"These men were religious when the spirit of religion was buried in forms and ceremonies, and when the priesthood had armed itself with the civil powers to put down all opposition, and suppress all freedom, intellectual, civil, and religious"

Ethan A. Hitchcock's quote provides a critique of religious formalism and the oppressive interaction between religious and civil authority. It highlights a duration when faith was heavily ritualized, losing its essence and spirit to rigid forms and ceremonies. Hitchcock suggests that these guys-- most likely describing reformers, totally free thinkers, or dissenters-- kept authentic spiritual objective and piety at a time when religious beliefs had actually been lowered to hollow practices. This duration was marked by the institutionalization of religion, where the priesthood wielded significant influence, linking with civil powers to preserve control.

The expression "the spirit of faith was buried in forms and ceremonies" underscores how authentic spiritual experiences and real spiritual fervor had been eclipsed by shallow routines and dogmatic adherence. The spirit or real essence of faith, which may be analyzed as personal faith, ethical conduct, and sincere devotion, was subjugated or stifled by external procedures.

Hitchcock slams the priesthood's convergence with civil power to reduce intellectual, civil, and religious liberty. This union of church and state created an environment hostile to dissent and independent thought, enforcing conformity and using civil authority to quash any difficulties. By "equipping itself with civil powers", the religious hierarchy might impose its will, guaranteeing that deviation from established norms was consulted with sanction or persecution.

In essence, Hitchcock is regreting a loss of authentic spirituality and critiquing the reliable structures that captured individuals, limiting freedom and reducing reformative voices, which would otherwise enrich religious and societal landscapes. His words function as a call to acknowledge and withstand the reduction of profound spiritual beliefs into simple ceremonial acts and to challenge the oppressive systems that stifle flexibility of idea and belief.