The New York herald., 1879-03-16
CHRISTIANITY LOST IN THE CONFLICTS OF
CREEDS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The greater number of the answers to this very
grave question which have appeared from time to
time in the HERALD have been objectionable because
they have been written in a partisan spirit. The
writer's have treated the question from their
point Of vew and have all regarded certain forms OF
religious faith Christianity. Yet Christianity may
after all be something not yet taught in any creed
exclusively covered by any existing church form.
The whole world may have far departed from the
teachings and the life example Of Christ himself to
have left Christianity without faithful representa-
tive in the pulpit at the altar. Before it can be
said to have succeeded to have failed should
be able to determine what Christianity is. May not
the pure divine. heavenly inspiration which began
to establish itself in the hearts and minds Of men by
stern denunciaion OF the errors OF the then exist
ing faith, which, mraculously. as it were set aside
the vices Of Judaism the learning of the Greeks and
the Church power of the Romans, in its turn. have
been supplanted by the substitution of temporal
power for spiritual faith. and the acquisition of
wealth place of the disnterestedness of poverty?
May not dogma have taken the place of the love OF
God and the love of man? May not the introduction
of mysticism in lieu of the clear and common sense
views of morality and integrity have chokcd of the
growth of the true plant?
The history of the human race for the past 800
years il filed with the bitter hatred. the internecine
quarrels and the furious zeal with which mankind
premc Being il to be worshippcd. The libraries of
Paris. Berlin Vienna and the cities of Italy groan
under the weight OF the pondcrous toos about mat
tiers almost obsolete connected with what is
still called Christianity. But have all these things
about WINCH however the so-caiicu CHRISTIAN "oriu
Is still at war; with the pen. pulpit and press for its
weapons and battle fields anything really to do with
Christianity These things are important to the
welfare of sccts. They vtally essential to the
maintenance of the worldly power OF churches and
tabernacies. They must be kept mp to provide
money to pay the salaries of priests, pastors, organ
dcacDus.
the orpamcntation of cities by handsome church
edifces and cathedrals But has not Christianity tor
q long time been wounded in the house of its
friendsf
pended ON the attempt to prove, or disprovc. the
small and unimportant miracles narrated in the Old
and New Testaments. In the meantime the great
miracle of Christianity itself its growth and expan-
sion from such q seemingly humble origin remains
undeniable and indisputable And to that one might
be inclined to add the contemplation of another great
miracle-to wit. that any vestige of Christianity re-
mains at all after the assaults made upon 1t, not by
those who have been denounced from the pupits and
colleges, but by those who stand in the pulpis and
lecture from tho college chairs-well known and ac-
knowledged hypocrtcs, men like the Scribes and
Pharisees of old. Even IL your Jealous contributors
this theme TO succeed in proving. To their
entire satisfaction. that no soul could be saved
without the full mnersion of the body in cold
ter or that Henry VIII. would have made a
Protestant country of England il he had been allowed
20 carry out his matrimonial views somewhat az
King David before him. that the alteration OF the
Virgin chosen by the Almighty to be overshadowcd
and made the mother OF Himself in another form
neatltnlsn luOatry, OF that tne enpHatic
declaration of the Son of Man that "the Father is
greater than Me- meant just the reverse, that to
question whether the world was really made IN six
sotar days of twenty-four hours each, the sun
itself not having been made until the third
day is evidence of shocking scopticsm: that to
believe that the sun appeared to stand still upon
Gideon makes il necessary TO believe that the earth
stopped turning its axis evcn IL all these became
axloms, it would do nothing toward solving your
great question.
For, to repeat IT,. IN order to know whether
Christianity has failed to improve the condition of
thc human race IL is first to find out what
Christianity is. And until that point, about which
thorc always has been such difference of opinion,
shall begin to be settled in practice and not in form,
tue question must remain unanswered True IL IL
that there Is one Christian sect claiming that all the
rest of the world must ask no questions and come
b,indfold into their enclosure and then all will be
fired. But Just now, IL seems TO have great
practical question its mind, growing out OF hitby