, 1881-04-10

Far better for US than adj SORROW 70 thee.
To be helpicsly cas-; in the midst OF the sea.
CARLILES CREED.
FITS ABANDONMENT OF TIL: ClI1'HC1l~Ilol.l
ORDERS ANu uNuESIlIr-'' DANSAbl-E DF.Au
rrr1EscEST .c-AST-WH-AT HE llp bt'-
LIVE
IT IL not wonderful TINT the death OF Thomas
-ar1yIe and the publication n the - Re1nl'lls-
.ences" should have revived Al old contTo-
rersy,-u controversy as o!d as-nEy. Older tHah
his own long public caseer-Aad thus h1adt Lo
little stir among the orthodox and non-os'noaoa
rs TO the exact Relations the great essay1st anu
historian, the arch-deuouncer OF -shalns. sus-
1aIued to the creed, rather creeds VI ehris1eh-
1ou py suu,c he has Dcc'l rc+.arueu from tae
rs1 as the arch-herctc OF lis ri'nc. rs one Who
by his written and spoken words, as wen rs ps
bis example, has done more than any
other man or score Of 1uea to mis-
direct the youthful AMI Developing intellect,
and generally to sap the foundations of
what has been regarded rs true rclirioli Alter
the publication Of the - Lnteer-Day fa'hpnlets
ia 1850 and the Life OF John Sterling in ls't.
this feeling regarding the tnar. although not
particularly new, acquired great INTENSITY anu
although vi late years ne has been Ioo6eu upon
more favorably by tho orthodox, the same se'lt1-
uents are entertained regarding him in some
1eeu almost worshiped us the great apostle IT
truth and righteousness; bat it is claimed by
them that his gospel had no necessary
connection with the Christian BOOKS or
with the Christian faith II is noteworthy
tact that Carlyle. eloquent and ''lt-
spoken as he was Notwithstanding Ills avoweu
worship Of silence, was always and eXery"9Sae mae
ne did really believe-wi,at was his creed. II. he
had anr-hus always been ayexel question;
famliur with his works could fur Il moment
doubt, but how much was included in thut creed
S,r how little, who could tell
1t is well known ttat when Carlyle was tirst
sent TO college 1t was his fathers hope. as, IN
deed it WIS the hope of tho household. tilat
Thomas would give himself to the Work OF tne
Christian ministry. md that he might yet be Il
burning and II shining light in the Scottish pull
pit- Such had, from time inllne:norluf, uetn Il
common ambition among the bstfer.to-uo cl'iss
OF the Scottish peasHrtry, and Cnrlyle's father.
after years uf hard toll and rigid economy. nad
reached n condition OF comfort. He was. be
Sides an atiherent ot what E:'s called tue tnussn
OF the Secession, one Of the original bodies out
Of which has since grown the United Presly-
1erian Church OF Scotland II was an eva,-el-
cul buIy and old james Carlyle WIS deeply i'm
bued with the sentiments wh;ch were then in the
ascendant Carlyle. rs is well known. tiIu stuay
theology in formal way and under proper
auspices with view to The Church: but he comtu
not sec his wa, to tha: kind Of work. end saily
about the tpiddle uf bis course OF study. nj
though not without somewhat OF struggle,
abandoned the idea forever. Carlyle tells US
that bis fathers tolerance Of him. which wa ;
great, was sore!y tried Ut this time = hen l
declined going forward into the church t1houxn t
scrup!cs. my yo!ition, nnd patiently let nc have
my way It WIS undoubtedly with the old gen
tleman always u matter u silent regret
. In none Of his books does Carlyle speak out
80 plainly on church questions hi1d on rcltE!ous
ola1ters, generally as in his - Life Of sierlin:
In 1850 Carlyles fierce outDurst OF wrath III the
LATTER Day Pamphlets" surprised and aston
isled the public iltld cnst hin, Tor IL time Ut
teasr not few Ut MS iriends u was tnongns he
80. In the following yeAr appeared hts " Lie OF
John Sterling. regarded by many us Que Of Car
iyle's very best efforts, and as one OF the finest
pieces Of biographical wri1in.. :n the language:
In the "I.ntrerDay Pamphlets he had shocked
put or their propricty uil political social. aud
Sterling fell like thunderbolt npoa the church
people and the religious ws,r1 generally - +
lerly reTolttng - the rcllEious people. s:.ys
Carlyle "sDocsut believe III lis, then, either:
Sot he. for certain: can't i yuu will know!
1t was and is l'ciieyed that Carlyle had much ia
10 With the Shaping Of sterllnE's nnal course OF
ated. 1t is certain tnat Carlyle did not 20 out Of
his way to seek Sterling. But the latter was of
vas difficult for such man. I'LL III sea US he was
Is to how to find suitable work and to make
himself useful TO his tellow-lnc',. 10 como
INTO contact with Carlyle's strong and aE-
Eressive character without ii, some way
somlng under his influence and catchsns
MS impress. stcrling's career after he knew
Iii
taken deacon's orders, uad been curate ot
Hurstmongeau1 for eight months. ta:td abatl-
aoned the work: but VA; stu in orders ;' whr1
oousid him to the Church were looscneA, and LIT
gradually emerged into what he regarded as
some to regard literature us his proper vocation
when consumption mastered him and he WI.
called hence 1t wns expected thnl Carlyle woul.f
compeliel. to take the public somewhat into hi:
confidence and give his own vic'ss o., rcl!:9lou:
questons Cafiyle a nn1tg n y Ct %fs te @ k1 4r, LIZ
sxtoiled his virtues cstimAtcd highly his intel
iectunl powers, condemned his connection witt
>, the Church, AMI rc1niccd i'll his tinal cnaa,ci;El
ton from the shnckles of thu. S tine. Spcak.n:
of Sterllng's having taken orders, he says: The
bcreared young latly has taken tho veil then
must be redeemed into human, if IL will cum
1Inue life Some pious heroieus, 10 give Il hu
man color 70 life again, on any terms. eve!
on impossible ones. To such lengths car
1tnnscendentai s:loonshipc- cast by su.nc NOR
bldly r.1tiatinS Euierd.c into tho c:laos OF Il
tivuls lsIons and commissions and discussed deye!
opnlents- SO dark and ubstrase. without lanll
or dngcr-post. is the course oi pious genu
highway more: the old spiritual highways an'
recognized paths to tho Eternal; no" Al torn III
:: and Hung IL heaps. submerged IN unutier'be
boiling mud oceans of hypocrisy nnd utl3eiatve
ability. OF brutal living atheism aad dnu'nsbi
dead putresccnr cant- Surely !: tragic pilgrim
age for al! nos.als: darsl:css and lhc iner
shadow Of death e,1yciopiu9 all things from phi,
10 pole, and in the r.lrin:: gulf current ofeFin:
lis wiil-o-wlsps for I,a s;,rs-int:1n;ltnG thu
there are no STARS uDr ever we're, EXCEPT crrt;
old Jew ones. which have bow s.n1.c oui.' :
little further on. while still speaking Of Stcr
ling's attempt to nnd sa:ict.t:try IN the Oh
church. he says, There will IT present l,c man,
opinions. and mine must here ne recorded III tia
rrprovnt O. it, i'll mere plying condemnation
it. as r7si,. false, unw:se. a1d unprecedented
STEP. There is much ru,,r. tn the sat:le elect
and there Is joy when Sterling finds tis freedom
rot much IT 4 reSeiauOn in the book of Car
Lyle S own inner thoughts.
Many mist have turned To the - 'Relninisccn-
ces" with so.ne hope OF finding further light
In vntn. Yet SONG things are piin enough ant
unntstakable enough regarding his belief
There eau b: no doubt at NIL ,s to his belief in
great supreme Ruler and Lurd nf ali. nor eat
1EeEe be any doubt respecting his fsetef in tht
A1Ha:uziali1y of 1hu soa Proofs az this could b: