The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-01-24

SIGNS THE IlMEs-DR SPRINGS SERMON
The PREss.-Thomas Carlyle, in an essay of great
spirit and power, has described the present as the
mechanical age. We think it may with still greater
iropnety be designated the revolutionary age. The
whole face of society wears disturbed and unset
tied air restless spirit of revolution is every
where apparent. View the workings of the human
mind, as deveopedin the daily affairs of the world,
In whatever light we may, we receive uncom-
Portable impression of instability and change. Under
an hundred different names of reforms, and inno
vauons, and Improvements, we trace the progress
of this al-prevalent mutation-remodeng, detac-
ing, and tearing down.
Now. il is a very nice queson-and one which
it is surely well worth our while to think and speak
about now and then-how is this characteristic and
predominant spirit of the age to be guided and 60
verned so to brighten the prospects, and better
The condition of our race 7 He Is sorey afflicted
with ophthalmla who can perceive in the signs of
the times nothing but omens of disaster to the for
tunes OF the human family. All this spirit of in
qulry, and desire of change, and anxiety to attain to
something higher and better, although accompanied
by most melancholy extravaganza, and pitiful folly,
and positive evil, are vet all tokens of good The
time comes when, in the words of the eloquent
Macauly, the extreme violence of opinion will SUBJ
slde-hoste theories correct each other, and sys-
tenn of justice, truth and order be educed from the
present chaos
Several of the clergy in this city have lately en-
deavored to interpret the signs of the times and TO
utter warning against threatening and existing evils.
Now somehow or other, it has heretofore almost
uniformly happened in our experience, that the
clergy have failed in forming accurate conceptions
of the characteristics and tendencies of the age,
the worlds progress. They have seen everything
through ecclesiastical spectacles, and society, like
the interior of a cathedral lighted by windows OF
painted glass; has worn in their eyes not its own
hue, but that derived from the orthodox medium of
vision. Hence their mistakes, and hence their
failure in discovering and applying corrective to
the prevalent and false theories of the day.
DR. Spring, man of distinguished talent and I'M
-obrusive piety followed last Sunday in the steps
of DR.. Wainwright, and gave a sermon on the i'm.
morality of the age. Much of this discourse was
appropriate, seasonable and just-but there was also
much of it which added confirmation to our opinion
that DR.. Spring, with many of his clerical breth-
ren does not exactly understand the age, and mis-
directed great deal of valuable spiritual artillery.
There two standing subjects of assault, against
which the clergy of DR.. Springs creed uniformly
direct their weapons, when discoursIng of the
wlckedness of the age. From time immemoria |
these bugbears have maintained as lawful and re-
cognized existence as the raw-head and bloody
bones OF the nursery They Popery and the
Press. AS the manner In which Drs. Spring and
Wainwright, in common with their respective
brethren have treated these topics, is admirably
illustrative of their general ignorance of the world
around them we will occupy paragraph or two in
Its exhibition.
First, as to Popery Who that knows any thing
whatever of the present actual condition of the Ro
man Catholic Church in this country, and all over
the world, repress smile when hearing DR..
Spring express in such pathetic strains, his fears
that Popery is rapidly advancing to unlimited
premacy 1t is the very insanity of sectananism to
suppose that any system of ecclesiastical despotsm
can ever in our world regain ascendancy over the
minds and bodies of men, We tell Dr. Spring and
DIR. Wainwright, that without tythe of their theo-
logical knowledge, we have been enabled long ago
TO perceive, that the anti-chrst - of the sacred
writings--the Popery Of their terrified dreams-lost
Its dominion and authority when the union of
Church and State received Its death blow A spi-
rt has taken wing which destined to carry civil
and religious liberty all over the world, and il has
not been refused admission into the Roman Catho-
lie Church. Popery is mere religious sect.
The various religious denominations in land,
may be regarded many famllies-all with the
lneaments of one common stock, all seeking the
same end, all worshipping the same God, but each
following out in its own way the great interests to
which all bound. II is only the blunderers of
bgetry that leads any one section to suppose that
the increase and prosperity Of another must
sarlly involve the destruction of its hopes and the
prostration of its independence Instead of seeing
for alarm and grief, and nvective, in the
prevalence even of the most exravagant religious
opinions-Mormonism, Mlerism and the other So
called delusons of the day, Dr. Spring should dis
cover additional calls on his charity, and ZEAL and
forbearance. In all of these erroneous systems we
find more or less truth, and DR.. Spring should
seek rather to fortify and strengthen that TRUTH and
so get rid OF the error whchichoaks It's growth, than
TO pour cut anathemas their followers, and ex-
cite other protesting Christians to make fierce and
unhoy war upon them II is full time that the hue
and-cry system should be laid aside in theological
controversy
Then, as to the Press-what blunders do DIR
Spring and his fellow laborers commit! They
seem to overlook altogether in their reproofs, that
portion of the press which has been most notorious
ly culpabe-the political party newspapers. These
are the prints, which conducted by men destitute
of moral prncipe-desttute of christian feeling
destitute of one particle of philanthropy, have pol
luted the public mlnd-in1amed the worst passions
Of the human heart-dissemnated the most
demoralisng doctrnes-and breathed their corrupt
and poisonous influence into every corner. These
have been the men who have disseminated prn-
cples whose appropriate fruits have been seen in
unveral commercial depresson-in wide spread
faithlessness public and private trustsand in the
almost total humiliation of mercantile integrity and
honor. These have been the authors of those ca
lamities by which many thousands OF our citi-
have been disgraced and ruined and the nation
al honor itself been jeopardised and defamed.-
These have been the men who first multiplied to
ruHous extent banking institutions, and then
robbed them. These have been the men who have
Plundered the widow and the orphan, and battened
on the rum and desolaton which thew Themselves