The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-03-03

'os uic eAtcnt of human crcdullty eecn more eo'so
iactorily discovered, than on those which have re-
ference 10 the mysteries of spiritual being, and
the future and invisible world. No religious deu-
sion rs too gross tor the popular euet Indeed, the
larger, and the more repugnant 10 reason and com
mon sense, the more certain Is the transit of the Of
fered mouthiu The successful impostures oil Mat
thias cannot yet be forgotten; and still more recent
Iva unatic named Courtnay, who assumed the char
acer OF Jesus Christ attracted to his standard Sc
veral thousands of infatuated disciples from among
the English pc asantry, who were ready TO lay down
their lives at his feet, and several of whom actually
resisted unto the DEATH body of the military, who
were ordered to take their wretched leader into Gus
tody
The soil OF the United States has been fully as
consenIal to the origin and growth Of all sorts of
llsious deuslon, as that of the old world Sp-
ritual imposters of all grades and various preten-
sons have fourished amongst us. The trade
has indeed thrven. From the revival preach
er, with usexceptionable credentials, and or
thodox bearer and small clothes, down to the wan
dering Hebrew, with the beard of father Abraham
and the rags of Lazarus, they have all prospered and
waxed fat. Whilst the wives and daughters of the
faithful have poured out their souls in hysterical
commissions, the fathers in Israel have pouredi out
the contents OF their purses at meetings." which
the shepherds of the flock took good should be
sufficiently "protracted" One delusion after ano-
ther has been made rapidly TO succeed the worn-out
predecessor, and in the language of the play bills,
continued succession of agreeable novelties has
been kept up with unvarying success.
The last imposture owes its existence to crazy
old man, who has undertaken the woik of revealing
the hidden mysteries contained in the writings of the
Hebrew seers and the prophet Of the Isle OF Patmos,
and the results Of his operations promise to eclipse
those of all srval aborers ia the wide and profitable
vineyard of popular guIibiity In anticipation of
the immediate approach of the end OF the world, as
revealed by Father Miller, hundreds have got rid of
their property, and renqushed their customary avo-
cations. Many have become altogether insane, land
suicides and murders of the most appalling descrp-
ton, are daily recorded in the newspapers. Innu-
merable instances OF the most frantic folly are con-
stanty occurring and the rapid progress and deplo-
rabe effects of the delusion have thoroughly alarm
ed all who have any regard for the welfare and hap
piness of their fellow men, That some check should
bs given to this fatal deusion, is absolutely necessa-
ry. Every principle Of philanthropy requires that
immediate measures be adopted to nterpose some
barrlsr to the further inroads of such desolatng
spirit of errer and delusion.
The great preventive of all such popular decisions
Millerism and its kindred impostures, is the edu
cation Of the masses. Let the people be thorough
ly educated-let the reasoning powers of our youth
be subjected to proper culure-et the clergy faith.
fully and nationally discharge their duties-and such
men as Miller and his associates will exclaim with
the Moor, " Othello's occupations goner' We
think that the ultra-evangelica preachers have to
answer for great deal of the evils which the ra-
wings of Miller have occasioned They have led
many of the religious world to suppose that chris
tani,y consists IN manacal excitement and all sorts
OF extravaganza. But these "protracted meetings.
and hysterical fits, and insane rantings, we need
scarcely say, have no more to do with the religion
of Jesus, than had the blasphemes and violence OF
the miserable demoniacs whom he was wont to
exercise. Many Of the regular clergy deal much
too largely in appeals to the feelings and thrilling
defamation about the torrents of the damned
The direct tendency of such preaching is to make
their hearers either infdes or lunatics There have
been quite too many Millers in the churches Let
another system of evangelizng the world be adept
ed. And in the meantime, we think that humanity
and reason demand, that such unhappy victims OF
the present prevalent deluson as are manifestly
unable to take care of themselves, should be sub.
jected to proper restraint.