THE FREETHINKER'S MAGAZINE, AND Review of Theology, Politics, and Literature. Oceans of ink, and reams of paper, and disputes infinite might have been spared, if wranglers had avoided lighting the torch of strife at the wrong end; since a tenth part of the pains expended in attempting to prove the why, the where, and the when certain events have happened, would have been more than sufficient to prove that they never happened at all.-REV. C. C. COLTON, A.M. No. 1.] JUNE 1, 1850. [PRICE 2d. A GLANCE AT THE PRESENT STATE OF THEOLOGY. A PROFESSION of sanctity is one of the modes (and next to the accumulation of wealth, the readiest one) by which a man obtains a status in society. Religion must always be to the man of integrity a subject of the greatest interest. But at this time, amid unusual circumstances, it is more particularly and eminently a theme of paramount importance; and thus we observe (whether it be a sign of a falling off in the number of hearers, or a token of healthy zeal on the part of the preachers), at the present moment, a stirring up of heaven and earth almost in the endeavour to make converts by sectarians of every denomination. But it does not necessarily follow because there is more talk of and about religion and faith that conclusions are to be drawn favourable either to its vitality or progress; on the contrary, the noise may be that of disruption, and the all-exciting interest may be caused by the last throes of dissolution. It is a bad sign for any system of religion when it requires the arm of the law to support its own want of energy, especially if it carps at its decisions when they chance to be adverse to its views. Its want of the sympathy and affection of its supposed supporters is thus very clearly manifested. If the present system of theology be fallacious-if it be not founded on the eternal and unchanging laws of nature-its friends can gain nothing by appealing to the state for support; in fact, its adversaries began to number its days from the time when it took state pay, and became, instead of a healing mother and nurse to the poor, but a mere engine of state despotism and political tyranny, whose mode of operation was by compressing the intellect of man into those narrow limits that, while vitally important in a system of passive obedience and non-resistance, denuded religion entirely of its best feature, liberty of thought, and made it penal to worship the author of nature in any way except that recognised by act of parliament. A From this system naturally sprang that doctrine of fatalism which, while kept in activity, while engaged in subduing surrounding nations, was the essence of the faith that enabled the Mahommedans victoriously to overrun the fairest parts of Europe-becomes, when inactive, or when viewed as a doctrine for all time, the canker that will assuredly destroy any faith, as it has done the temporal power of the Turks. And how often have the church pointed out this very fact; yet they are so purblind as not to discover and apply the same logic to their own particular case-which is, that a people reared in the belief that the Lord is to do everything for them very naturally become spiritually inactive, and, when the church is really in danger, cannot very easily be roused into activity to help it; and of the two they are apt to think, if it wants man's help at all, that the system is not of God. Now we do not hold with the class who consider the world is getting worse; and least of all do we consider it a sign of its retrogression because there is a spirit abroad that determines to investigate before it accords adherence-or rather, that seems to have the conviction that it cannot believe at all till it is able to comprehend the doctrines for which its belief is demanded. Vast as are the number of sects, and diversified as are their beliefs-although all deduced from one source-all of them must acknowledge the right individually of all the others to examine the grounds upon which their principles are founded; and if they really are the possessors of such truths, revealed or inspired, the possession of which is so valuable that nothing however great is comparable to it, why should they object to have their theories canvassed? Yet with them all there is a line of demarcation, past which if inquiry ventures to progress a united howl arises, as if they feared disruption of the system, sooner or later, must be the inevitable result of any thorough examination of their dogmas. but The last few years have been remarkable for the signs of the times and the march of intellect observable in the theologic world. At first Catholicism, robbed of its long-enjoyed immunities and privileges, was most unfairly and arrogantly denuded of what no power or authority had the right or warrant to rob them, namely, their civil rights as citizens; but gradually and steadily have its votaries been working for and achieving a relaxation of the prohibitory laws that once existed to the extent of making it penal for them to educate their own children in their own doctrines. They succeeded, only because public opinion was with them, and they, in their blindness, may have supposed such sympathy flowed from affection to their doctrines. Fatal mistake; it proceeded alone from that innate love of justice that exists in all mankind, and prompts them to make common cause with the oppressed against the oppressor. The relaxations ultimately were such that the trimming government thought it safe to offer the Catholics a sop in the pan in the shape of a grant to Maynooth; but at this point Episcopacy, Methodism, Dissent, in all shapes and forms, let loose the dogs of war. Government is cowed, Catholicism is silenced, and proceeds again with its under-current of secret action, paving the way for future enterprise. Then the belligerent sects, not satisfied with mere victory, again attempt to revive against them as extensive a crusade as the intelligence of the nineteenth century will tolerate. But fancy not that episcopacy and dissent, though united in battle array against the scarlet lady, have any feelings or sentiments in common. No; when their common enemy retires from the battle field they fall upon each other, and inveigh against each other's dogmas. One side is heretic, the other but a shade better than Romanism. But the dissensions between the great parties as sects, are not the whole of the threatening symptoms that prognosticate the demolition of their systems. The church splits up into evangelical and Puseyite, into high church and low church; one side amuse themselves in weighty disputes as to whether certain forms are to be read, looking eastward or westward whether at such a time they shall have on a white or a black garment-and, in brief, how far the formularies, customs, and mountebank symbols of past ages may be aped without the bibles and prayer-books of the congregations, as well as their contempt, being hurled at them; while the other side are trying how much of rationalism they can introduce into their holy, infallible, and unchanging system, without endangering their various livings and benefices; and in the division of parties that necessarily ensues, an opportunity is afforded for a union and fusion of the equally jarring and discordant sects that compose dissent, to concentrate their forces in an endeavour to separate the dominant church from the state. This warfare is now being carried on hotly and determinedly, and there is a probability the object may be realised, though not so much by the efforts and arguments of dissent, or by the growing notion that such union is anomalous and injurious to the interests of the church itself, as by the internal distraction that now agitates the establishment from John-o'-Groat's to the Land's End. No, the Bishops of Exeter and London, Pusey, Newman, Davidson, and others, are the men who will have to take the credit, or bear the odium of the disruption of church from state that must inevitably ensue. Their own dogmas lay down the axiom that a house divided against itself cannot stand; and verily the days of the connection of the church with the state are already num. bered. But this theological epidemic dissension is not only observable in the episcopal body of Christians, for in the next largest body, the Wesleyans, the smouldering embers of dissatisfaction, have burst forth into a flame: saint is set against saint, pastor against hearers, leaders against followers, superintendents against supernumeraries: in short, the limbs and members seem determined no longer to maintain the body (the conference) in idleness to monopolise all power, influence, and emolument; and when too late the limbs and the body too will find they were both parts of one system, and that an attempt (though just in itself) to starve out one portion of the Methodistic whole, could but end in the demolition of the system. This Wesleyan disunion will, combined with that of the church, tend greatly |