MODERN INFIDELITY.

The progress which Infidelity is making in Germany, France, and even England, is truly appalling. The consideration of the various phases it assumes will not be without warning against insidious propagandists here, nor yet without interest, as reflecting in some measure the peculiar national genius of its disciples respectively.

German Infidelity is simple, cold, heartless Atheism, unenlivened by one fanciful hallucination. On the other hand, there is in the French Infidelity— which cannot be exactly characterised as atheistic — a wild flightiness of the imagination, an extravagance in the conception, and a gaiety which, but for the gravity of the subject, might almost tempt one to smile. English Infidelity, as being the most moderate and least revolting to common sense, appears the most dangerous of the three.The facts we will submit, depicting a deplorable state of things, will enable those who read to judge for them selves. We would, however, caution against an error into which clerics are apt to fall, namely, that there is a necessary connection between republicanism and Infidelity (an error which some of them very assiduously inculcate) ; and also state our firm conviction that much of the prevalent Infidelity is attributed to the illiberality of the established clergy, whether Catholic or Protestant ; or to their being leagued with the State in withstanding the aspirations of the multitude. A kind of exasperation, and in many individuals a hatred, has thus been engendered against them, which is but too readily transferred to Christianity itself. Those who have placed Christianity in a false position— whether in Germany, France, or England — are responsible for much of the Infidelity which prevails. However, as there can be no deviation from natural laws without entailing on those who violate them the most painful consequences, so, in God's moral government, we may reasonably conclude that this very Infidelity is designed to scourge Christian ministers from their anomalous and adulterous connexion with the State. It appears that the most active propagators of the German Infidelity are the wandering journeymen of that country (llandwerksburschen). Compelled by the corporation laws to a vagrant life before he can obtain a certificate of being master of his craft, the journeyman puts up in his wanderings at the Herberge or Trades-hall ; one of which, for each description of artizanship, exists in every city where the corporation system is still kept up. Here the uninitiated are indoctrinated with the prevailing leaven, and converted into active propagandists. As a specimen of what takes place in the Herberge, we give the following : —

" At Hamburg recently, one of the songs which re sounded with applause in the convivial meeting of a certain trade, ran thus —

Curse on the Godhead! the blind and the deaf.
To which heretofore we have pledged our faith ;
On whom we have hoped and have waited in vain:
He hath tricked us, and mucked us, and laughed at our pain "

Such language is enough to make one's blood run cold. The worst feature of the case is, that these numerous missionaries of Infidelity are far from being " unlettered or ignorant men." "It would be difficult," says M. Hechern, "for those who are unacquainted with this class of Germany's population to form a conception of the sophistic attainments of our travelling artisans. The dogmas of the most radical philosophy and the sinthetics of Hegel's theology are familiar in their mouths as household words. Neither does practice lag behind theory, and they are fully prepared to bide the brunt of what may come upon them. As "they fear not God, neither do they regard man."

One of the most active and successful preachers of Atheism is William Mar, a native of Hamburg, who recently received the largest number of votes, as the future representative of her population. He makes no secret of his sentiments, and after having served his apprenticeship to Atheism in Switzerland, in which, by his own account, he was instrumental in leading hundreds of his own countrymen to apostatise from God, he was, in 1845, in common with other members of her communistic clubs, forced to leave that country, where, as he says in his book, entitled "Dasjunge Deutscheland," "Many hundred Germans, avowed enemies to God, returned to their native land."

The tactics, too, of the Atheistic Propaganda for evading the activity of the Police, so long as they could lawfully interfere with their designs, were admirable, they contrived to give a harmless exterior to their associations. Here a reading club was established ; there a singing club. In one place a gymnastic society; in another an artisan's educational association. But in all, the books, the songs, the mental training, were selected and directed to the up rooting of every principle of religion, and infusing discontent and reckless disregard of the means, provided the end could be compassed.

This apostle of Atheism does not confine his labours to Hamburg and its vicinity, but travels through the whole north of Germany, availing himself of a decree recently passed, which declares every German free to hold and to teach whatever be believes to be truth in religion or politics.

A few brief extracts from Mar's writings will suffice to shew that he insults all religion, natural and revealed : —

"I maintain," says this religious reformer, "that THE BELIEF IN A PERSONAL LIVING GOD IS THE CHIEF FOUNDATION AND ORIGIN OF OUR PRESENT WORM EATEN SOCIAL STATE; and further, that so long as mankind shall hang by a single hair to the idea of HEAVEN there is no happiness to be looked for on earth." "Christianity, and the existing order of things, which is built upon it, are the true fretting cancers of human society." "Man himself is the religion of futurity. God stands in need of Man, but Man has no need of God.''

And these horrible sentiments are not only shared by such men as Itzstuin, Hecker, Simon of Treves, Voght, but by vast multitudes of the commonalty, as is evidenced from his being returned by a large majority for the city of Hamburg. French Infidelity, though revolting enough, does not present such atrocious features as the German ; and appears to be rather an unintentional burlesque on revelation, than an attack on natural religion, or an endeavour to explain the phenomenon of Christianity on natural principles; placing Christ in the same category with Plato, and Socrates, or any other great religious or political reformer. It does not formally repudiate Christianity, but rather contends that it has been misunderstood. Whether this be merely the scheme of an able tactician, to mask a more direct attack, we cannot affirm.

The following is a brief account of the manner in which these new religionists celebrated their Christmas festival. For daring impiety it has seldom, if ever, been surpassed : —

'It was announced, as usual, than the Montagnard deputies would attend. MM. Pierre Leroux and Felix Pyat, were the only members of the National Assembly that honoured the banquet with their presence. The price of the tickets of admission to this "holy sacrament," at which " bread and wine" were to be allowed unsparingly, and ad libitum, and many other dainties beside, are to be enjoyed at this altar, was fixed at 1f 50c. per head for adult, and 50c. for children. After the "holy supper" had been discussed, and the cloth removed, the public were admitted so payment of 25c. per head to witness the subsequent ceremonies. A large number availed themselves of the privilege, and the galleries were crowded to suffocation. The first religious speech was delivered by a lady, and was entitled the " Sermon on the Mount." Owing to her low tone of voice, however, and the noise caused by the ingress of spectators, we could only catch a few phrases of this eloquent "discourse," in which Jesus Christ was designated as the Apostle of Socialism. Toasts were afterwards pro posed, such as "The advent of God's coming upon earth," and these too by ladies. M. Pierre Leroux responded to the toast to " Liberty." M. Herve, after having made an apology for St. Just, proposed a toast to his memory, adding the names of Couthen and Robespierre. Toasts were afterwards drunk as follows :— The women;" "Our mothers and our children ;" "France, the living Christ" (by M. Bernard, who sought to prove that there was a complete resemblance between Jesus Christ and the people of France) ; " Mary, the first propogatrix of Socialism ," 'The Martyrs of Vienna" (by a lady) : " Inequality ;'' "The realization of universal happiness upon earth ;" " Religion ;" ''The independence of thought," &c. Apologues and poems were then recited, seasoned with several sacred patriotic songs. Another banquet took place the same evening, at the Barriere de Sevres, presided over by the Abbe Chatel. Several " disciples and adepts" of the French Church were present, and toasts were drunk to Jesus Christ, "the great apostle of Socialism," with great zeal and gusto. The banquet terminated with chaunting of the psalms and hymns used in the Churches of France.'

In connection with S. Just, who, though mentioned by name, was not present at the proceedings described, we may state, that his opinions are in every way accordant with those which so prominently characterised the meeting, and fully corroborate what we have stated as to the socialist estimate of the Founder of Christianity. At the Parisian banquet of ' the Confederation of the People of Europe,' at which about eight hundred operatives (almost entirely French Socialists) attended, the following toast was proposed by this same M. St. Just, and drank with three rounds of defending applause: — 'To the men strong, courageous, and valiant in the cause of humanity. To those whose names serve as a guide, a support, and an example to the degenerate beings. To all whom history calls heroes ! To Brutus, to Catiline, to Jesus Christ, to Julien the Apostate, to Attila! To all the thinkers of the middle ages! To unfortunate thinkers! To Jean Jacques Rousseau, and his pupil Maximilian Robespierre !"

Jules Janin the novelist thus concludes a notice of a second-rate actress, who has just reappeared in Paris :—

" People and natives, I announce it to you by the found of the trumpet of literary judgement— clap your hands — strew flowers, lilies, and roses by handfuls— make crowns, put on your Sunday clothes and your new hats ! — Hosannah ! Hosannah ! — Mlle. Seriwaneck has returned !"

This religious pestilence, or rather pest of religion, is not confined to the Continent. It has crossed the Channel (we say crossed, for certainly it is not indigenous to England), and has fixed itself in Birmingham, and is even insidiously creeping through the Universities, where its propagators, though they do not go the length of classing Jesus Christ with such men of blood as Catiline and Attilla, make no scruple to place the Apostle Paul in juxtaposition with Shakspere and Milton ; and possibly, were they to pass over to Ireland, they would associate him with Ollam Foodlah or Brian Boroimhe, though with very little success ; for there is in the habitants of that country an obstinacy of character, and an innate sense of religion, which would be proof against such seductive arts. The Irish patriot may justly boast that Infidelity has never made way in Ireland. Whatever other charge may be laid against the democratic clubs of that country and their leaders, Infidelity is not one.

Some estimate may be formed of the fatal progress which the Infidel sentiments referred to are making in England, from the following extract of a speech by the Rev. C. Miller, at the forty-fifth anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Marquis Cholmondeley in the chair : —

My Lord — We have in the heart of Birmingham preaching which is attracting very great attention — thank God it is not reaching within the bosom of the Church of England, thank God it is teaching which our orthodox Dissenting brethren have long ago repudiated — we have teaching that informs the people that Shakespeare, Milton, and Homer were as much inspired as tho Apostle Paul himself. My Lord, I am not speaking of what I do not know, nor simply from newspaper reports, but I believe there are many here who are as familiar as I am with the fact that such is a favourite sentiment with regard to the schoo1 to which I am alluding— I see Neology spreading, as I find it is spreading in my own beloved University, among many of the learned and leading men there — and I know there is such teaching as this among the intelligent men, and that the young men especially are caught by it in Birmingham.

While thus chronicling the progress of Atheistic and Infidel opinions, we cannot forbear remarking on the apathy or pusillanimity of those whose official duty it specially is to "drive away all heresy," and a fortiori all Infidelity and Atheism. Instead of taking the bull by the horns, boldly confronting and grappling with the teachers of error, they lugubriously declaim in their conclaves against the havoc the wolf is making in the field. If they are not hirelings, why do they skulk about instead of boldly combating their enemy ? These gentlemen ministers of Christ fancy it would be a lowering of their dignity, were they to come in collision with an Atheist or Socialist preacher. Paul did not think so when he encountered the Epicureans at Athens; while the signal defeat sustained by Owen at the hands of Campbell in America, with its admirable results in confirming the faithful, and winning over multitudes from their error, point out that weapon of primitive times, public discussion, as the most effectual that can be wielded now.

If the clergy are either unable or afraid to cope with their Atheistic and Infidel foes, or too proud to do so, then we say to them, as Cromwell did to the Parliament he ejected, "Get you gone; make way for better men." Cease to monopolise those functions which all Christians may lawfully exercise, and let the laity carry on that war which confessedly you are unequal to yourselves. The true cure for the monstrous evil of the day is to be found in the purest voluntaryism and an extensive system of lay agency. Constituted as Established Churches are, there is necessarily in them a prodigious amount of ignorance, incapacity, indolence, self-seeking, and hypocrisy. It is no wonder, therefore, that the really learned, pious, and zealous among the clergy are, as it were, overwhelmed by the activity, multiplicity, and subtlety of their foes. This could not be, were the Church constituted as in the first ages of Christianity, where the highest offices invariably entailed the largest amount of toil and self-denial, and where all fell it their duty, irrespective of any office they might or might not held in the Church, to preach the Gospel.

We never hear in the primitive ages the truly Infidel cry of "The Church is in danger!'' No; the first Christians knew that "The Church was founded on the Rock of Ages (its Divine Author), and that the gates of hell could not prevail against it." The Church meant with them not the " loaves and fishes" — not a corporation of vested interests in lands, and houses, and tenements, and princely offices and dignities — but a system of doctrine and discipline which, though in the world, was not of the world, and which, as it was Divine, could exist and prosper, not to say without the protection, but despite the hostility of mankind.

The present ecclesiastical system may and most probably will be rooted up, but the imperishable truths of Christianity will continue to flourish, when Rome, and London, and Geneva shall be levelled with the dust.

Since writing the foregoing, we have lit upon William Johnson Fox's (M.P.) lectures on the religious ideas, which expose the true nature of English Infidelity in all its naked deformity ; and we are bound to say, that, without being attended by its ludicrous displays, the English is identical with the French Infidelity. But this gentleman has been far outdone by the the Rev. Mr Froude, F.L.U.C., author of the ' Nemesis of Faith,' whom it was proposed to appoint Master of the High School of Hobart Town, in connexion with the University of London, and who makes no secret of his opposition to Christianity. The following will suffice as a specimen : —

" What is Revelation if it is but a catalogue of examples, not which we are, but which we are not to follow ? No, Arthur ! this is not God. This is a fiend.

" When a crime of one of our fallen brothers comes before ourselves to judge, how unspeakably difficult we find it to measure the balance of the sin; cause winding out of cause temptation out of temptation; and the more closely we know the poor guilty one the nature with which he was born, the circumstances which have developed it, how endlessly our difficulty grows upon, us !— how more and more it seems to have been inevitable, to deserve (if we may use the word deserve) not anger and punishment, but tears, and pity, and forgiveness. And for God, who knows all! who not only knows all, but who determined all— who dealt us out our natures, and placed us as it pleased Him! 'what more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done?' Alas! then, if Omnipotence could not bring but wild grapes there, why was the poor vineyard planted? It never asked to be. Why fling it out here into these few miserable years; when it cannot choose but fall to ruin, an I then must be thrown into hell-fire for ever?....I cannot tell. It may be from some moral obliquity in myself, or from some strange disease ; but for me, and I should think, too, for every human being in whose breast a human heart is beating, to know that one single creature is in that dreadful place would make a hell of Heaven itself.

" I believe that fallen creatures perish, perish for ever, for only good can live, and good has not been theirs."

" I could never fear a God who kept a hell prison house. No, not though he flung me there because I refused. There is a power stronger than such a one; and it is possible to walk unscathed even in the burning furnace."

"Ah, well! The Mahometans say their Koran was written by God. The Hindoos say the Vedas were; we say the Bible was, and we are but interested witnesses in deciding absolutely and exclusively for ourselves. If it be immeasurably the highest of the three it is because it is not the most divine, but the most human. It does not differ from them in kind; and it seems to me that in ascribing it to God we are doing a double dishonour ; to ourselves, for want of faith in our soul's strength ; and to God, in making Him responsible for our weakness. There is nothing in it but what men might have written ; much, oh much, which it would drive me mad to think any but men, and most mistaken men, had written.

" People canvass up and down the value and utility of Christianity, and none of them seem to see that it was the common channel towards which all the great streams of thought in the old world were leading, and that in some form or other when they came to unite it must have been. That it crystallized round a particular person may have been an accident. "Sin, therefore, as commonly understood, is a chimera.

" According to the theory maintained, the various forms of religion that prevail in the world are but so many developments of that innate sense of religion, which characterises humanity (man being essentially a religious animal), modified by the peculiar moral, social, and even physical circumstances which surround it. Thus "gloomy regions" will impart a melancholy cast to religion, while "attitude" inspires sublime aspirations. There is much of truth in all this, but the grand error consists, in accounting for Christianity on the same principle, instead of considering it sui generis, as standing alone, or in solitary association with the Jewish dispensation, in the Divine economy.

The explaining Christianity on purely natural principles, rejecting from it everything of a miraculous character, is the rationalism or neology of the present day, the progress of which in our universities is so bitterly deplored. It is almost needless to add that this doctrine reduces the question between different religions to a mere matter of taste.

 south australian register 25/2/1850, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38439115