Year: 1869

THe Religious Nfeve~euss Of tho Age.


"Tis strange world we live ill., my mas
ters." Very. It has always been so. IL was
so from Adam to Noah, from Nosh to Moses,
from Moses to Jesus Christ. II was 30 also
from Christ to Luther. 1t has been SO from
Luther to the present time. To judge from
present appearances it becomes stranger
world every day. True politically, scientific
ally, socially, this is especially true reigiousy
From religious point of view, when did the
world present such spectacle as it does at
the present moment? In Europe all is excite
religion is absorbing all political effort and
enterprise. The Irish Church is at least as
big question as the Alabama claims. Re-
ligion has found its annual focus in Edinburg.
and Exeter Hall, London, ''brays" as
loudly as it. did in the days of
Lord Macaulay. 1t is more or less the same
all over the European Continent. Protestant
Germany is excited because of the friendly re-
lations which are known TO exist between the
Court of Berlin and the see Of Rome. Catholic
Germany is indignant because of Papal stub
bornness, and looks forward with something
like holy horror to the approaching Ecumeni-
cal Council believing that the object of said
Council is to rob it of its liberties. Fanatical
sectarians multiply in Russia, and all over Euro
pean Turkey the inroads of Christian mission
aries are said to be allrming. Religion makes
some stir in Spain, and Italy is hotbed of re-
ligious strife. The Holy Father, looking
abroad upon the wide and troubled sea,
pours oil upon the waters in the shape of
plenary iudulgences and gladdens the hearts
of all good Catholics by encouraging the
belief that they are the most blessed
of all mankind. On this side how
is it? We have or have had all the
societies in full blast The Presbyterians, still
with us, are attempting great work in the
shape of reunion. The most bellicose of all
the sects thus seem to have caught inspiration
from the words of President Grant, and are
going in for union and peace The Free Reli-
gonists and the Shakers have had meetings in
Boston, and If the latter have not convinced
the world of the sins of the flesh and Of the
holiness Of celibaoy the former have given us
some encouragement to look forward to another
great religious reformation.


No one can reflect on the various religious
movements of the day without coming to the
conclusion that in spite of union tendencies,
Ecumenical Councils plenary indulgences and
broad Boston platforms, the spirit OF true
religion is rather weak all over Christendom.
T ~ coI,a 20 A e.
something new controls the universal heart.
Out of all the fuss It is difficult to
know what Is to come. One thing
alone is clears the Churches, one and
all, from that of Rome downward, but
imperfectly understand the characteristics and
Irresistible tendencies of the times. They
seem all to be cropping in the dark. Not one
section of the Church recognizes the existence
of that modern spirit which exists on the
majesty of reason, which demands evidence,
which despises human dogmas. The Protes-
tants have learned little if anything since the
days Of Luther and Henry VIII, and
the Pope's last circular is as medieval as any
circular could be- We cannot accept the
Boston platform of the Free Religonists.
1t is too much like Noah's ark,
which was filed with all manner of
clean and unclean animals. Noah's ark, It is
true, was useful for time So, also, was
this Free Religionist platform. But what is to
come after the deluge it is really difficult to
say. The progress Of true religion, from all
we can see, must be more dependent on the
newspaper, upon the railroad, upon the cleo
trio telegraph, than upon the preachers or any
Church power The world does seem to have
outgrown the Church, and it remains yet very
doubtful whether the Church is able to adapt
herself to the new and arbitrary conditions
under which she is placed We move on. We
cannot wait. If the Churches will not follow
they must perish, one and all.


ANNA DrCK ,NsOy wants ia To find her tbrea