The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-02-18


news probably arrived at Boston yesterday in tim
for the NewYork mail, which left there at ocloc
in the afternoon. Therefore look out for an ExrR.
HERALD.
The Great Theological Cockhght at an end
Its Lesson and Its Moral
1t Is very true that we DO not need much new
confirmation, of the wisdom OF the course, adopted
by thephauthroplc Girard in the exclusion OF Sec
tartan teachers from the walls of that magnincenl
institution for the intellectual and moral culture OF
the orphan youth of his adopted city; but II such
were wanted we have had it in the controversy be-
tween Drs Potts and Wainwright, which has just ter
minated We could not have much more man.
fest and instructive exhibition Of the melancholy
effects of that quarresome, schismatic, and angry
spirit which distinguishes the controversies between
rival theologians. In the persons of these two dis
putants, and in the little arena which witnessed
their fight we have had an incarnation, as it were
of the bigotry, jealousy, envy, malignity, and un.
chartableness which so much disgrace many OF
the professors Of Christianity; and an exemplitica
ton of the necessary tendencies of those contrsver
sizes in which the priesthood take such delights and
which at various periods since the commencement
of the Christian era, have deluged whole nations
with blood, convulsed kingdoms to their centre,
and inflicted on the human race incalculable So
cla and moral evil. Now, then, that the reverend
warriors have retired from the field, we will take
the liberty of briefly and calmly reviewing their
operations for their benefit and that of the religious
community in general
The subject of the controversy was OF the most
ludcrous nsignifcance But just such has been
the character of the disputes which have split the
Christian church into so many fragments. Petty
differences about the order of church government
the terms of admission into membership in par
tcular religious communicable rendering of a
text-nay, often the mere gossip of some weak
fool have more than suced to split ecclesiastical
bodies into half dozen sections Perhaps it may
not be amiss to illustrate this by simple anecdote
Some years ago, an old woman called on minis
ter in connexion with branch of the Presbyterian
church in this country, and asked his Reverence
his opinion respecting some rather tough portions
of the Westminster Confession of Faith. The
clergyman was in rather an ill humor-for the cler
Ky wM sometimes, like other men, lose their tenn
per-and cvnced little disposition to enter on the
controvertcd subject presented to him by the en-
quirng and venerable saint. She pressed him. He
said he had forgot the passage in question. "Have
the goodness, them to get me your confession
gyman, 81 believe have not got copy in the
house, have quite used up the one had, having
taken its leaves to wipe my razor on after shaw
ingr The old lady almost swooned away with
horror at this terrible confession and forthwith
went before the church session, and laid agrievous
complaint against the minister The profane priest
pleaded that he had merely spoken in jest. But
the ''eld RS" thought the Confession OF Faith"
quite too sacred subject for jest, and SO
the matter went before the "Presbytery.
There one portion of the clergy sided with their
brother, and another violently denounced his
duct. A reference to the "Synod' followed, and
by that time the matter had been blown into a
flame which ragged throughout the church in all its
borders. A stormy debate took place in the Synod
-Pottses and Wainwrights are always on hand in
such emergencies-the war became furious-per-
sona feeling ran high on both sides-and eventual
ly complete division of the church into two near
ly equal portions was the result!
Leaving out of view altogether the trivial nature
of the difference between DIR. Potts and DR.. VAIN
wright, the manner in which the controversy was
conducted, was eminently calculated to lower theil
sacred calling and to cast reproach on christianity
itself There was great and manifest want OF
both sides of christian feeling. II was indeed real
ly melancholy to witness such bitterness and bac
feeling in men, the daily business of whose live:
had been to study and teach those holy and refining
precepts of selfdena and charity, and forbearance
and brotherly kindness, which fell from the lips OF
the Saviour of the world! What practical denial
of their Lord and Master! What forgetfuness OF
the dignity of their office What subject of tri-
umph to the unbelieving and the profane! And how
they seemed to revel in this interchange of
and bgotry, and ill-wi, and mutual anmoslty, up
to the moment when DR.. Potts, throwing of altoge-
Their the pary mask of politeness, refused even to
address his opponent in the ordinary manner
adopted by gentlemen in their correspondence =
And taking advantage of this disregard of the
common civilites Of civilized life, DR.. Vain
wright after final and desperate sputter, retrcated
from the disgraceful conflict. On survey of the
whole, we must say that both the combatants have
discovered throughout the entire affair very little
gard TO the religion they profess to teach and have
incurred fearful responsibility from the conse-
quences of their unchristian conduct. 1t is impos-
sible to estimate the deriment to the cause Of mo-
raty and religion, which such spectacle pro-
duces. The thoughtless are seduced into the
opinion, that Christianity is nothing but cant ant
hypocrisy, and the sceer at all things sacred ant
venerable in religion, is hardened in his sad caree
of blasphemy and profanity.
And yet these are the men-these Pottses ant
Wainwrights, in the various churches, who are ac
customed to rail at the secular press, profane
scurrilous, icentious, and immoral 1t is from
those very pulpits, where Sunday after Sunday, ar
poured forth the most violent denunciations of riva
religionlss, that the press is abused and misrepre
sented 1t is easy to explain their hostility to thu
press. II is quite too honest for them.
IMPORTANT FROM THE AFRICAN SQUADRoN.-B.
private advces pia England from the African squa
dron, up to the night of the 30th of November, W,
are informed that Commodore Perry was engaged
in an effort to obtain tho surrender Of the murder
ers of the crew of the schooner Mary Cutler, from
the native tribes inhabiting the coast, near whic