n are ~ 70 an ls,
trgt. In tho community, or tHe proclamation Of tro
rln OF tIe fa o. ,bs isn thsTefore Is an inst
tuition vital CHRISTIAN ciylLE'ton. ls II i9t
A idc seo BE- raues al tue same una u'u ,na'
~ Clnch - not dreclly and as special lnst1ton
revealed II God nod thAl in the pI' sen. stae ~
.rlouxeneo in tie community e1mbOn sS"Voi9 @iS
vie. ns,essarj, luGispeusduc but uon @ sninA ~
nsc,ss.ry on ihst ground % tay That Tue common
|, ,oos were cotumanued IN the Bible.
IN otnef oras tuere tuIngs which are good
ard recess ~ aud iust - authutave as tougn 'hey
hal tue word Of Coz peA'L1 tnr. M ea'y ,,'v
fore we're susorpune 70 inoal tsoson' 'ii ~,
bg IA Inler ages 'ne1 are ablo o tesd "hat oOu
has app nted Ia the Jaw ef nature the law oi eaP.l
dersratOn OF God " the tTuth OF al institution Jus
stroug a. u there Sele NV NV % % . os rre
sn,tg1ag men say "they worn Oui and We must
Las foI new revelation and q ucw era" ThousaDds
10 so' ~ ih.reiore abandoning the old paths ~
various ways. Old thoughts, old usages, or
,"sto~i. aud habits, old convictions, old virtues,
bst wGen you maze inquston. II u shall be IounI tat
- Ohscvuring jOu w h1a tn", "a, aUS ti al
Tat are IOorost their adhesion TO al tue mora e'
nrpts tbnt belong 10 common ChrstidHy there ls
a tendency very largely deYeop9a ~ ,hs, tbtu
Crit,isu. in art. in Journallsn-i thihk uia' ' n'
SPEAK within BoGn1s when .ay tLst 10 Gay tsoiS -
this tendency ~ the ucaed 'nlhu OF Ensia"u 49,, d
many France, aud Ainoflca-'O tuIh a"ay iO .r ~ ~, -
grounds Of Christianity, anu ia intny ~ "a tbe s,e.t
pJsuve oppOsiuon aeysiop.ui O". aena,,are from
naJOnty Of cases th're ~ u uePaIt"e .sii,'na
the old Christian sentiment, the Oh customs
saa tspGsncy Of be young aud sng mind. As ssch Il
n a matter Of profound itnpOftahee NOV" u - % pS's
AZ ny uurp eKuOrt you not 10 think iOi
yourselvos a. nau should Try " euro sore eyes "
putting them out IL Is DO par ot mJ PnrpOss 70 S
iot You not W change external FORMS IL 10 hy ousI
- - lei, you 10 90 10. wOuld not erchmscilOe
LhgrfVt certainly would not put you down Dy tles VI
mean tue authority Of nen ahd OF lusutu
n.tt tbe re are many reasons why can ana sIoulu
sa you 10 consideration oi certain great
Al ,ss,ect 10 thought aud moral cbaIact,i peculiarly
Iee.s.fy 10 the yOuug aBd never more necessary thau
today "a .oc,ai dayel-
Ilr, We must never suppose moral ana sociai aetel
opmeut can ever be T@pd a. phy slcaI si'u wa. n
changed 10 their feelings Ia any @ s,,S" s are not
,se vIternsi changes gOi0g Oh. Men say We Aio @ oo
living IN tbe days before steam aGd eIeeiI'lt)
hving quicker age; We talk aeOss 'Ie ,od ia the,T
fsstsf ana u 10 thsIne for men ~ lHg Deninu ~ %