New-York tribune., 1883-03-18
CURRENT RELIGIOUS OPINION.

To charge licentiousness on Professionalism. as DR..
Dix docs. is ignore the well-known statistics of
morals Unchastity the common sin Oi Roman
Catholic France and Italy. while chastity Is the
national virtue of Protestant Germany and Eng
land On the other nand Puritan New England
appears to he rapidly dcgcneIatlng III morals while
the Roman Catholic population Of America appear
20 be chaste and to preserve insIolato tho family
relation. Neither Church can cast I. hrst stone at
tho other in this matter. The doctrine that mar
ragc civil contract ls natural but gross reaG-
ton from the racramentaIIan theory oi The Middle
Ages. IL is indeed u divine ordinances, anu equally
divine whether the marriage ceremony be per-
formed by n bishop by justice of the peace. or by
the parties themselves. II. instead OF attempting
10 get oil INTO the Holy Catholic church Dr
Dix would inaugurato n mOvement-m rellS-
ious but nOn-cccesastical founded on the Bible
but not on church GocreestO repeal the laws Tor tho
promotion OF llcentonsnsss euphemlstc9ly calleu
Divorce laws he would iind ready to follow hlm
enough men of all faiths and forms, and creeds To
give some eventual hope OF success-lChristlan
Union.
Mr. Cook crhlcises tho Bruhmo SOmai because IL
has not exhibited power 10 deliver men thoroughly
from the love of sim. mat ~ severe TEST 10 PuC
any REL gous movement too. and IL IL very pure
Christianity that can stand II. Most Chrstlans
arc not thoroughly delivered from the love OF SID.
But 1t is true that, III the theory OF christ as only
a ursnt propLet the greatest of the prophets tho
power II lost which Christianity mus IN Chrlst,
the gift of special mercy and reconciliation sent
from God 10 man. Because Chunder sen, IN his
eclectic search after the true which he may Gull
out of all religions has found most IN Christianity,
therefore,.
the purest and highest form OF natural religion
ever offered to the world but 1t fails OF full power.
Ii has done good TO some souls but u does not
appeal to the many. The cha ongo which mis-
siUnary made, that 1t show a dozen drunkards con-
yerted, has not been publicly met. possibly because
IL appeals to traits not found IN drunkardsi Dht
Mr. Cook shows that IL has done much good and
must be regarded of tho happest signs oil the
times in India Il Independent.
IL is reported upon apparently good authority
that certain London society foi the suppression OF
blasphemous literature has announced its purpose
of prosecuting Huxley. Tyndall, Spencer, John
Morley and tho publishers OF tho works OF the late
John Stuart Mill, for having ~sown widespread
unbelief and IN some cases rank atheism This
society could not do foolish thing. That its
criticism upon the works in question has somo force
Is true but II II could prove that these authors
had intended to teach unbelief and atheism. as
such. which may not be easy In every case and had
violated law in SO dong IL could not direct world
wide attention to these gentlemen aud their books
ia any Other ~ay effectively. II 1t really desires
TO diminish their influence IL should not force them
into the position Of martyrs. Doubtless they would
be more amused than annoyed by snch persecution
and would welcome such an advertisement while
the only probable result to the society 10 the rldlcu
Ions failure Of its action. We have no sympathy
with infdei,y or atheism. but We do not wish to
see professt Christians recklessy defy the dictates
OF common s.-lCongregationalist