PARTVIII
RELIGIOUSDEVELOPMENT
CHAPTERLVIII
EARLYIMPRESSIONS——1832—1851
WhenthecolonistsfromNewEnglandcameintocentralandwesternNewYork，attheendoftheeighteenthcentury，theywrotetheirmainideaslargeuponthetownstheyfounded。EspeciallywasthisevidentatmybirthplaceontheheadwatersoftheSusquehanna。
Intheheartofthelittlevillagetheylaidout，largelyandliberally，"theGreen";acrossthemiddleofthistheregraduallyrosealineofwoodenstructuresasstatelyastheyknewhowtomakethem，——theorthodoxCongregationalchurchstandingatthecenter;closebesidethischurchstoodthe"academy";andthen，oneitherside，thechurchesoftheBaptists，Methodists，andEpiscopalians。Thuswererepresentedreligion，education，andchurchequality。
TheEpiscopalchurch，asbelongingtotheleastnumerouscongregation，wasattheextremeleft，andthesmallestbuildingofall。Itwaseasilyrecognized。Alltheotherswereinasortofquasi—Italianstyleoftheseventeenthcentury，likethosecommonlyfoundinNewEngland;butthiswasinakindof"carpenter’sGothic"whichhadgrownoutofvaguerecollectionsofthemother—country。TothisbuildingIwastakenforbaptism，andwithitareconnectedmyfirstrecollectionsofpublicworship。MyparentswereverydevotedmembersoftheProtestantEpiscopalChurch。Withasmallnumberofothersoflikemind，theyhadtakenrefugeinitfromthestormsoffanaticismwhichsweptthroughwesternNewYorkduringtheearlyyearsofthenineteenthcentury。Forthatwasthetimeofgreat"revivals。"
ThetremendousassertionsofJonathanEdwardsregardingthetyrannyofGod，havingbeentakenupbyamultitudeofmenwhowereinfinitelyEdwards’sinferiorsineverythingsavelung—power，werespreadwithmuchdinthroughmanychurches:
picturesofanangryMolochholdingovertheinfernalfiresthecreatureswhomhehadpredestinedtorebel，andthestatementthat"hellisfilledwithinfantsnotaspanlong，"wereamongthechoiceoratoricaloutgrowthsofthisperiod。Withtheseloudandluridutteranceswentstrivingsaftersacerdotalrule。Thepresbyter——"oldpriestwritlarge"——tookhighgroundinallthesevillages:thesimplestandmostharmlessamusementsweredenounced，andchurchmembersguiltyoftakingpartinthemwereobligedtostandinthebroadaisleandbepubliclyreprimandedfromthepulpit。
Mymotherwasthoughtful，gentle，andkindly;inthemidstofallthisfrothandfurysomeonelentheraprayer—book;thisledhertojoininthedevotionsofalittleknotofpeoplewhohadbeenbroughtuptouseit;andamongtheseshefoundpeace。Myfather，whowasamanofgreatenergyandvigor，wasattractedtothislittlecompany;andnotlongafterwardrosethelittlechurchontheGreen，servedatfirstbysuchclergymenaschancedtobeinthatpartoftheState。
AmongthesewasarecentgraduateoftheEpiscopalCollegeatGenevaonSenecaLake——HenryGregory。Hisseemedtobeasoulwhichbysomemistakehadescapedoutofthethirteenthcenturyintothenineteenth。Hewasslightinbuild，delicateinhealth，andasceticinhabits，hisoneinterestintheworldbeingtheupbuildingofthekingdomofGod——asheunderstoodit。ItwasthetimewhenPusey，Newman，Keble，andtheircompeerswererevivingmediaevalChristianity;theirideastookstrongholduponmanyearnestmeninthewesternworld，andamongthesenooneabsorbedthemmorefullythanthisyoungmissionary。Hewashonest，fearless，self—sacrificing，andthesequalitiessoongavehimastrongholduponhisflock，——theholdofamediaevalsaintuponpilgrimsseekingrefugefromaworldcruelandperverse。
Seeingthis，sundryclergymenandinfluentiallaymenofwhatwereknownasthe"evangelicaldenominations"attemptedtorefutehisargumentsanddiscredithispractices。Thatwastheverythingwhichheandhiscongregationmostneeded:underthisoppositionhisfervordeepened，hismediaevalcharacteristicsdeveloped，hislittlebandofthefaithfulincreased，andmoreandmoretheyadoredhim;butthisadorationdidnotintheleastinjurehim:
heremainedthesamegentle，fearless，narrow，uncompromisingmanthroughouthislonglifeMyfirstrecollectionsofreligiousworshipinthelittleoldchurchtakemebacktomyfourthyear;andIcanrememberwell，attheageoffive，standingbetweenmyfatherandmother，readingthePsalterwiththemasbestIcould，joininginthechantsandlookingwithgreataweontheserviceasitwentonbeforemyadmiringeyes。SomuchdiditimpressmethatfrommysixthtomytwelfthyearIalwayslookedforwardtoSundaymorningwithlonging。Theprayers，thechants，thehymns，allhadagreatattractionforme，——andthisalthoughIwassomewhatseverelyheldtotheproperobservanceofworship。Irememberwellthatattheageofsixyears，ifIfalteredinthepublicreadingofthePsalter，agentleraponthesideofmyheadfrommyfather’sknucklesremindedmeofmyduty。
AtvarioustimessinceIhavebeenpresentatthemostgorgeousservicesoftheAnglican，Latin，Russian，andOrientalchurches;
haveheardthePope，surroundedbyhiscardinals，singmassatthehighaltarofSt。Peter’s;haveseentheMetropolitanArchbishopofMoscow，surroundedbyprelatesoftheRussianEmpire，conducttheburialofaczar;haveseenthehighestLutherandignitariessolemnizethemarriageofaGermankaiser;
havesatundertheministrationsofsundryarchbishopsofCanterbury;havebeenpresentathighmassperformedbytheArchbishopofAthensundertheshadowofMarsHillandtheParthenon;and，thoughIamsingularlysusceptibletotheinfluenceofsuchpageants，especiallyiftheyareaccompaniedbynoblemusic，nooneofthesehasevermadesogreatanimpressionuponmeasthatsimpleAnglo—Americanserviceperformedbyasurplicedclergymanwithacountrychoiranddevoutassemblageinthislittlevillagechurch。Curiouslyenough，onecustom，whichhigh—churchmenlongagodiscardedasbeneaththeproperdignityoftheservice，wasperhapsthethingwhichimpressedmemost，andIhavesincelearnedthatitgenerallythusimpressednew—comerstotheEpiscopalChurch:thiswastheretirementoftheclergyman，atthecloseoftheregularmorningprayer，tothevestry，wherehelefthissurplice，andwhenceheemergedinablackGenevagown，inwhichhethenpreachedthesermon。Thissimplefeatureintheceremonialgreatlyimpressedme，andledmetoaskthereasonforit:atwhichanswerwasmadethattheclergymanworehiswhitesurpliceaslongashewasusingGod’swords，butthatheworehisblackgownwheneverheusedhisown。
ThoughcomparativelylittlewassaidbyEpiscopaliansregardingreligiousexperiencesorpiousstatesofmind，therewasanatmosphereoforderlydecencyduringthewholeservicewhichcouldhardlyfailtomakeanimpressiononallthinkingchildrenbroughtintoit。Irememberthatwhen，ononeortwooccasions，I
wastakentotheCongregationalchurchbymygrandmother，Iwasmuchshockedatwhatseemedtometheunfitdressandconductoftheclergyman，——inacutawaycoat，lounginguponasofa，——andattheirreverentwaysofthesturdyfarmers，whomadereadytoleavethechurchduringthefinalprayer，andevenwhiletheyshouldhavebeenreceivingthebenediction。
Ithusbecameadevotee。OfthesermonsIretainedlittle，exceptafewstrikingassertionsorlargewords;oneofmyamusements，onreturninghome，wasconductingasortofservice，onmyownaccount，withthoseofthehouseholdwhowerewillingtotakepartinit;and，fromsometraditionspreservedinthefamilyregardingmyutterancesonsuchoccasions，adrollsortofserviceitmusthavebeen。
InmyseventhyearthefamilyremovedtoSyracuse，the"CentralCity"oftheState，alreadybeginningawonderfulcareer，althoughatthattimeoflessthansixthousandinhabitants。Myexperienceinthenewcitywasprefacedbyanexcursion，withmyfatherandmotherandyoungerbrother，toBuffaloandNiagara;
andastherailwaysthroughcentralNewYorkwerethenunfinished，——and，indeed，butfewofthembegun，——wemadethejourneyalmostentirelyonacanal—packet。PerhapsmymostvividremembranceofthisvoyageisthatofthefervidprayersIthenputupagainstshipwreck。
AtSyracusewasamuchlargerandmoreinfluentialProtestantEpiscopalchurchthanthatwhichwehadleft，——next，indeed，inimportancetothePresbyterianbody。Thatchurch——St。Paul’s——hassincebecomethemotherofalargenumberofothers，andhasbeenmadethecathedralofanewdiocese。Inthismyfather，byvirtueofhisvigorineverythingheundertook，wassoonmadeavestryman，andfinallyseniorwarden;and，therectoratehappeningtofallvacant，herecommendedfortheplaceourformerclergyman，HenryGregory。Hecame，andhisworkinthenewplacewassoonevenmoreeffectivethanintheold。
Hisfirstinfluencemademeamostdeterminedlittlebigot，andI
rememberwellmybattlesinbehalfofhigh—churchideaswithvariousPresbyterianboys，andespeciallywiththesonofthePresbyterianpastor。InthosedayswentonafamouscontroversyprovokedbyaspeechataNewEnglanddinnerinthecityofNewYorkwhichhadsetbytheearstwoeminentdivines——theRev。Dr。
Wainwright，Episcopalian，andtheRev。Dr。Potts;Presbyterian。
Dr。PottshadinsistedthatthePuritanshadfoundeda"churchwithoutabishopandastatewithoutaking";Dr。Wainwrightinsistedthattherecouldbenochurchwithoutabishop;andonthisthetwochampionsjoinedissue。Armedwiththeweaponsfurnishedmeinthechurchcatechism，insundrysermons，andinpiousreading，Itookupthecudgels，andthebattlesthenwagedweremanyandsevere。
Onelittleoutgrowthofmyreligiousintolerancewasquicklynippedinthebud。AsIwasreturninghomeoneeveningwithagroupofscampishboys，oneofthempointedoutthe"Jewstore，"——inthosedaysanewthing，——andremindedusthattheproprietorworshipedonSaturdayand，doubtless，committedotherabominations。Atthis，withoneaccord，wedidwhatwecouldtometeouttheOldTestamentpunishmentforblasphemy——wethrewstonesathisdoor。Myfather，hearingofthis，dealtwithmesharplyandshortly，andtaughtmemosteffectuallytoleavedealingwiththeJewishreligiontotheAlmighty。Ihaveneversincebeentemptedtojoininanyanti—Semiticmovementwhatever。
MeanwhileMr。Gregory——or，asheafterwardbecame，Dr。
Gregory——wasfightingthebattlesofthechurchinmanyways，andsomeofhissermonsmadeagreatimpressionuponme。Oftheseonewasentitled"TheChurchnotaSect，"thetextbeing，"Forastothissect，weknowthatitiseverywherespokenagainst。"Anothersermonshowed，especially，hisuncompromisingspiritandtookyetstrongerholduponme;itwasgivenonanoccasionwhenPresbyterians，Methodists，andBaptistsweredrawninlargenumberstohischurch;but，disdainingalleffortstopropitiatethem，hetookashissubject"TheSinofKorah，"whosethimselfupagainsttheregularlyordainedpriesthood，andwas，withallhisadherents，fearfullypunished。Theconclusionwaseasilydrawnbyallthe"dissenters"present。Onanotheroccasionofthesamesort，whenhischurchwasfilledwithpeoplefromothercongregations，hetookashissubjec...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：