New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-07
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

Emerson and his influence az an intellectual
leader are the subject of number OF articles
that have appeared i'll the religious journals OF
the week. The opinions are discussed from
different standpoIuts. Some quarrel with
them, others eXt0l them To the skies. All con.
TESS then stimulating power. lie inherited
lie Christian UR0E says OF hlm, ny diIihe
right Of genius that universal CltlZenSllp Whch
belongs to those Nho like Dante, Shakespeare
and Goethe. speak III all languages and are an
abiding power among all races. 10 nave
given such a man TO the world 50 early III our
history. and to he able To trace our first con-
scious literary life to a nature 80 high. 80 fer
tile, 80 wide in sympathy and comprehension. Is
the noblest prophecy Oi our future. Let 1t stop
the mouths Of cayillers and dOubters forever
that republican institutions have bred and ma
tured - sweet. ~ retired and so lofty spirit.
lie had cast out fear, and held his place IN the
mystery OF the universe a. sereney as If all Its
clouds had driitcd apart Tor hiu, ana the shin
ing vision of the invisible goal lay clear and
beautiful before his eyes. Carlyle never got
beyond the Everlasting Yea, and that Was but
iOothold on rugged and threatening pain J
Emerson had IA sight of One who sits beyond
the storms and makes them His ministers lie
was not content with Carlyle, to live bTavely :;
he added to courage faith, and To faith the
peace that passcth all understanding. Ihe
finest outcome of Emerson Idcallsm was hls
reverence for humanity his recognition oi the
divine element IN human affairs his faith IN an
ever-prcsent God. For him revelation had not
closed nor had the prophets ceased 10 speak.
He reverenced the Bible, but he did not sepd-
rate IL from other books; he hOnOred the
prophets but he refused 10 set them apart from
humanity. He expected 70 hear the voice OF
God as clearly Moses heard II, he looked TO
see the guldencc Of God as surely rs the p'Ons
jew watched for the march OF the pillar OF hre
he waited in serene assurance tldt the prophets
would continue 10 speak rs long as poets ana
thinkers and philosophers continue among men,
In this most Christian thinkers VIII not agree
with him but there can be no question that III
a conventional and mechanical age this attitude
has done much To reopen tine ancient fountains
of truth and Inspiration. 1t Is teaching
which has reconcied noble minds to the hard
conditions of life. stirred the pulseS ot youth
with lofty resolutions checrcd and conSocd the
struggling and lantng III the weary march,
and. like the bugie-call OF glorious leader, has
rung along the front Of a haId-pIessed line OF
battle" Iac Acr- York Christian -ldr0cdfe says
that Emerson career WAS Il protest against
hard dry orthodoxy, which has put ont OF the
Gospel its lIie, ana reduced religion, which was
intended 10 glow aud burn ID the heart, 10
system of logic. Watcher Nr. Emerson was
pantbei,t or a thei,t, whether he believed III "a
personal immortality or an immortality oil aO-
sorptIou In the Divine Essence, could never De
determined from dught hc wrote. lie reverted
M munitions. carelco, whether the responses Ot
the oracle to-day agreed OF not with the re-
suouSeS OF Yesterday. ~ though disguised
with the hard logic OF Nevy-Eu gland culture, rs
that culture had been fashioned Tor two nun
drcd years he abjuIcd all logical sequence ot
ideas. lie has recalled attention 10 the trlth,
thar the universe L. the symbol OF an lhlnlte
Mind: manifold, subtle, lmmancnt ia ali
things permanent, flowing. i-mdllicotihS
the contemplation OF this Infinite Mind ne
makes thc business of his lie. AMI Woulu make
il the business OF GUYS. W neither tAls prlHS
is a world soul or "A personal cod hc never de
tcrminc> for Us. but his one sermon. repeated
with never wearyiug iteration, i, LINK your
self with the Infinite Mind; study hIm ln h,
end!cs. manifestations, ana draw thence
strength. courage serenity. y very Imperfect
Go,pcl this. ana yet not Useless for New-Eng-
land which had for generations contemplated
the Infinite Mind "a, IN lneXOuba WILL crush
ing into perdltOn the majority OF the human
race. 70 say the least u l. a soltenng 81 the
GRIM. PuTItanlcal dogma. me thrshd" met
HgfnCer thinks, that Emerson was essentially an
e.soti,t: and that there much OF hl, strength
law. " He cOucealed,' that journal says, he
meath Il more than Quaker mllducss passive
strength of will. and an l1nperous dogmatlSm
of opinion, almost unparalleled. IL was Ihla
absolute ,elf-sufcicncy and selt-dlsciplesllp
which impaired the OTacular form To his W.T.
ings and enabled him To utter what seemed
paradoXical, revolutionary ana even oidSphe-
iuOus with the dlspassIonatcneSs ana AT less
ness of a child and ii was this also, perhaps,
which made it 50 easy for him To dispense with
a Dorsonal God" "WhetheT his was the
greatest mind in orr history and country as 1t
has been called Tie CongFcgdtoRai@t says,
We hold 10 Ice get an open question. twenty
wears hence men viii Ice able 20 judge more
fairly than We can. Certainly much OF what
he has written has been essentially unlntelh-
gible Certainly, too, his influence upon the
mas, of mankind, especially during his earlier
years. has been only indirect lie ha, reached
most men merely uy reaching their teachers,
and moulding their idea, more OF less.
VI. HYAqNTHE LOYsoN AND FATHER MON-
sAUEE-lhc Paris newspapers publish a cor
rc-pOndebcc which has lately taken place be-
tween the cN-pric-t liyaclnthc 10y son ana the
Rev. Father MOnsabie "A dominican Nho'e
sermons III the pulpit oi Notre Pamr H. u'G
successor OF VI. BOY son have attracted "a good
deal OF attcntiCh. The correspondence opens
with = letter hy NJ. LOy>On IN which he invites
Father Nonsaurc 10 meet him and discuss IN
public the questions which separate then
. and particularly those of the supreme aud
lptalliblc Monarchy Oi the Bishop ol Rome ana
the legitimacy OF the ingus!ton. he writer
of thi, invitation SAYS nr /, actuatcd by a desire
10 see the truth brought Ton ward inio iuIl l-ht,
and that he Is also determined tat the dl9cu>-
sion shall be carried on IN respectful ana
uoritic manner. To this Father MOn~aDre re-
plies very scnsbly that II NJ. Lov>on can assure
him of M audience whose sentiments VIII bc
i'm ucrfcct harmony with the respectful and
peaceful conditions under which the discussion
: prouo>cd 10 be carried on. he may be able,
ncrhans 10 secure the permission ol ms
superior, to accept the proposition. But ne
fears that the greater part OF those who would
assist at public debate, III "lHch they
Nonsabre and LOysOnl were opponents "9Hiu
briuy 40 it an excitement ana passion WHICH
would degrade the discussion and make OF 1t
Dublic scandal in which the truth could gam
nothing. He concludes by saying: 90 Why
would YOU not accept friendly conversation
in which you could present your tbIeCtlOns
vould reply 10 them u, best | could, and If 1t
should be impossible for me to convince You, !
mi.ht perhau, Justify my faith 10y such reasons
as would at least command your respect lou
a., lancer brlieXp | believe. and hope 10 die