The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-29


this press which is Of different character and
nature. Il 10
A NEW AND NOVEL KIND or PRESS, UNKNOWN IN ANY
wOhLD ExcKrr rHs RELIamUs
This Ia what Is called the Tract Society. Unlike
the other religious press, n does not represent any
single sect It represents the great religious con-
federacy of all the sects 1t were, lederaly united.
1t represents the abstract idea Of what Is called
"EvanR elical Christianity" Ii the common organ
of an ideal obstruction in which the religious world
puts its trust, 4 representation Of absoluts truth
an abstraction by which men imagine thai though
the religious world is in It's detail OF scots, confess
edly very bad and wicked word. yet here, in the
union of ali its parts they have truth and perfetion
ITSELF 1t is 10 the Protestant sects much the same
thing as Mother Church." another ideal perieo-
ticn, is to the Roman Catholic sect.
This DECEPTION of supposing that though tho
parts are bad, the whole, composed of those same
parts, il good, is pleasing illusion 70 the mind
which loves deception. When q man belonging to
some one sect plainly sees that he and bis pastors
and people are cheats, Adulterers and money wor-
shippers; that his sect is compound OF all that is
bad in human nature of ans'eri y, pride, malice,
covetouspess. osteDtstion and bossting-wben he
sees that his eect and people are the same a. the
world at large, and rot different but equally nerce,
selfish contentious, backbiting, unmercitul, unf T
giving, unkind, this delusion saves HIM from pea
ing his the fact that his religion Is no truth,
and his trust in 1t is vain. He says to himself,
Never mind; 1t may, perhaps. be that there ID
something wrong in n e and my sect; IT may be
true that all this which are u no more like Cnrs
tianty than Satan is like God out Protestant Chris
tian,ty' is all right, evangelical principles are oil
goOd-there is nothing wrong there, and that IL
what also belong to-" -.
The Tract Society is the press of Protestant or
evangelical Christianity 20 c.lled-the organ OF an
abstraction and OF certain abstract IDEAS IL repre-
sents ideal truth justice and virtue while the sects
repre- mt the practical violation OF all truth, Justice
and virtue. Thus right and the violation of right
are mace as it were to harmO6ize together; truth
and fa)sehO0d are made to embrace each other, and
can religious men do all manner OF evil, aud
yet lay the atering junction. t. their souls that they
are the followers ana friends Of truth.
This press diurDal and perennial. Its publica-
tons are not one sheet which might be called u
journal but the name of its publications. ID legion.
Lis pre- emnently religious press. 1t publishes no
news of the day, az the other religious press, aod
contains in the numerous publications. issued no re-
cipes tor the OF heaves in horses, nor nstruc
tons how TO make the real Hsrkimer cheese. IL Is
wholly confined TO religion chiefly in the ABSTRACT,
occasionally refreshing its readers in the concrete
with thrilling anecdotes and roDances. describing
the amazing and admirable piety and virtues OF Ia
vorite pious heroes.
Strictly speaking, it is the only genuine unmixed
religious press Its publications consist OF religious
tales, histories biographies, stories, anecdotes,
narJ atODs, poetry, sermons, exhortations aud
essays 1t seizes upon all and every topic OF ltera
ture, and, as IL were, rehgonizes the wno'e 5y It's
aid the strict religious world can indulge itself IN all
the trash and frivolous reading OF the great world
having it served up in a sanctified form, with a
sprlnkDing OF cant and piefy to SAVIOR 1t, by thls
versatile p'ess. Ii We reflect upon the subject we
shall come to the conclusion that this society Is
religious press OF astonishing power and diffusion
end which stands alone in the singularity OF its
operation and organization.
Such an organization as press Ia unique, and has
never been seen before IN any age of the world The
circulation of almost any one OF its numerous pubi
cations equal to that Of any one OF the religions
periodical papers published by individuals Its diff
fusion is vast its means ospreading It's pubica ions
are immense; it 10 gigantic press ny It's operation
in diffusing widely vast macs o. light and amusing
religious literature il has great power and influence
upon the public mi0d as q religious engine Men OF
all religions and OF no religion take up and amuse
themselves with its publ cations, as they occasionally
meet their eye, and often begued by Its amusing
stories, frightened by its threatening anecdotes,
into what is called prospect for religion" The
smaller One-leaf tracts, exhorting to some special
fear religious terror and which are circulated aod
distributed In such vast quantities over the world
serve for little than 20 supply the puoiic with
waste paper, or give to the scoiier and sceptlc a
subject Tor Iidicule and laughter 1t is question
which s, par excellence, the religions press has not
operated more than any other cause 10 this day TO
bring religious truth into contempt, and TO sati ate
and disgust the greater portion OF mankind with re-
ligion. Would not bread strongly mixed with
ipecacuapa and jabbed into every mans hand or
mouth at every corner of the road In every street,
lane and alley of the world, though bread itself Is
good, produce in men sort OF contempt and ioasn-
XII
Of the subhmest nature the great truths and doc
trines of revelation-are rendered repusive, vile
and common to the world, when, corrupted aud pol
luted with the poison OF lies superstition and priest
craft, they are forced upon men IN every hole and
corner of the world, with the object Of inducing
them to submit TO the religious schemes, practices
and formalites Of corrupt religious corporations o.
denominations, composed Of bad men: whose aim Is
power, money and social influence? For IL Is
the singular Characteristic OF this peculiar re-
ligious press which we are now considering.
that il works collectively for the whole body, OF
hydra headed creature which Is COMPOSED OF all the
corrupt religious denominations. Its object Is to
convert men to any one, provided II be some ooe
religious denomin alton, and TO induce them TO ut
tach themselves 10 some church, OF all the immune
rabe churches Of which IL Is the general organ and
common advocate. IL IL supported by the do
nominations. and II works for them all, without dis
tinction. The religious theory OF the day Is, that
II a man only joins some one, ana any one, OF the
corrup, religious denominations, presO, he Is con-
verted, he has "got religion" he has thereby be-
come good man" This Is gross, corrupt, false
and most pernicious idea. Its falacy may be per.
haps discovered If we make the ioquiry, VIZ, sup
posing every one, without exception, " belong to
some one Of the orthodox or evangelical demo nIna
tons, would men, would the world, when
thus converted, be whit different or
better than II now isl Would men and women be
better husbands better wives better sons and dtugh
teri, better citizens than they nov arsf Would
pride, vanity last covetousness, fraud deceit suspi
con, wrath, envy, strife, anger, malice, hatred
be banished nom the woridl Looking at any one
of the denominations, ami at their most jealous,
most devoted members collectively, and even indi.
vidually the answer which forces itself upon rs IL,
that Il would be q madness and aelusion 70 reply
in the Affirmative 10 this question. IL follows COO
cusively that all the religious labor expended TO
promote denominationsl religion, and 10 induce men
10 become religious In the views and sense Of any
one existing denomination, IL labor In vain. IL Is
worse-it IL labor In a bad cause.
The productions Of this religious press may DO
literally said TO be innumerable. II employs col
porteus over nearly the whole world. II
sends Its tracts into every part of the haoited
globe. II has numerous amateur agents,
who work for this press gratuisously and without
pay, silly men and women--espccially the latter
40 about from house TO house In every city, town
and village distributing its pious publications Il Is
matter OF piety with these persons TO do all this
they suppose they are doing God wonderful service
TO 70 about distributing the publications OF this
great religious press In this manner the Society scss
nd Of large editions Of its works, and We may be
sure not without prodt, for the amateur agents
buy these trncts by the thousand, and distribute
them liherallY. Thus Il has poMer and Advantage