Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-09-17

atttcttpu, ut WOutu toSc Wuu % "'e",
che would love mot tie race only, but
some one dearer than all to cheer him
on 10 the combat and welcome his re-
turn" Such is the character OF athe-
ism, our author being Judge.
let Us now turn, Tor Domenf, 10 the
character of clergyncn, of the revival
loving secfs. "Mr. Smith was, IN the
main, an honest, well meaning man.
who, impressed with The Importance OF
saving his soul, had failed to take en-
larged views of men and things, y
puere, DO these stand in the relation OF
eause and effect p" educated by char
ny, gratitude to his sect had quickened
his zeal and narrowed his sympaihrs !"
he had been so accustomed to dwell
on another world, To see u material and
burning hell before him, that this world
and all the social feelings and duties
which belong to it had nearly lost all
hold upon his conscience and his heart,
Z" in his heart he would be, and doubt
less thought himself, little less than an
angel Of God, but ho passed through
society over the domestic hearth, n minis.
ter of wrath scattering blight and death. "
This man intrudes himself into the com
pany of Miss Wyman, and wrenches
from her the thoughts of her inmosi
spirit, and authorits,ively forbds her
marriage with the hero Of our tale.
And our author takes pains to put us in
niInd that this is no fancy sketch, but
that some of its most revolving incidents
CORES spond Ia what he knows to be mat
tvrs OF fact.
"Ihis must seem o my readers n mere
fancy sketch, for ] presume such con
versatious do not take place in these
days; but they were very common
when 1 was a young man. One Of the
most common methods fesorted 10 by
reyivaIisis was TO make the love which
a young man had for young woman,
aud the love he hoped for in return, the
means of his conversions 10 the church
My own case was not singular one
The girl was instructed ,oilrow her arms
round her lovers neck, and cntrcai him
by all his affections for her, 10 join the
church but nt the same time 10 assure
him, that she could never consent to be
his unless he gave evidence of convcr-
sion. There "ns some knowledge ol hu-
man Dature in this, and these fair apostles
we've not unlrequenily successful as well
as eloquent pleaders for God, especial.
ly when seconded by the burning pas.
sions Of their youthful admirers"
Let Us take another specimen. Mr..
Wilson Was another priest, whose "intel.
leotual powers were respectable, hi.
religious feelings strong and active, and
his moral sentiments weak and sluge ish
he would never cutter n church without
taking off his hat ;"-what there is in
ta's peculiar to any one but Quaker
we do not perceive,-' but he could
pass "a poor widow without thinking o
her wants he would do much for evan
geIizing the world and converting it Ia
his creed, but very little for civlIizine
1t and making the cath the abode ol
love aud peace but whatever he was,
hc contrived 10 throw II veil Of sanc,ny y
over the unseemly features OF his cha
racter, aud To pass himself Oft with the
multitude as saint of the first water. D
Or the intellectual character Of these
persunages, il is needless to speak -
Suffice il to says that they are benten,
ronies, ground to powder, in every con.
fIct with our hero.
But this is not ALL We have mex,
the portrai'ure Of five or six Of Mr.. Will
sons brother clergymen,-" Their face,
as grave as Il church-yard, showed q
becoming horror at my approach" p
They scarcely greeted Mr.. Elwoo,
with single civil word ; they looked
upto Heaven and sighed, hung down
their heads and were silent" The,
call him fool, accuse him of faIschood
and when he had left them, held the fol.
lowing edilying conversation with eaci,
other. "1hey looked at one another
and smiled: that young man, said one
of them, would make n most can't II
preacher were he only on the right side.
Perhaps, said another, he is nearer riyh,
than VIC should be willing the world
should believe. Never mind, said siiN
another, the people arc supcrstitious /;
they will have some kind of worship
aud we must let them have their own
way. These reverend gentlemen it
seems, understood one another"
Now, If these portraits are INTENDED d
TO represent the clergy of New Eng land
we must be pardoned if we declare tina,
grosser libel was never written, and
we icarlcssy appeal TO the whole world
for The truth Of what we say. We know
that clergyman may prove himself a
william and hypocrite he may be i'm
becile, ignorant and obtrusive but we
ask iearlessly, is such The character Of
The clergy of New England or of Prot
estant'sn IN general We have been,
during short life, in habits Of inter-
course with clcrgymon of almost every
religious sect, and we have never known
such men as thsse pages portray. They
have their iInperfections ns class the y
are generally less jealous and laborious
less siudious and less in earnest thar
they should be F.; they have too little %
the esprit du co,3s are frequentl,
woman'sh and iidgety but they honest
iy he''eve what they preach they ar,
men of ureproachable lives, they hon
es'ly labor to render men better, ano
they do manifestly succeed in their ef