EDITORIAL LIFE.
Believing in the power of the press as one of the strongest agents which, for weal or for wo, is ever brought to bear on the thoughts, consciences, and outward destinies of men, Mr. Badger and his associates resolved on the employment of this agency for the up-building of faith, for the free investigation of Christian theology, and for the furtherance of wider views of Christian brotherhood than had ever obtained under the reign of stern, sectarian dogma. The "Gospel Luminary," started at West Bloomfield, in 1825, had been, in 1827, removed to the city of New York, and though ably conducted in the main, the feeling became strong and general in the State of New York, that something more perfectly adapted to the wants of the people could be issued; accordingly the "Genesee Christian Association," composed of some of the most experienced ministers and competent men, was organized December, 1831, with a constitution and officers, for the purpose of publishing, purchasing, selling and distributing such books and publications as the wants of the Christian Connection should, in their judgment, require; also to assist young men in the ministry with libraries and such other means of improvement as might be within their power; and especially did they contemplate, as their first work, the establishment of a periodical at Rochester, N. Y., whose objects were announced to be the vindication and dissemination of Gospel truth, the development of the ability of young men in the department of writing, and the promotion of a faith which should be at the same time scriptural, liberal, rational, and evangelical. Of this new monthly periodical, D. Millard, O. E. Morrill and Asa Chapin, were the Executive Committee, and J. Badger, Editor. A prospectus for this work, called the "Christian Palladium," a name sacred to liberty and its defence, was issued by Mr. Badger, January, 1832, in which he says:—
"The prominent objects of this work will be the defence of the Scripture doctrine of one God and one Mediator, the vindication of free and liberal Christianity, the right of private judgment in religion, and the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures as a perfect system of church polity. In the dissemination of those sacred principles, it will seek no alliance with proscriptive sectarianism, nor will it bow to the ipsi dixerunt of fallible men, or ascribe holiness to any human creed whatever. While it inculcates Christianity as it is, it will endeavor to show what its votaries should be; and while it advocates holy truth, it shall breathe the benign spirit of Him who is the way, the truth, and the life. While it will urge the necessity of vital piety and holiness of heart, it shall also show that these sacred principles directly tend to the union of Christ's spiritual body, which is the Church. In a word, it is not to be a sectarian engine, but a free vehicle of general Christian intelligence."
On the next page, which contains his address to agents, he says, that "the time when the friends of religious liberty and impartial investigation of Gospel truth, should adopt every laudable measure to further those important and benevolent objects, has unquestionably arrived;" and May 1, 1832, witnessed the circulation of the first number of his monthly, a neat pamphlet of 24 pages, in goodly attire, and in excellence of mechanical execution far in advance, we should say, of any printing we have recently seen from that city. In a letter addressed to a meeting of pioneers, held in Rochester, October, 1848, to which he was invited, he claimed to have caused the publication of the first book[46] printed in that place, when Rochester was only a prosperous village.
This new era, as we may call it, in the public life of Mr. Badger, though it brought great responsibilities in which he had no previous experience, found him an easy master of its difficulties. His qualifications for an editor were, an intuitive and accurate perception of the character of the class of readers to whom his labors belonged—a quick recognition of whatever might serve to enrich his pages from the communications of his correspondents, from publications, and books; a business tact rarely equalled, which gave system and order to every department of duty in his office; and to these I will add two other qualities that in him were exceedingly prominent, namely, the power to write pages that were full of original force, nerve, life and freshness; and to call out the ability of other minds, which he could turn to his own account. He had great facility in inspiring ordinary men, obscure in life, with the belief that they could write, and often from such did he get rich and useful gems. His genius could make writers, and many from his encouragements, and from the practice of writing for his paper, did become masters of a strong and pointed style, of which they need never be ashamed. No other man among religious editors could, we believe, get as much good material from uneducated and undisciplined sources as he.
In his May number he addressed his readers in the following strain:—
"The present is an era of light, and a day peculiar to prophetic fulfilment. Never was there a time when the soldiers of the Cross could look forward to brighter prospects, and never a day when victory over the powers of darkness was more certain. The rapid increase of Gospel light, the spread of pure religion, a submission to the doctrine of the Scriptures, in preference of man-made creeds, and the spirit of reciprocal love and Christian forbearance among free inquirers after the word of life, afford indications of the approach of a more brilliant era.
"All dissenters from civil despotic governments have been regarded as rebels, and all dissenters from ecclesiastical tyranny and oppression have been denounced as heretics and infidels. Some of the purest men that have ever honored this mortal stage of existence, and some of the purest sentiments that have ever elevated human thought, have been sacrificed upon the unholy altar of priestcraft and superstition. We should evidently be wanting in charity were we to represent all as illiberal who are stationed in the ranks of orthodoxy. Such are not our views; for we are convinced that many, very many, thus circumstanced, know and highly appreciate the value of Gospel liberty, and were it not for the anxious watchings of those who 'bear rule,' would have burst their chains asunder.
"We are dissenters from the corruptions the church has accumulated in the wilderness. Its unscriptural creeds and doctrines—its cruel and oppressive government—its unholy and proscriptive spirit—its fanatical and superstitious ceremonies—its worldly show and empty parade—its unwarrantable pretensions and unnecessary divisions, we shall endeavor to expose in a prudent manner, and show our readers 'a more excellent way!' We shall endeavor to take the medium between a blind fanaticism and a cold formality, and in all cases the Holy Scriptures shall be the man of our counsel; and we shall use every exertion in our power to persuade our readers to be enlightened, rational, liberal, charitable, kind, experimental and practical Christians.