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

whole mopth. In twelve years. whole year. Some q
ny yeaneu may DO guilty Of having thus stolen and
abused several entire years
Such IL specimen Of their silly exhortations, and
- toe wsshy, unsohd, unmsaning morality which
they teach.
fhe tsndency of such spurious virtue and srtiH-
eaAl sentimental morality Is not 70 make known or
promote the positive duties which are taught BY the
law Of God. AL that law IL summed no ia tho
words, dong righteousness IL, In doing no
ieschiur is to 6I the mind with saOerssitious fear
and dread, and with self condemnation for things IN
then NJ yes generally harmless and Indifferent; II
b IA this way that these teachers OF false cnf:'
-. THAT is ~ night and wrong) and lead men 20
imagine that they are doing right and are ID tae
way 70 heaven, when, on the CONTRARY, ney are 90
ing nothing VI the kind. thus mes are ied 10 sup
pose that II they follow the abose and similar teach
bes. II they do not overseep themselves, taey 40
pSs taste fermented liquors, II shei DO nos dance,
sngh or sing, or go TO st,es;,s, s1sy a'e s"oo
Such Ia their religious moral code IN general The
shove extract il Q fair sample. supplied by one OF
the puest and most Orthordox OF the religious sects,
IN rs .wh estimation. .
IL vouId not require many ayes of such teaching
a,d such 81 stem To destroy all the foundStions
and 70 oblterste al the traces If Christian truth aud
he whole to mere exhibition Of bodily abstinence,
aud OF broad sell DENIAL jOioed VITA y lev me-
chsnical practces called by the name Of pesy, and
cb0 he'd with superstitious reverence aud ialse sane
III tdCI, JOBc ~ INC COiuuDuS ALI COutGuuo
u the various religious journals we have carefully
exsm,ned. it has cnmc to this already. Already, to
svery general extent. the bodily deed OF drinking
wsar only, and denying ones self the use OF vine
or cOgDate materials, is become practically the es-
aud total of all virtue, moral conduct and
Sh sstiani'y. BY such y system a. ths all the
fN,ndarions Of Christianity are swept away. 1t
o-sses 10 be great mystery the basis and fOunda-
non stone Of which il the advent of the word OF
God into our world clothed in human personality,
and assuming the same bodily t.oer0scle which we
men inh9bt This snd oil it, great and bspOy con
sequences and effects all lost sight Of aud swept
away by redo ing Christianity anO all Its teac llngs
ard doctrines all its gifts and powers, T. lev sa-
pie 0bservancts Of not Drinking liquor. not going To
theGtes Or bals and of goi0g 10 church on Sundays
Such, IN fact, has C. me to be the substance and
body Of all Ghab the religious teachers OF the day in
euicate upon their crOSded and fashionable aa
d'eDces in their splendid aod tseatri al temples
Such Is substantially all the idea shey have and
teach OF Christianity.
They teach facsiti0us virtue and vice; not that
Truth justice aud virtue which G me from God aud
which is the divhe ma are itself, out that Spurious
counterfeit virtue, contempt ole IN t@ef, because 1t
is OF no manner of use To God or man, ana which
consists in economical practices and Oboeryances-
IN feats Of human policy In prudential acts OF some
domestic benefit, no doubt, together with super
itOus acts OF NO beDehs Whatever. Plato aud
Epiclett.s. Cicero and Seneca, preached far more
paDly and wholesome morality tnao this mean sys-
tenn OF piOus Oo~ervaDces and exhibitions when the
religious press caches, which the regious puIpit
tboneht, Dor knowledge, nor virtue, but cant, aud
thing bu- cant How tar, indeel m dern sectarian
christianity diH,rs at all from ancient heather
PHILOSOPHY, u Son,a "a difficult to discover fe IN the
tea snps and contents of the religious press or OF
rce pulpit winch It represents and reoorts all the
heather teachers Taught that they ought to d.
good, and tina If they did % hey would be aaepy or
"go to heaven" Modern heatbeu, the Buddhlsts,
the Srabnips ana ether pagans, teach the same
sDipg his is also the essence, the wnole sum
and substance Of the teachings Of the religious
p'ess. Wherein, then Is these any difference Such
differences exist are accessory, aud not essential
Some m ~ teach this coumon doctrine more III
tssheIy Than others; some m,y teach temperance
m 10 than Others; some may OF more Jealous, mo
severe and more rigio IN their practlce some may
m'x up more cant ana feeling and Affected loving
in their sy stem bus 1t all results to the same
end. sLd il the same in The END with the religion
ard philosophy Of all ages, VIZ % men ought t. 40
god" Or course they ought THIS Is the commoa
natural law written in the be arts of all mea, which
be sho made has planted in the heart OF man
alone, all the creatures which de las created.
Their system " smpl. q ssural desm; they hope TO
60 70 heaven on the same groaDd on which the
ancient bea,hen ooped 20 go % the EIysisn Fields
would DC strsogs II this were Christianity, though
+ ass cone N sau no more than this Strange inf.
abOn and blindness Of the religious press and wo Id
10 teach that the xress Creator OF the world sent
che breath of his mouth 70 dwell on she earth AZ
man among men, not In order to make the that
besrken 20 oim vrtuons just and gooo, he himself
b. bus to NIKE hem che 1emb bling idiots OF superst
ing ths mseIves against thcf fellow creatures Hate
full In their tsrisn hatred Of all those that do not
jJin themselves " them.
ANOTHER PROMINENT FEAruR. OF rHR MALICIOUS
rRKss 10 ITS BoAsrIse AND sEnF-KxALrISG CHA
This characteristic belongs 10 them all, and Is not
confined to the organ OF any particular sect While
sswrsily engaged In hostility against each other,
they agree - form On abstraction which includes
them all and this abstraction they unite greatly TO
pud aui applaud. They call the combined reli-
Rion Of all the sects together, Protes ant Christi
anity" In TINS manner they create an abstract tract
they conoemn each other separately, they unie to
applaud the ideal unity the abstraction comp ,sed
Ous OF oil together they carl P 0testant Christant.
IT," Il Is Is singular spectacle to zee bodies OF
men thus destroying each other in detail while they
psofess 10 be one body in the mass.
They are separate discordaDt bodies, opposing,
Yev,Iibg am condemDing each other; while a; the
same tine, under Dame which includes them all,
tbey loviog Christians and perfe,t embodiment
Of puse Christianity They fight agaist each other
N cetai, and exalt and praise themselves in the
men ~ Protestant Christisus'-a name which In
eludes them all. Taken seoars,ely, according 70
their o~n representations OF one another these mul
utudpous sects are all evil and ali wrong. Every
suee declares It To be 10 Of oil the others. But
tSkea collectively they are all pure and good con-
ss.taSipe body III excellence which they call Pro
tessast Christianity" What = contradiction What
On absurdty that the separate parts should each be
bad, out that the whole, composed Of these same
cGRrupt parts, should De pure, good Christianity
Rsrh part does wrong and scts badly but according
~ Harper. ali Of them put together produce unex-
sppled good and the most wonderful effects. Each
eet is bad, bu. al of them pat together the su-
Shors OF all that il good IN the nneteepth century.
Thus, Harper's new religious paper ssys:-
The oversnado.ng charac,ersu, OF the nneteeth
my essmp ed avtv In invcutrn and execution In
hs vovnce u the uscul rather Than the ornamental arts
GA In favor Of he rather than OF The few. And
shh activity far prevalent In Protestant than In O.
shoHc uutrice and indeed almost paned 10 thom N
"A ~ M
Hence 20 see how they can boast NJ Themselves in
thcaggregate Protestant Christians" While they
confess that in detail, separate sects they have
10 night 10 boast What most convenient decep-
tion for men Who know and say, religiously and
truly they are bad To he able IN lay the f1attering
uucsion 70 their souls that they under another
generis name quite good and authors Of great good!
Deceit and deception could not 90 much further.
This blasting and self gratuation OF the religions
prers and world are not confined to themselves N the
mas n heonaing 70 q perfect whole or body. IL is