Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume VIII, Number 31, 31 July 1869 — English Column. [ARTICLE]

English Column.

Ki volu(ion k K(Toruia(iun in Npain.

t r u-i; '.c rr. tL« we/-k ) it wi! 1 tl»us I.k* that th«e friendsofpure an'l «piniual relj»ion owe luilo thnnks to iho' r ' whu advocn'.cii thc>r «:ause īn the K«;!igious frccdotn wns pleaded tor in tho n une of reliijious i;sdi*rer:; *iī 11. it w.-i 1 - i ; nt i l Kc uj.'-:e was a anii a ho;y i'iini; ihat human law» wcre not to int' rl r>- wiih it, but rather b'.-cjuiiv it was a K)';:y. an UMI-erility, wl\ich none but weakminH p'Tron?« wouki rct;ard. aiul with whieh !t wjs :»ot !'Clitting tiie (iiL'nity of men eng•'i:'r<! in serious busines* o! hfe to eoneem thvfriM-iv( 5. h }>o(ies ilj for a lami when its in(.-t ī inen ean nddres:> thc(n--m iv< tr» th«? settletncnt of iu»port.mt ques-;,-i a t« inper !tUe tlus; yct thi.re is nolii--11 ir in it to e.\cite our wonder. How ean wr cx t >v:i inen who have so ,long beon lcft in lii e uioM dt*i;rading superstitioii to appree i.u*: ali ;U on-:e the tnoje.>ty and the beauty i't pure and undc!iicd religion '! The oxtrav.i'j t!! 'e und l«!n;-phemy «»i Spanish legi»lati«r- ni)W the L;aui,'e oi the in wh;ch the nati(»u has so long been |eft. Her pr.e.-ts have t:iken away the key of knowi«. I.;e ; a!!«J the eonsc(juencc is, thnt those who they kept m ignorance now blindiy Miutc «iown ali before the«n. lt is cur:ous, in«ieed, to retnark tiie contn>st helween the inovetuenl in ihe human miuel that is taking piaee now u ith the oniy paral!el that ean be >u-:;f-ted — the upheaval of the inteikct that u> >n yL:<;c iiī the tune of the Kcfonnation. Then ihe moveinent was cssentia!!y religious; uv»w u is a!togethcr itifule!. Three liutidreil years an old atul worn-out faith was tiirowu oli* m order to make way for a i:cw, and jiving belief, whieh the nafctis ein. I 'races with a passionate nrdour. in the j-resent day, lo the ordinary eyc, religion seeins u> i>e tlie !cast and the ilowest nl the lor es that are at work ui chan«;ing the objeo:> o! M>aety ; and where it is tn torce nt a'!. i' a;-pears to rjugC itsci'f on the Cottservaiive sīde. On the Contineni:, at ieast, the ' ;:;y ure m ieague witii the rulers of the \vor;«l. The Chureli has been driven more aiui more to make eoinmon cause with the Siate, that by their umtcd stren«jth lhey ui ! V, perhap>, oe ahle to stcm that lierce curn n; li poiit;cal demoeracy, mingled with i : iiik atiieism, tluit seethes and boils 01l :;rotind. and threatens to eugulf ail the old !;u:dmarks ol society. Thvre are inany and wiM-.:!;ty roasons whv it shou!d be so; but, ; (leaiinu siugiy with the i'icts of the case, we eanuui ia.l to be struck with the change that has takcn plaee iei the aspvcit of the world sjju - e ihf time tviicu re!igion leti the van in ihe ioio«.s oi upheavni, and the torcniost ir.cn oi' Kurope were those that were most tl:oroughiy unbucd with the Christian spirit. \\ e are far !rom saying that their piaces i:dw are ocoupied by inen tota!ly opposcd to liiem in spirit and in feel<ng; but if the ioreino>( men ( f our tmie are not seeptics and atiicisis. it is not f jr want of ciainour nnd unscrupuious eibowing on the part of those i)cMruet«ves to push their way torvvard to ihe piaee of honour. And yct the contrast U-lween the two epochs i;iay uot in tiie end bc so st.irtling as it now appears. One itnport.int cause ol the ilitrerence bctvveen tiiem hcs in ih>s—that we survcy the Kcformation !rom t!te past; we ean only contetnpiate the movemen( of our own tituo m iight of the future. The work of the men of the sixteenth ccutury ]ies belore us iu its eouipieīion/ and we ean survcy Jt from ail sides and in all iis propo:iious. The revoiution of the preseut ti.ucs is bat beginnmg. We know now how ma:iv disintegrating forccs were at work, :u.d it> whal e\teut thev had s.ippcd tiie old .-.:j>ersi;tJons, be!ore the f.\bnc iei! at u biast of Luther's trumpct. We are as yet but in ihe midst of the d.sintegmting proees? of our own tune. W hat Gaiiieo s discoveries. and Ce:umbus*s voyagvs, nnd ihe laii of ihe K.ts:ern iCmpire, and the discovery of pnut» iug. and ihe ditfus»on cf ictters, wsth ailtheir at:ctuia:it consc(jueuots, dtd for lihe Keformaliou. the r\ccssi\e importa»cegiven to phvsiea[ >eie!Kē and the diti"usion of a fabesystem i'. metaphvsics and mora!s are dotng for us iiow. Tius consoiation remams, that uot nt ihe l\<. forinat:on oaiy. but on tue eccu:sion of c\ ery rent movemecit of the humau «nind— wii »tever mighi i>e the cause whieh tirst set the revoiutiou īn motion—rel»gion was certain in the end to reap the advantage. lt \\as so ut ihe tune of the Kefonnation; it w,ii so ut the tiiue of the tirst Fi*encU Kevoiu:i«!!i; it has t«?ea so. to a greater or {ess digree, w.th all the sui»sequent shocks that Kuevpe hss t.\perit"nced. Fre:?h as we aii trom our grtat niissionary »nniversiries. it s umvssib;e k>r us not to rm?mber, wiih iie:ir!s o{ gr.»tefui thankfuiness, thatthegreat i;istitutK>!is whieh embrace the worid astheīr >i« id ui re!igious miiueuee, tock their nse in . tho midst of those coimilsious that \vere first iti mniiou by an infidel philosoph\\ that lKVisted ef its po\ver and wili to sweepChf!stianuy i'ro:n uie face of Ihe earth, And! as it h-as U-cu i» tiuu<s pa&i, we have everv rea- - t

?on to antīcip3te is will bo in the fatare. The scepti« aod atheisis of our day nve iustilv sgtiiost the spirit cf Christiani?y. kvt Christī«Rity does mt apf«3r to be niueh the wcrse for their att*;ck?. Thr?3?«ned with total ano»hi!ation. it q'jiet'y me<iifatps new cocq*Jefts; aod whii<? tre.iud ns unworthy ol' girioiis regard, il thankfuiiy aeeepi- :he doors con*emptaoa>'y or*n to it* pro« 57?*«. and n :h"rrs or«nir>£rs ior fa:are o»efaln«ss, throaph wh-~h ?he l-£-ht and Ilf« 0! a pare Gospe; rr»ay be poured inio ihe veins snd inv'gnme the frame cf an ent;re naiion.