Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-04-22

THEs ABrK SIND ITS RsApEHsA -EverYitinae that
We happen publish particular pas sage from the
Oh or New Testament, 40 speedily spplicaSle to
some efthe Yascaities ofthe present age and - gel
rid of the dirt Of business and real life for one day
at least, there is little miserable penny paper in
Rhiladslphia, PIT having soul or sensihiity higher
than few cents that lets on asnaiing paragraph as
follows: ------------------,.- .--------a-
TsE Nrw YeRK HrRalp.Bennett the editor of this pa
and then Publishes from three columns Of scrip
% S,'Hs rsaGes. tbs @
extracts from the bible when they later intelligence
to Offer bat they did seriously We Scar Bennett intends
SI% Rsrsid iA' '0"e' WHO" Is '''''
In this penny effuson we find three charges. LIST.
That the Scriptures are a ''rarity"te me- I'd That
the idea is not original to 3D. That intend it
for something like a joke
OF the first charge. The first book recollect any
thing of is reading the Scriptures In the school in
which was taught to read, the Scriptures were the
principal book. The history of the petriarchs of
the prophets of the apostles OF the martyrs, OF the
Son Of Man hmself--s fam iiiar to NE the ex-
preston of my mothers face-and the light of my
mothers eye. My imagination, my fancy, my taste
my morals were formed the perusal of the Scrip
lures The literature of the Greek and Roman clas-
sics--that even of England and of Scotland, a
study subsequent to that of the Scriptures. In the
days and in the country in which was boy, the
Scriptures were the text book-the reading book
the wade ecum-the companion OF Saturday night
and Of Sunday all day. Twas educated a Catholic,
in the midst Of Protestant community; yet bofh
Catholic and Protestant breathcd the moral atmos-
phere of the Scriptures. My parents, my school
master, my associates-al venerated the BOOK OF
Heaven alike. My literary and moral tastes are all
founded the striking passages in the Scriptures;
and do verify believe, that, to this early habit OF
reading the Bible at school, l indebted for that
force, brevity, spirit, and popularity which makes
the style of the Herald as popular with the uncon-
taminated masses of community who are yet i'm
bued with the spirit and style of the Bible. The
modern Hterateurs-the miserable driveliers OF the
press who are unacqaainted with the sublime, sar-
castle, simple, natural, iinpassioned style OF the
Scriptures do not like the style of the Herald and
call il profne, centious, vulgar, and ungentlemanly
Read over the poetic chapters Of the prophets and
YOU will see the models of the style and thought
on which have, by mere ccdent it were, form
cd myself.
Such are the facts of my early acquaintance with
the Scriptures. The corrupt parsons and miserable
editors Of the day cannot appreciate the peculiar
and enthusiastic veneration profess for these extra
they suppose that it is not original with me, and
that mean il as a joke Mserable-paltry-dirty
empty-isnorant pretenders. never knew that the
old newspapers published extracts from the scrip
tures-nor did care. Every publication of that
kind has been perfectly original with myself. The
striking contrast with the past and present ages, as
developed by these passages, was what struck my
Imagination with a shock like that OF an electric
shark from the throne of heaven itself To me
the characters of the Scriptures from Genesis to
the Revelations, are familiar as the dam
nable tricks of Wall street, or the iafcrnal ro-
queries of the Phlade phia and politicians,
including the editors too As to the joke in these
things we know il looks something like joke
il will soon however, begin to assume very serious
complexion. But where is the joke The joke is
10 be found in the assumptions Of virtue and morality
made by the bankers and editors of the day, when
more corrupt set Of scoundrels never yet crawled
between heaven and earth, along the turnpike road,
all tolls gratis TO eternal perditon. The joke is TO
be found in the assumptions put forth by the parsons
and priests of the present day, protesting all the re-
lgion and pety of the age, when all they care Tor
is a fat salary "a rich benefce-plcnty Of wine and
fine women-and damnation To all those that presume
to help themselves to their religion out OF these
very Scriptures, OF which they are as ignorant as
dray horses.
We can assure the penny scribes of Philadelphia
that we will make the joke" serious affair before
we have done with it. II the world, the flesh, or
the devil including the editors, bankers, parsons,
and politicians think imagine that we are to be
frightened from propriety or our course, by de-
nunc Of any kind they will find themselves
mistaken. 1.-THE Scriptures are not popular in the
community, demoralizcd as il is by rotten banks
and politicians, by the Spirit that gave inspiration
to these scriptures, ! will make them popular
before have done with the business. Amen.