Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-07
philosopher, Nenophanes, denounced
so heavily his country's gods, and sol
emnly averred-

Nor does BlaCkle stand alone to-day
in his country III such revolt There
are many men of the very first intel
lcctual rank and power who are clamor-
ing loudly for relaxation OF
the hard theological formularies
OF faith that have so long
CALLED the Scotsman witherS Fair
bairn and Smith, and Knight and
Young, and FullOch are among the lcad-
ers in this great army corps; while Nor
man Macleod, though dead, vet speak
eth. These men would not break en-
tirely from the old formularies, but they
would have them modified and wear less
frOwning and scowling brows. 1t is for
this they have unsheathed their battle
blades. We confess to feeling no small
fear as we hear the bugle blasts OF these
great chieftains summoning their clans
to the conflict. We have fears that the
revolters or boilers, smarting as they
have been so keenly under the lash, may
carry their revolt to an opposite and, II
possible, more dangerous extreme; and
that some may strike off tangentially
into an anti-Christian attitude, or even
right off into the dreary siences, blank
yacuitieS, and blind necessities OF Specu
ulativc Atheism. Natural History, p.
1874.
And vet with all these fears, and at
the same time depreciating as We do eX-
treme language even in the denuncia-
ton of such ecclesiastical ignorance and
despotism, still as a son of the RefOrma-
ton OF the sixteenth century, and as by
heredity related To Scotchmen whose
blood in other days dyed many Il heath
er brae in defence of what they regard
ed religious liberty, We cannot have
profound sympathy with every effort
OF the human intellect to relieve itself
and the conscience OF usurpcd and un-
lawful authority, to widen and deepen
in the intellect and conscience of
humanity at large and especially Of
ecclesiastical courts and powers, the great
truth that broad distinction must be
made between Articles of Faith and
mere theological opinions, and
To bring the theoretical and
the practically operative faiths OF
ChriStendOm into n better and sweeter
harmony. In this effort John Stuart
Blackie, in the works OF which we have
made mention, has been cnergizing; and
having been So, though We may regard
some Of his language as intemperatc
and perhaps provoking to the injury OF
his own cause, | have very cordially
given him an hOnOred seat among the
silent friends that surround me.
But our author has something more
and still higher to commend him to our
respect and affection. He emphasizes,
and in the warmest language comlnends
the practicalneSs OF the Christian relig
ion. In this he very widely and very
hOnOrahly differs from many OF the neg
ative and destructive critics of the pres
ent day. There are many to-day who
will sympathizc with him fully
in his earnest protests against
all ecclesiastical despotiSm and
unlawful spiritual authority who evince
no Sympathy with him, but rather deep
antagOnism against him i'll his admira-
ton for and devotion To the pure and
practical morality OF Christianity. There
are men to-day who antagoniZe the
Church intellectually, chiefly, il not
solely, because she antagonizes them
morally. To this class, John Stuart
Blake does not belong. He Is warm IN
his prOtestations against ecclesiastical
despOtism; ne is no less warm in his
Communications OF the Christian religion
as Il practically purifying and elevating
moral power Here are some OF his ut
terances upon this point The most
distinctive part of the Christian moral
system that meets lis in the face is that
it is presented to us prominently, essen
TALLY, radically H. religion Its
Evangelical appeal" to men iS-"Re-
turn to God and be savcd-to man
there can be no safety anywhere except
in God, who is the source of all good,
and i'm Christ, who gave Himself 4 iv-
ing sacrifice that We might be redeemed
from all evil In the Christian ethics
God is not secondary tigure-lle is
not brought in merely for Il Sanction-
He is the central sun OF the whole syS-
tenn, from whose bright fountain OF
perennial excellence all the little twink
ling lamps of our minor moraIltleS are
lighted up "Christian virtue, III tact,
can no more exist without piety than
SOcratic virtue can exist without logic.
Socrates was, no doubt, remarkably
pious man; but while the piety of Soc
rates was a strong shoot from his reason,
the virtue OF Il Christian is the fair issue
OF his y."-Fom Phases; PIP. POI,
POS, 209.
might quote many other utteranccs
equally as surchargcd with practical de
votion as are these, but it is
not necessary Must we not
say, however. that surely the heart
OF the man who could even put on the
Christian system such interpretations
must be right with that system. Nor
can his intellect be at war with 1t, save
as it is caricaturcd or as its throne OF
mercy i usurpcd by one who for Its mer-
cv would substitute Il tyranny, and Tor
its loving comprchensircness blind
bigotrv. And sad it is for Christianity,
and grossly is she misrepreScnted, when
i'm her sacred name. and as her pro-
fessed repre- 1entativcS any body OF men
will presume To mathematize, cXcom-
municate, or even call hard names at
any man or men OF such a spirit, be-
cause thev cannot or will not shout
their Shibboleths. Yet, alas. how ire
ouentlv has she been even thus grossly
misrepresented.
/ Having dwelt thus so long, however.
upon our author as theologian, | must
| resume nv thoughts OF him as Il moral
| isl and perhaps rs something else for Il
! future letter. ). q. y.
I STARTING Row