New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-04
THE COMING MANS RELIGION.
AN ADDRESS BY JAMES PARTON.


MI Palmer, the president OF the club, was IN the
chair The parlors were crowded with listeners.
Besides Others there were present the Marquis ana
Ma1quse Lana, Chauncey Il. Depew ana Vic,
Charles H. Stebbins and wife, j. II. Hayden ana
wife, Mrs. Z. l.. Youmans, Mrs. G. w. Ballou, MIS-
John Sherwood, Lieutenant Cunningham
and the Rev. Drs G. S. Mallory, William Lloyd and
G. w. Samson.
Mr. Palmer, after preliminary remarks on the
present tendencies III religious thought, presented
Mr. Parton, as one fed on the very milk OF human
kindness" The lecturer first spoke OF the influence
of religion in tho library and in the kitchen.
lie stated that some Darwin might
yet solve the question of the origin OF religious
ceremonials. He ascribed religious persecution TO
the weakness of men, claimed that the Church regu-
lated human credulty, and that religious ceremo-
malls could not be dispensed with.
Mr. Parton took the ground that Ameri-
can citizenship will be the religion OF
the future, and closed his lecture with
q tribute to the experiment of Professor Adler Mr.
Parton was closely followed, often receiving laugh
ter and applause his reference to the Rev. X Heoer
Newton calling forth vigorous clapping OF hands,
MR. PARTON'S PAPER.
When was asked some time ago to give my
thoughts about religion was much embarrassed lor
have had more thoughts that subject than upon all
Others put together. feel the peculiar difficulties as
well as the great Importance OF the themes and wonder
now at my temerlty in attempting It, Upon rehechon
found had kinds Of thoughts respecting religion
my library thoughts and my kitchen thoughts In tue
library particularly in the acove OF history religion
seemed tho shame and torment Of species The MS
tory OF religion-how could 1t be fifty told except IN
shreks often think VOltares single remark after 70
atins the of st. Bartholomew's Day Ih's
makes the pen fall from the hand" Religious contro
versies-how bitter and how trivial! Religious wars
n.I,. her
for Dark Ages! Religious litersture-how SHY ana
| how falsel Religious women-how credulous! Religious
men-how hard and how soft Could any rea'onaoie
being think well OF religion merely from the record 1t
| has left
nut come into TIE Kitchen. Maud Here find lonely
laborous woman, standing at her tub OF duty IRON
| a. M on Monday to 0 pm. Saturday. During that
long week she lives with her pots aud Kettles, her
soap and suds attending other peoples children; COOK
ing other peoples dinners hearing other peoples iangh
! ter; witnessing happy. natural, interesting NE,
but shut out from 1t by wall
as frnpasssble rs II Ia transparent on sunday
morning II f. religion that compensatcs her. Religion
receives her into an edince that Is to her cheering
vision of spaciousuess and spend0i where she u roku
with beautiful music. with pictures, with Tranquil ret'
with theory OF the that enabes her 10 accept
her lot; and hest Of ALL with the sight and sympathy
| and bonnets Of 200 worthy, industrious women Ana
| that beautiful temple is her own. She has
the pude and dignity that accrue from
| having her share Of the cost OF H. III
ia tie moreover that connects her poor dn hdru NE
with the universal life Religion IL home to her VINO has
no home II is Ireland her, for which she cried three
hours day for three months. and cries niue no"
every day. 1t father mother brothers and sisters
TO her It's the hope OF reunion with them IL Is tie
one thing that makes worth while for her through
another week of washtnb AMI RriIron and the oiuhg
tongue OF that fellow Cnrstlan-her mistress.
Bridget throws as mach light on the mas'acres OF ST.
| Bartholomew as YOltare. and has more right 10 he
heard for represents weak ana oVerladcn race
IN the United this moment there are millions 10
whom religion is all that II is to her-exacy what II is
the thing that makes life urabe. IL is IN vain to cay
that there ought not ard aeed not, be SUCH We might
os well say that man ought to be incomplete proud
and idle creature. But he Is.
THE ORIGIN OF RELIGIOUS CEREMONIAL.
Our question how to reconcile the discrepancy ne
tween library and kitchen, which Is right What Is 'his
that PLAYS such unique part in human affairs, so cher
ished go Ia ed despsed red, 10 establish or
| DESTROY which men would die This question viii be
| answered finally by naturalist like Charles
! Darwin who will treat 1t as a chapter In
natural history, aud show that orr religion Is the meas
ure OF our distance from the missing link lie VIII trace
il back to the time when old babnon IN The depths
of tic prneval picked up long stick and began
to walk sowly and solcmuy mp aud down. other apes
looking on some following him. all occasionally chatter
ing approval lie will in this the origin OF all re-
ligious ceremonial
We need back 30 far nor even fuhnhSo III an
Gent books 10 find aboriginal religion. Th' railroad
,crct that takes ia 900 miles westward back
% COO wears also and brnya face 10 face VITA the
prototype OF all prests-the indian Medicine NAH DO
YOU desire to see how the ma>sthe Greek the Jewish
and the Roman ceremonial-or1Snaicdi go among VIA
Tribe of indians when they aDodt 10 begin he buffalo
hunting for the season and see them perof Ia inc Bls
Medicine House ther grand aot OF pf9I,l9tiil ~ me
irost developed religion on earth there - scaicry ~
device implement, an Observance an orIuetr, winch
the in1isns DO not rudey pIeset on thee VCtl'.o1s
II is startling 20 read minute description OF ttir cttt
| nipgs of almost all that we sec IN ~
Prers at Rome, on some great day OF the eceie asc
wlSwain, Inc tf ohiec 'fhe nc Medcine it>f
concealed behind fan OF eagles qmll' cuuously IKE
The Golden rays that surround the spencd receptacle
VI he multitude at The most solcnn moment
Of the mass RELIGION La. inrroyed tLe implem erts
bat has added iceJ any tng TO the prmtNe stock
OF ideas devices and obseryanccs The late M Harris
American Minister to JAPAN used 70 say have lived
Would you cxp,ct 10 lind among the Red Indians OF
Nebraska conflict between 1genee end igSon1 G'e
| officially In 1873 tnat he was IA victim 10 such
Indian children ia tent near torl ~. AZ was sollg
WELL when few Of the pupils were taken Sex and some
anlaDie am PAN Hiidran sicl, II brnkr m Tho
the incident IN my own experience; Hhen Was
s s%Sny Tn Of a5out twenty-five boys
aud one morning. after many months OF internal anguish
tins school opened by reading few yerses Of
The Bible and short prayer thereafter inc piayer WIN
| be onltted." six months a. broke up the school;
other causes conspred nut this was me direct and co
| lrnllrp CAUSE. I made explanation either then or
afterward. 1 did not say rs l might have said: -
think pray or ~ Immoral practice injurious
| impious." simply reiraned from dong an act whoa
clearly saw was wrong Tor me TODD was Bad Medicine
My little school came 10 al cnd as II ought Tor tue
| parents, believing they did, were amply Iusuhed III
| removing their boys
On the Western plains you may why religion often
appears in history black AMI bloody An
bilious may through the tricks OF the Medicine
Nau aud yet VIII him also the Medicine Man, in
| tnrn OF in recompCnse viii use .hc chiefs power. 80
! tie first Bun2parte and tae second made cOmpaas with
lie Big Medicine Man Of Europe. Philip H. Oh epHin
Charles TX. and Louis XIV or France, james III. or
England were snch Chiefs The InquisitlOn the massa
cros OF ST Bartholomew the expulsion Of tue Hugenot8
were ony part OF the horrors resulting