The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-25
The Religious Pross.

out all its members
The Religious Press.
One of the synods or presbyteries connected
with prominent Protestant sect has read the
religious papers lesson on the duty of con-
Quoting their controversies in more Christian
spirit, and trying to become useful instead Of
hurtful to the community in which they exist.
There never was time, judging from the
character Of the religious press this week, when
such a warning was more needed Almost
without exception the religious papers this week
are miscellaneous and foolish.
The Uurchman devotes its leader to the sub
ject of posture in public worship and reasons
learnedly about kneeling, sitting and standing.
The point of the questionable necessity for the
adoption of rules concerning postures-is
briefly dismissed With the remark that to ques-
ton the necessity of posture making Indicates
state of mind that is not devotional" Hav-
ing thus in the true style of the religious PRESS
passed sentence ON all who differ from it, the
CAurchman proceeds to discourse about turning
to the east" "kneeling on the knees" and the
posture which represents ease or idleness"
which is called sitting. The aim of the Church
man isto persuade its readers to stand up during
the whole service; the end which it will attain
will be to bring contempt on itself and the
priests of the church to which it belongs.
Next we have the Christian Intelligenoer.
This paper has gone to war with the Tribune
about the famous rejected tract. The style
in which it conducts the controversy af-
fOrds criterion Of its editors notion of
Christian intelligence :" in few lines we find
such epithets as "pert," "peppery," fiery"
"ferocious," hypocritical," "impure," "vile,"
"audacious," obscene" "prurient," "inde-
cent" &c. Pretty well for pious paper, isn't
| it? The closing sentence caps the whole.
We can do rejoice that the Tribune avows Itself n
Last In favcr Of Sound morality aad religoa" So
the who compose lite editorial corps any
oDabe hope that they Will practice the sdvc
Gale the oher shall believe that Satan is growing
weary his work. and has concluded to discharge all bis
| principal agents.
All which may be true, for anything the
public know to the contrary; but what can be
said of christian intelligence" Of this cha
racter?
The Christian Inquirer peaches on the manor
Of the sporting papers, and discourses on Rarey
the horse tanner, whom it calls "the most dis
PiouuSt vi tuC WSsb IL puu5 Tue
horse tanner tremendously, and winds up with
recommending people who have "poor Irish"
in their service, to "try the method of Rarey."
| II goes further and suggests that "we must
have Rareys to tame rude woman's nature.D
What this may mean, the clergy can perhaps
| explain; 1t would sound queer anywhere-but in
religious paper it is very mysterious The
flash papers Of the Five Points sometimes talk of
horse jockeys subduing and overpowering wo-
men; but what can such illusions mean in
religious sheet?
You always know what to expect in the
Independent. Other papers may astonish their
readers; but the Independent is always true to
ITSELF For Information on abolitionism, dry
goods, and high pressure piety Of the Beecher
stamp, the Independent is unrivalled This week
it rubs down Mr.. Lewis Tappan, and overhauls
the Tract Society numerically. 1t describes
the Board of Managers as having reversed the
action Of the boa onstrictor-having swallow
cd the society at its last meeting, and being
now In the act Of lubricating its meal The ar
ticle, az piece Of controversy, is sharp enough
to resemble pleading in the Court of Sessions
In the grand old way, everybody who differs
from the Independent is gently admonished that
they ere, always were, and cannot be anything
else than liars, scoundrels and lickspittles This
is the English Of the article, and pretty Chris
| tian style of controversy IL is.
The Observer and Evangelist have articles on
church Scandals the former on the recent
frauds connected with the Philadelphia Sunday
School Union, the latter on the dismissal of DIR.
Cheever's dissatisfied church members without
letters Of recommendation to other churches.
Both appear to take pretty fair ground; though
the Observers self-complscency in intimating
that the Sunday School people paid the money
because they were pious aud not because they
couldn't help themselves is very good and re-
| freshing.
On the whole II may be questioned whether
any one can derive any good at all by the pc
rusal Of such sheets as these. II may be said
boldly-the contents Of religious newspapers
consist Of two parts, that which is silly and that
which is wicked; and very many of their arti-
cles combine the two qualities What good they
may do to the cause of Christ aud true religion
1t were very hard to say; many old clergymen
have been used to say that they considered
them a decided injury to the church. Why,
under such circumstances, they should prosper
may well be inquired.
DECREASE or IsMGRATroN-The last report
of the Commissioners of Emigration shows q