New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-20
NEW. PUBLICATIONS.
pAnIcAL PREACHER.

AEt 1870, -, .gtber Of "Onental Religions" MIN
UonghtOn Mifiiu Co.
Tn an interesting obituary notice appended 10 TINS
xolume. with line of approval Professor L. D.
Ftsl of Tubingen, expresses bis surprise thal sam
nj Iohnson met with SO little sympathy and such'
.cantv ustice on tho part of American readers, and
+ha conviction that i'll time he will be recognized
in this country of our greatest thinkers and
scholars 1t is especially of the unfinished work on
"Ouental Religions and their Relation to Uni
versal Religions" tnat the German professor is
speaking in this article. The first volume, devoted
TO India, appeared in 1873; the second, OH China.
in 1877 and the author was engaged upon the
third PERSIA at the time of his death. 1t was not,
in the popular sense Of the word successful book
Fven Mr. gohnson's attractive style and bold
Thought could not lure the hasty and unrehectlng
public to such study and many OF the organs OF
critical opinion treated it with undeserved neglect
Tie only serious ana appTeciative review OF which
we find mentioned in Mr.. Longfellow's memoir IS
one from the pen of the late George Ripley III lHE
TRIBUNE. Perhaps-for sceptlcal fashions nave
spread fast in ten years-Mr. Johnsons Opinions
seemed stranger when they were first propounded
than they would seem if he put them forth now.
"In his comprehensive view of the progress OF
Universal Religonn saws Professor Eiel, he gave
IN Christianity no exceptional place, but included
II rs bnt one of the steps in the universal progress
of religion So far he was right enough. But IN
stead of recognizing in the ideal OF the CHRISTIAN
religion the final keystone to the whole edihce OF
Universal Religion. he allowed his experimental
knowledge Of practical Christianity to warp bis
Judgment of its ideal value. On the other hand,
having not come into practical contact with
the living realization of COniucianiSm, buddhism
or Indian ligons his estimate OF these religions
became unconscousy higher. Moreover, there was
a.. III, pIl1 III -
tinction from natural religion. In comparing the
practical value OF all religions, he therefore no
reason to give 10 the Christian religion, whose
morals and civilization he had found practically
inferior the palm of preference. He boldly COM
pared Confucius, Buddha and Jesus Christ, ana
calmly pronounced Buddha, to his thinking. the
greatest of the three. Shocking as this mast be to
every Christian mind, even greater danger to the
interests of sectarian Christianity probably
seen to arise from the general tendency of Samuel
Johnson's researches because such provoAIngly
independent search for the universal IN religion,
viewed in the light of the results accumulated in
Samuel JohnsOn's work, clearly tenus TO encourage
a general exodus from all distinctive religions and
a migration, through years of wandering IN faith
less and creelleSs deserts to problcuatical
Canaan of Universal Religion" Nh Johnson wei
ccclrd the introduction of the Chinese into the
United States as a national blessing; he looked
upon them not merely as a productive force but as
moral influence. 1T was good thing he thought
that they resisted missionary enterprise, ana that
Christianity. by contact with hcathenism, was des
tinsl NOT only to overthrow some foreign pccuNar-
tiesbut to modify essentially it, own character.
The Free Religions Society for which Mr.. john
son preached at Lynn was in no proper sense OF the
word Christian congregation. The religion that
he preached" says Mr.. Longiellow, was natural
' #. 7 ..t.1
and supernatural claims 1t simply another
name for truth, freedom piety. righteousness. love
rs Il might I've given to him TO their various as
pccts and their applications to present eds In
ore of his earlier letters he does the expression
a Christian church." but later ne would not nave
admitted il as applicable to his society I'm the
Book of Hymns which he compiled with his
FREUD Mr.. Longellow in lSlG, there were many
selections especially relating to Christ and mir
acles which did not harmonic with his maturer
sentiments. Il shudder TO say, he wrote in 1893,
that there are almost half a hundred hymns in
that book which my tongue refuses to utter" The
following extract is from letter written in 1851:
Glad to bear from j. W G.. read his sermon on
the Christian name in the last number of me Iader;
and wish could say il more satisfactory to
me- than il s. Ii seems To lie that hIs reasons for
adhering to the name were very inadequate, and
would make any proper change in name from one
positive faith TO another impossible lie first says
truly that KNOW niue or nOtniue ABOUT Jesus,
and thun he Eases Christianity and its fitness 20
survive on its relations to his personal character.
He makes science free and imperSOnal AZ truly an
evolution from tins hypothetical conception of
Christianity as are the doctrines Of Roman Catho-
icism. with its logical central Christ. and the
church that follows from his New Testament
claims. For my part, every day live, the name
Christian seems less and less to express my thought
and tendency. | suspect it will be 50 with the
Freethinking world generally. As for making out
Unitarian, this stage. to mean larccr liberty than
Christian. some are dOlug-tat seems to ne
another attempt at stretching Og bcdSteIG- so
that the good radical fellows may all lio down VI IT.
lie had written thus to Mr.. Longfcllow in 1866
have been preaching in Cincinnati in Conways
old society. They are muniicent in their hos
pitalitieS. and l spent charming month with
them 1t quite enlightened me as to the West. |
saw the undor-Currsnt Of American life breaking M
and modifying scct, tnd crccds. preparation for
81 Anne riCau religion based on human nature in its
largest representation and free expression. an
amazed at the growth of freedom among tie jews.
s'Or instance. they seem 10 he coming out Oh cur
ground. You can easily sc how this should be-.
'The,r purs theism separated from Bb.iolatry AID
Mcssianic liberalism Is tie with ours Tic
many scctS especially fore sn ones, IN the Western
cities modify each other greatly; and even the
matcrialistc set of enterprise on 30 vast scale
10 me bound 10 prepare the way by absorb
ing men in fhysicql lar for The recognition of God
an tts 1cOTtd. tIom which The old thcologcS have
bauiShcd Him. The Continent will, at least, re-
affirm Nature. And have full faith that the grand
morality of our political idea. as We are compelled
10 interpret it, will force the RELIGIONS sentiment
into natural channels. and make matcria.iain issue
out INTO spiritual faith. Human mature is the
great witchwOrd ia this country, and We are bound
To mai the most OF it rciiglously ai>O
II" S. otc in 1850:
Speaking OF TransccndcntaliSm reminds me of
Cnldwlck's book on Religious Problems. | found
ii abounding III good brave and beautiful things;
but pervaded by tone OF rather tendency, which
so troubled me that wrote him in full about 1t.
He seems 10 me 10 he drifting as the American rad
icals seem TO me 10 he doing as body; following
The popular current instead of leading 1t on 10
better things For this contempt of reason
ncmena, this denial of direct or intuItivc pcrcep-
ton of realities cvcn the most universal. Is Ger
tainly the high road 10 materalism And Spencer.
anaIl from his oft AT gcncrallZimg nhennmemA and