Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-13

dc struggle. We quote from the article
paragraph which shows precisely the POSI-
ion taken by the western secular press, IN
he main, with regard to the prevalent spirit
IF infdelity:
No one who studies the course OF events,
the progress Of the times, the spirit oil the
nre, or whatever one chooses to call II, can
fail to see that all questions of form or OF
morals are losing the authority which was
formerly universally conceded to them, anu
in this movement formal religion has, ol
course, suffered corresponding loss. Inc
loss of respect for the outward show oil &c
clesiaslical authority has been accompanied
by n loss of faith in religious doctrine.
Science has thrown off all allegiance to re-
lipinus doctrine, literature shows less respect
for ideas once held sacred, iniidelity spreads
more rapidly because society no longer al
fixes any personal stigma to the infidcl. All
these are movements in natural progress
which no concerted action can check, which
has been continued with rcsistlcss growth
during the present century, winch can nave
but one logical conclusion. In the end I'M
belief will be as free as religion before me
law, before society, in the school, the court,
the family.
This sort of cyncism is worse, far WORSE
in its moral effect upon the people, than the
hold assaults of such men as lngeisoll and
Min upon the strongholds Of religious faith.
| ,i',n,v,;o, riovof ,he siqrs
Of the times whereas it is really Il covert and
sncaking imputLtion Of aNuess and uniallli-
~ Il 90 W. '"0 p"' =. ,.',ia ,n,o,
hs'" '"''"s' VS. -, 49,
snecr at Mh'' l"se'''ii "'"''' -.
o''s "Hue, '''' S'"u'', '. - IT,
"a. Gnu ""'o''' :; H.. ..i,a,l
n0'O'' ''' '''"' 800 ~ n.J u,s
'"' '0u''' NV ''',''' ,,a,,t,,.,u,
~ r,n.,;o, .,.,,irs, moral md ,c.
:. w. " i'''.', .,a,,,1,oo,,,
-, .,. -, ,,,o ,,r,s,,c, n,
-. S.'....,..','' ..,..., =, -, ,,,,, ~,
,'',i.t -, nli,i,u ood ,.h II
ii,.'.a'.,.an ,a'.,.r,a rIann ,r moral ,y
49,. -. ,nn, .,t. ;r.y;,.,l,
..,,,, '.',,, .',...,i,.. ,-;.alo,,,,. " Inn, H.,
49, ,..a -, ,..o.
' ,;,'.,.;I ...io,go ia dn,,ly
,.'.,'','.," ..r,.aa,,,,s, s,y. .;s
,,a.,,..;, ,u,,,ic ,r,o.
,i+ns am, l,,.nr,once. ,yl,ch ,cIiri,n seeks ID
mol, r,r,o,u., and obligatory and which
,,I.o,i,r so,l,s to abolish If ,her. were No
sn,,Ia,, ,,.s ora mo ..,,omn, IN s,cmc,I,pm.
ro Iona, limitations nm MARINE. and divorce.
no lave o,,a;ns, ,Ios,h,mv M official chan.
oiro M c.,ohl,sh,d churches no connection
who,ovo, h,,uoor church and State infdcli.
tv having nothing to ask, would have nothing
- 6rh, for and tbo chnrcb,s not having
ANYTHING to do in the field of politics, would
confine themselves to the more copgenial and
PROMISING mathis Of rclirion.n
II is vary kind of intidei,v indeed. TO per.
mi, ,.,iqion to Withdraw within its shell and
exorcise ito ov,pcclis,ic talents in solitude
and oui,t of course. relioion has no busl.
ness with Sunday laws. or with marriage and
divorce or with taking the name of God in
yain.-these are all entirely outside her pro.
vince. Aud what right has she to establish
herself AS an organization, or to attempt to
nromulra,e her doctrines in the field
of national politics? She should con.
fine herself tn "morc conrenill and
nie hc'seh " n'o'o 'o"a "''' "D'
promising Pa'ns' one s"ou'' ''''A'
quisf Tue great ann Oh her eH's'eu'e' ."'
command Oh hcr fouhuer anu 'hc i"Juno''oli
anu p''hciI''c vi lci 'has'ei 70 S' ''''''
tlme-SerVer' sycophan' anu oo"e''"s
Save oil hisH-iianoeu ihioeH'y lncse "fe
terms upon which she may commune 10 eS-
ISL oIhefWiSe-lhlhks inc 'oPeeea'oT-she
is certain to be exlermlnatcd.
taken with respect 10 inldeli'y by Tie mildly
agnos,ic press OF the West The openly III
hdel press is OF course, more ou'spoken' vlr-