St. Paul daily globe., 1891-09-14
LOWELL's POETRY.
What Kind of Religion Rev. III. M.
Simmons Finds i'm 1t.

Yesterday morning Rev. III. NJ. Sim
mons subject was '"The Religion of
James Russell Lowell" In the course
of his sermon he said:
"Much OF LowelPs poetry is deeply
religious. 1t abOunds in grandeSt
thoughts of God and in broadcast and
most charitable sentiments toward
mankind. But, in those years while he
was a Jealous reformer, this charity
was naturally narrowed somewhat, and
he became most severe toward all forms
of inhumanty. For supporters of slav-
cry he had no mercy. Toward the unjust
rich he was full of rebuke, and corrupt
politicians he covered with rldlcule. lie
tells the hard-hearted world that even
the fallen woman, starved to more
virtue by thy savage ban," is more
free to enter heaven than thou wilt ever
be-" since her ''fouleSt vice more god
like than thy virtue Isl" In his sever
ity he does not even spare religious
forms. In one poem he pities even the
prisoner less than 1.-THE closer captive of
a creed cooped up from birth to grind
out endless chatf." and in another he
scorns those who worship the dead
corpse of old King Custom. where
it doth lie in state within the
church." In another poem he calls
tue church 'Christ's tomb" where men
''on stated days themselves imprison,
mocking with bread dead creed's grin
ming laws" and, in still another, he
makes Christ Himself accuse them of
worshiping only dead image Of Him,
while the starved and stunted poor are
the real ''images ye have made of Me-"
He charges Christians with crucifying
Christ anew and with stealing from the
t0mbS Of old prophets the funeral lamps
to light the fagguts round the prophets
of to-day. He derides the Bibliolaters
who think "the cisterns of those He
brew brains drew dry the springs of the
All-knower's thought" and who out of
the two Bible covers would make
jail to coop the living God"
But this severity is always used by
Lowell only as foil to bring out the
largest and most reverent religious
thoughts. Above this book, he sings
'the Bible of the race" to which leach
age, each kindred adds verse;" Above
the Christ Of the church, he shows the
eternal Messiah. ever "toiling up new
| Calvaries with the cross that turns not
back Above the worship by rites. he
ever tells the true worship of righteous
ness. Above the God OF theology, he
sings infinite Deity, in whose swift cir
culatl0n suns anu SySIeuS are Out as
the unseen blood discs in our
own veins, but who is not the
less with man. walking They
garden STILL" ever working in all life
| and love, though "miSsed in the COM
monplace of miracle" And both in
Lowell's earlier and later poems, be-
fore, ands after his years of zeal, these
larger religious thoughts are marred by
no harsh words. The Cathedral"
with its profound thought, broad SYM
pathy and beautiful expression. is per-
haps the finest religious poem i'll our
language. Even III that Catholic cathe-
dral, the radical Lowell joins in worship
with the old beldame with her beads
"reverent of whatever shrine guards
piety and soiace for my kind''-siDce
''God is in all that liberates and lifts,
In all that humbles. sweetens and consoles"
But he loves the larger worship best:
zone feast, of holy days the crest
j, though no churchman, love to keep
| All-Saints-ihe unknown good that rest
In Gods still memory folded deep
| The bravely dumb that did their deed,
And scorned to blot it with a name,
| Men of the plain heroic breed,
That loved heavens silence more than
| fame"