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

htjcal nature, and % much domestic intelligence in
relation TO farming, raising cattle. curing h0gs &c,
- tho UNDERSTANDING worldly press Is not this .
cOotradtcgtOn TO lss assumed character Of "reE-
giousi" 1t 10 excusable, however, and we think we
might ray unavoidable; for 80 wholly concrete,
mundane and business devo ed b the mind to which
the religious press Is established TO administer, that
really such sDS nOshns siss nd n NO readers " and
make no profit II stands therefore, In this dilemma:
either to be whatit Processes 70 bea religious press,
ard 30 to have very few suescbers-0r to be what It
prosper and obtain large list Of subscribers. In
this day Of religious indifference this day rather OF
the deuge-in which religion Is drowned IN the
turbd floods Of cupicity OF business Of selfinteress
and Of money making, and, above all, nj corrupt,
false and perverted religious profession who could
be found 70 pstrOnze and even read paper which
was purely religious and nothing else? Could sim,
pie, pure religion command az tnls day an auditory
Would not pure truth speak like the prophecies
Casssndra, only to be unbeeded and despised?
Is it therefore to be wondered at that the re-
Ggious conductors Of the religious press conscious
Of the state Of the public mind, and being also
themselves paitakers OF the same mind and
condition, pursue with wise mundane policy
and prudence the plan adopted by sundry vendors
of bitter pills and medicine, who cover their pills
with coating OF sugar, and mix their Jalaps With
syrups and c0nserves? ALI this may be polite and
excusable in worldly business matters, but we are
not prepared to say that it is consonant with the
bro'essed character of a religious press. IL is
clear case Lnat tDlb mixed CuAFaCter duu uouDt
nature are not in harmony with the name and pro-
fessed object Of religious press 1t may be de-
Tended as q matter Of necessity and policy; but
eau it be defended by the professed principles
which is existence is supposed to depend? Is it
religious (and by that term in the present inquiry,
we mean is it honestly to start a religious paper,
professedy SUCH and, in order to gain circulation
and readers, TO mske it q common newspaper, only
differing from an ordinary secular journal by a
tDee of religion now and then, and o FAINT daub OF
piety? II the men who start and manage these
concerts did not profess to 90 upon holy grounds,
we, who profess DO such pre-eminenc in journal
ism-who do not publish ourselves as celestial jour
nalists celestial creatures-sh0uld have no right
TO eri'icise their conduct. Bat when they profess
b. Illness for their character and resort to all manner
OF uI holiness Tor their profit have clear nigh,
as to tbem to tell them how the matter stands, and
plain cuty, as 10 the public to place IN It's true
light such hollow professions and sucn worldly
practice.
lgious press wholly and perfectly resembles toe
character of the religious world called, for whose
entertainm ut and benefit 1t caters. We say the re.
hgious world, for we doubt If there be religious
world, and whether the world ia which we live be
religious. We use the term, because 1t co mes to
hand ready made, but we claim the right of doubt
ing It's application and propriety.
This identity of character is undeniable AS we
have described the religious press 10 be IN its ma
tue and character, so Is the religious world. IL Is
half horse aud half slligator'-that is, (for
interpret the Kentucky saying) it is partly Of the
nature OF one beast, and partly OF another. Hen,e
it appears ottentimes under different and contradic-
tory aspects. At one time II appears all gentleness
ana Piety, smooth-faced, placid benignant, bene-
Violent. At another time 1t appears harsh,
bitter morose, goted, severe, vindctive Such Is
the religious world-t looks at one time IKE auo'
and at another time like dragon. 1t more often,
however acts the latter than as the former. Its
looks cheating for it l'oks the one but acts the
other.
The religious press is altogether of the same mixed
nature At one time 1t breaches genteness and love,
al another time fire and birthstone. These adverse
ingredients of character spoil the mixture which
they make, and ren0er 10 a compound OF the worst
and most hateful description. UnmXed characters
are the best, whether they be good OF bad:
Compounds in morals are compounds OF moral
putrIdry. Il is wise saying, Either make
the tiee good and its fruit good, or make 1t cor
q compound, half good and half bad, is a de-
ceitful dan erous and hateful thing. A community
of none but tigers nigh. live happily together one
also OF none but angels would do very well together
no doubt But community half tiger and half
angel can never subsst in peace. So 1t Is with the
reigious world. II unmixed In character, one way
or the other, It would be better world. II 1t
were wholly lamb we s sSoHa knS DRAGON wn vs
should know how TO shun 1t. But when II Is COM
pounded of both, and absolutely neither one nor the
other, we are always deceived, and are forever at
fault. We canno, even express just opinion. For
IL we reprobate lis bad qualities, we are referred TO
its good onee, and SO the bad escapes the condemna
ton which II merits. Or II we commend its good
qualities, We are referred to its bad ones and 30
good loses its merit and appreciation. Good and
evil are mutually sufferers by being thus mixed
together. Good becomes bad by its mixture with
evil and evil u made worse by its union with good
We cannot love the good, Tor there Is 30 much evh
With it; and se cease to hate the evil for there Is
much good about IL. Evil obtains the love and COM
mendaton which 1t ought not TO have on the credit
Of the good, and the good gets the odium and re-
proach which does not nghtfully belong to 1t, by
fault of the evil such is the consequence Of being
found in bad company.
In general, no Eever, the world makes up its mind
from that which predominatea The religious
virtuous It processes to BIO the especial temple OF
the Deity, and 10 teach and representa- its life and
conversation all His will and mind, all His truth
and goodness. Therefore when the world beholds
the special professors of virtue TO be no better than
other people, and of,entmes worse, they conceive
thorough contempt for all the teachings OF such
persons, ard d,ubt the truth OF all they say.
There was once time when II was not as 1t now
ness and tight conduct to be and exist a. reality
among the professors Of Christian truth and doc
trine, looked with awe and respect upon the source
of what they witnessed. In other words, they re-
ing quite the contrary they look upon Christianity
itself as a deception and humbug. IL u quite nat
ural that mankind in general should Judge in
this manner. Truth and virtue are wholly concrete
persons and Ia their actions. When, therefore, they
cease to appear in the conduct and actions of men.
the conclusion of mankind Is that they have no ex-
istence whatever. They learn TO despise the source
of al good, snd To question even HIS existence,
when those who profess TO represent Him Ia their
spirit and actions prove themselves, by their con-
duct TO be even worse than their fellow creatures.
The religious world arc quite angry and exasperat
ed at this natural consequence Of their Own conduct
and actions. They call the world which thus judg
On them and their doctrines and their professions by
their fruits, all sorts Of hard names, and consign
them all Unfortunately 10 perdtion, because they
laugh at them. This isaltogether wrong, and here
in they depart from the truth they profess to FOL.
low and believe for by that truth we learn that
men, whether infdels or christians, viii be judged
in equity not according 70 their professions, but &C
cording 10 their conduct and behavior Professors,
therefore, being no better than ndes or atheists In
their deeds and actions will fare no better than
them in lust Judgment And IL with all their pro-
fessons their deeds are not good just houest aud
honorable "a those Of nidels, they win not fare so
well "a they will.
The RELIGIONS press IA n pisture and mirror Of the