Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-10
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES THAT ARE NOT
THOROUGHLY CONVENTIONAL.
Rev. c. Z. Massey Explains His Views
on Rational Religious
Liberty.

of his belief, and that the duty then as
sumes most embarrassing character.
What is required of him is definite state
ment upon topics which from their very
nature preclude the possibility of being
brought within prescribed lines, and sub
jected to mechanical measurement. The
liberal Christian is thus expected
to define his position Upon all the
subjects associated with Christian re-
Hglous practice, to assign to them bounds
and proportions, to quote authority, to
make routine in some measure the order
of his life, and to place special emphasis on
this or that, that his position as member
OF a sect may be perfectly Disseminated
and understood.
1t was to combat such ideas, Mr.. Massey
said, that he had elevated the words con-
tanned in his text, and without perverting
their meaning, or attempting to use them
as instrumental in promoting denomina-
tional ends, to simply apply them in the
broadest and most catholic 81 irit to the
facts of life as our experience reveals them
to US. And now what is this truth which
can of itself be the solvent of all creeds, the
principle of all action and can at last be
found potent enough to reconcile our lives
to US and all our lives experiences, Justify
acter? 1t is found in our ability to con-
duct ourselves in this world without placing
q disproportionate emphasis upon any one
thing, or, in word, to be entirely natural
This faculty of being able to achieve a de-
pertinent entirely free, to display rounded
life to be unhampered by traditions or con-
ventions, must be in the end the secret of
individual power and the root definition of
moral righteousness. There is, however,
no assumption of superiority here, what
is intelligently intended is simply that a
denomination which has no strictly de-
fined lines, no concern for consistency in
its lower sense, gives more ample play for
personal development as the individual
life can thus be brought under the influence
of natural and universal forces, that one
which has a particular side of truth 10 de-
pend, the permitted side, and which repre-
sents community of opinion not upon
the principles upon which truth should be
| Investigated, but only upon some one or
more subjects contained within its general
scope. Now it is this emphasis the
liberal Christian repudiates.
The speaker then told how, in a company
OF gentlemen some time ago, the question
of Christian consistency was being debated
IN reference to some one who had
| perhaps unconsciously violated some tech
nical requirement of religious practice.
| The argument had proceeded at some
length, and lesser issues had been ignor-
| antly and painfully introduced, until en-
| lightened patience was well nigh ex-
| hausted, when one in the assembly rose
| and electrified the audience by stating that
| in his opinion it was not so much q ques-
| ton of Christianity which should be dis
| cussed, as of manhood; that to have the
Christian you must first have the man, and
| that if the essential elements of character
are found the subject of conformity sank
into pitiful insignIfcance. Such a remark
penetrates at once through the panoply of
| the most exclusive creed, and finds the in
dividual beneath, with nothing upon which
he can rely but the integrity and honor of
his life. To define manhood, then, the
answer can consistently be, that
it is that quality of life which
| shall express in the most natural and un-
| sophisticated way the ends of being. Sub
| ordinate TO pure ideals of practice it has no
| emphasis, it is ticketed with no badges, it
wears no uniform, it has no profession, it
| is Independent of artificial rule, and vet,
| 1t has a rule. Such manhood is law unto
! itself, but it is natural and not unnatural in
its obedience to it. Our great study in this
| regard should be nature herself. Now,
| there is law controlling the processes of
| hE1lulcl bIl now NdIlOuS UeT IDdDlieSLa-
| tions. From grave to gay, from lively to
severe, her constant rhythm BEATS
Her grace is in her variety but man too
| frequently imagines that his virtue is in
| his conformity.
| To uphold such liberaliiy as ne was ad-
vocatlng, Mr. Massey said, did not imply
| that it was done IN any technically religious
sense. Religion will take care of itself
when all else is right and can be nothing
| more than the free and harmonious action
of all our faculties in obedience to a con-
| scious will, which allies herself to a higher
will, which is recognized as the yery
| center of things. Secure in our integrity
we will then be able TO hurl this truth in
the face of custom, or trade. or Office, or tenn
| poral authority sacred or secular knowing
| that progress has ever been upon the line
OF independent thought, and that the
| power of the individual is the secret Of
history. The speaker then applied these
general reflections to art and literature
quoting the truthful judgment of one
| who said that artistic virtue runs down
into one and the same root with moral
righteousness, and that to be much within
and little without, to do all for truth and
nothing for show, to express the largest
possible meaning with the least possible
stress of expression, this is arts first law.
| This is perhaps what Thomson meant who
| wrote, LONELINESS needs not the foreign
aid OF ornament" and Quintilian who said
| that "the perfection of art is to conceal
| art" The speaker then referred TO the
| futility of overworking the moral sentiment
| and said Mr.. Dickens seldom moralized.
but that that fact does not prevent US from
entirely discriminating a Scrooge and
a Quilp from a Tom Pinch and an Arthur
| Clenham. Tbackeray's irony almost con-
| fuses our judgment at times, ss to what
estimate shall be placed upon his charac-
| ters, but Colonel Newcomb and Philip and
Laura and Charlotte are seen to be noble
| without the authors having to intrude
| himself to tell Us so. while Shakespeare
wrote the tragedy of '0thello'' throughout
and did not in a single instance stop TO say
word in order to enlist our sympathies
| for the generous Moor, rather than for his
| treacherous ancient.
In conclusion Mr.. Massey said that in
ordinary Christian practice he believed
| there was much to foster an artificial senti-
| ment. He therefore believed it is better to
make the conformity we must enjoin, con-
| formity to the known laws OF our being,
and an imitation OF the processes which
nature displays. As nature is not always
| consistent in lesser matters, and through
| limited periods it is not incumbent on us
that we shall be. What msy be right for
one TO do at one time may be inexpedient
at another-our opinion Of yesterday is not
necessarily our opinion of to.morrow-but
as long as the rounded curve of conduct is
maintained, as long as the life is kept
steady in its celestisl orbit, there is no prac-
tical limit 10 the exercise of our enlightened
| freedom. IF we live truly says Emer-
son, I'VE shall see truly. 1t is as easy for
the strong man to be strong, as for the
weak man TO be weak. When man lives
with God he will feel his presence, and
hear his voice, and that shall be as sweet
to him as the murmur of the brook and
the rustic of the corn
A CASE IN POINT.