New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-20
THE DARK AGES NOT DARK
A Plea for the Sabbath and the Thirteenth
Century

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Your correspondent H. c. f.. who in
this mornings issue, attempts to dispose in
a few paragraphs of such a momentous aues-
ton as that of the Sabbath in its relation
20 our civilization, seems specifically in.
formed on the questions he attempts to dis.
cuss.
He makes the astounding statement that
the greatest Of the founders of this country
Washington, jefferson and Adams-were not
oellevers IN Christianity in any form. ! chal-
lenge the accuracy OF this statement. am
not informed as 70 the religious proelivities
OF Jefferson and Adams, but. unless every
shred Of evidence which has come down 70
US IS false, Washington was not only be.
lever, but very stanch and devout believer
in Christianity.
II. 1. h. goes on to add the name Of nos.
SIoly the greatest Of all. Thomas Paine" He
VIII md few to agree with him in this re-
spect mat Paine's was a great intellec,
all will concede. That ne is entitled 70 bo
CONSIDERED as possibly the greatest of alp
OF the founders OF this country is too absurd
for argument
As 10 Lincoln il is perhaps fact tba.
'here Is no record Of his being affiliated with
any Christian church. But the inference
when II. {. r. draws from this, and which
ne attempts to impose on his readers tba,
Lincoln also was not "a believer in Cbr;s,i
anIty m any form" is utterly false. There
is abundant evidence in the records ~ lin
coins written and spoken words that he vas
sincere and deyout Christian in the broad
est sense OF the term. even though no NAV
not have been what is technicallv kno,yr ~
our day as church member"
But the point on which Fl. c. f stul,ifes
himself is his reference TO the "period in
which The Church had It's great opportunitv
to benefit civilization" as the Dark Ages "
Ignorance could 20 no further than to adont
IN TINS parrot-iike fashion a term which has
been applied by misinformed and dishonest
historians 10 "a period in history when
achievement was. perhaps, at its highest in
human annals. II must be borne in mind
that progress is relative. and not absolute:
that the progress in scientific. literary and
artistic achievement from one century 10 m
other must be regarded in the light Of what
has gone before
IT, for instance. there mad been no interval
OF accomplishment between Cations inven-
ton Of the printing press and the invention
OF the linotype by Mergenthaler. then the
latter would have been an infinitely greater
achievement even than IL is. The same smile
might be applied ad nfnitum TO all the nu-
merous channels of human activity. Can any
reasonable man doubt that the scientists.
artists and literary men Of. say, the thirteenth
century. accomplished quite as much as those
Of our own day would have accomplished had
the conditions which Immediately preceded
our age been exactly those of the last days
Of the twelfth century? II II. c. f. thinks
that period in the worlds history was really
dark lat him read DR.. James J. Walsh's
book, THE Thirteenth. Greatest of Centuries, -
and he will learn some astounding things
K. c. P.
New Rochelle, n. y Jan. 10, 1917.