, 1880-07-04
THE CHICAGO rK1BUNE d. 1sso-s1xTEEN PAGES

gone a great change in the direction Of Arian-
ism or Of SabelIfRnism, which is IN old-fash-
foned Unitarinnisul. or at any rate show a de-
fection from his former standard of orthodoxy.
and which its custodians, thinking it best to be
wise US scrpents in order that they might con-
time harmless as doves, have considered It their
duty to withhold front the public. If any Of
our friends Mt Andoycr can inform us what are
tho facts about this manuscript, such informa-
tiou would be gratefully received BY many in
0uirers, who would be retoiced to know that SO
abla aud SO good II man lived to be etnancipated
from the worse than heathon conceptions which
hud so long enchaiued his powerful but crippled
The fact tfat, while Edwards name is used rs
y yar-cry and inscribed on the lnbartm Of tho
old bow arrow coutroverslalists, bis works
nrc neglected, his doctrines either passed over
in silence or repudiated, shows that his great
nnwcrs were under some mtsguiding influence
trhe truth Is that the whole system Of beliefs
which came in with the story OF the fall Of
man" the curse Of the father Of the race con-
viewed Nv natural consent to his Dosterjty, the
cst,ng of the responsibility Of death and ali tho
disorders OF creation upon tho unfortunate
being who found them part Of the arrange
1nents Of the universe when he first made his
appearance, is gently fading out Of enlightened
intelligence, and we are hardly in condition to
re,llize whit tyranny It once excrtcd over the
strongest minds. We no longer pretend to hold
our pritncyal ancestor, whoever he may have
been, responsible for the entrance Of death into
the world, for the teeth Of the carnivora for tho
venom OF the snuke, for the battles Of the mega
therium, the mnladics of the ichthyosaur.ls. the
indisn1sitons Of the pterodnctyl, the extinction
Of the str,lnge creatures that left their foot
rrints on the shore Of the Connecticut, where
we hnye been finding the tracks Of Il
fossil theology not less Inonstrous thun its pre-
lcccssors in the material world. Astronomy.
geology, cshnoiogy, and the comparative study
e1f Crietttul religions have opened the way; and
now allthFopoloyy has taken hold Of the matter,
and, leaving; aside nll those questions which by
scarchirg no man can lind out, must deal with
fi,e problem which Asi:tic tradition and its In
tcrpreters have failed osolve- But in the mear,-
ti1ic many lessons are to be learned from the
saws. "s,l1ns up the old theology Of New Et,-
gland and is the fountaln-hcad of the new
Whut better comment can be ~.cde on his mis-
son n,y have Il strong rct al yet not Il
rood reason. He NAV ila-:; 9Th Of mind
to drive nn argument and - $500 We even bal-
AS VIC picture the scenes -. described. the
Divine ingenuity fitting LIE he:iy aud soul for
the extremity OF suffering, lad providing new
physical nud chemical laws to curry torture be-
y0nd our power Of imagination, friends looking
on pleased, parents rejoicing and singing halle
luj.li1s us they SEQ their children '|turnea away
and beginning to enter into the great furnace y
where they are to :. roast !" forever, ali natural
affections utterly gone can we find anywhere
more striking illustration OF bis own words? He
is speaking of the self torturtng worship of the
hcatheu: 'IIow powerful must be the delusions
Of the human mind, and how strong the tendency
Of tho heart to carry them such q length and so
to overcome the tenderest feelings Of human
There is no sufficient reason for attacking the
motives Of nun sanity in life so holy IN as
thoroughly i1i earnest in the work to which his
life wns given. But after long smothering in
the sulphurous atmosphere Of his thought ono
this-is this or anything. like this-the accepted
belief Of any considerable part Of Professionalism?
Ii So we must say with Bacon, " It we're better
to huye no opinion of God at nll than such au
opinion us is unworthy Of Him. 4 A"nat1ral
man" is better than an unnatural theologian.
1t is less violence to our nature to tetfy pro-
toplasm than it is TO diubolize the Deity.
The practical effect Of Edwards teachings
about the relations Of God and man has be-
qucathed q lesson not tol be forgotten, A re, &c,
yiyAl in which the majority Of the converts fell
away; nervous disorders Of all sorts, insanity,
suicide, among the rewards OF bis cloquence:
Religion dressed UP in tine Phrases and made
much of, while Morality, her Poor Relation, was
getting hard treatment ht tho hands Of the
young persons who had tg1pwn up under. the
EsiEn Of terror Of the @thampton % eu prpt;
extent us is rarely seen in the bittcrest quarrels
between pastor and flock, tit this was success
full ministry, what disasters would constitute
"Never," says Prof. Fisher, "was there
louder call for tho utmost: candor and fairness
in dealing with the difficulties and objections @ rs OF
relief in much OF the current and traolnonal
teachiug.'
trinc of the '.faIl of man.'e Does not the pres
cut state Of our knowledge compel US TO con-
slider the narrative on which this is based as q
tlisproved, or at the best I'M improved story, and
to consign it with the cohertng doctrine Of sin
and all other inferences dependent upon 1t, to
tile nebulous realm Of Asiatic legends, the Vo~
q ssas ebsnae apn
ion is coming quite. rapidly. enough: We snould
hurdly dare to print our doubts end questions II
we did not know TINT they viii bo read by fc:T,
made light Of by some of these, summary
answered and dismissed by others, and have no
apparent Immediate effect on the great mass Of
beliefs. For what we want in the religious
and in the political organisms Is just that kind OF
vital change which takes place in our bodies
interstitial disintegraion aud reinteEration; !;
and one ur the legitimate fears Of our timc IL
that science, which Sainte~D Deuve would have US
think hts destroyed faith will be too rapid In its
action on beliefs So the doubtcr should he glad
that he is doubted: the nationalist respect the
dogmatist; and all the mighty explosives with
with which the growth Of knowledge has fur
nshed us should be used ratherto clear the path
for those who come after u than to shatter i the
tect so many Of our humble and trusting fellow
creatures.