The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-23

versions.
The demonstrations Of the past week, includ-
ing the great meetings at Burtons old theatre
in Chambers street, go to show that the religious
excitement in the metropolis is on the increase,
and that the brushing up of the spring trade
does not 20 far occupy the time of the sinners as
to prevent them from an open confession Of the
error of their ways The meetings at Burton's
have been thronged, and the best results are
hoped for. II is good field Since the theatre
Was built by Pslmo it has been used for all
sorts of entertainments, from the Italian Opera
down to the model artists. The brethren at
these meetings pray earnestly for the actors and
actresses 1t is likewise desirable that they
should extend their supplications to the deni-
zens of City Hall; they are sadly in need of q
little of the leaven of Righteousness. In addi-
ton to these meetings at Burton's, it isproposed
by correspondent that Tammany Hall should
be secured for daily prayer meetings. That
would be really boarding Satan in his own den
It will have to be pretty strong praying and
preaching to wipe out the hard swearing and
fighting that have taken place in Tammany.
However there is always one chance for even
the QdlQcEt SluucE. " UO hUUWS. xCIUopo tuS
party may be harmonized by prayer.
This present religious excitement has had no
parallel in this age, and in some respects 1t Is
altogether different from any phenomena Of the
kind that have preceded It, The Reformation
, movement OF the sixteenth century made no
particular Improvement in the moral con.
dition of the people. 1t changed their intellec-
tusl condition, letting in little light upon
some disputed points Of faith; but, after all, 1t
! was only sectarian dispute. Luther aud his
followers disbelieved in some Of the dogmas Of
| the Roman church, and set up new church OF
their own. In England the Eighth Harry"
pitched the Pope out of power because he
would not sanction an adulterous marriage.
Then came the fighting and quarrelling aud
persecution of Protestants by Catholics aud
Catholics by Professionals, which continued during
nearly two centuries. The new lights only
made the people more cruel and bloodthirsty
than ever. In the last part of the eighteenth
century we find Wesley, Whitfield, and others
of less note, preaching to the people the simple
truths of the New Testament, aud working a
great moral revolution, the effects of which
were of the most beneficial character.
The new preachers Of the school Of Wesley
paid but little attention to forms or ceremO-
Mes They taught plain Christian truths in the
plainest way and sent the Bible and hymn book
into every English cottage. They changed the
forms of lite among the middling aud lower
classes, and refined that sturdy Saxon spirit
which routed the Cavaliers at Worcester and
sent Stuart to the block. That dissenting
party in England-snubbed and sneered at as
il may be-has still within its ranks the vi
| tality of the nation.
| In the United States we have had little re-
by the stirring oratory of such men as Maffit,
Knapp and Summerfeld but we have had no
thorough revival to change the social condition
/ of the people. The parsons and the religious
papers have always been quarrelling aud fight
| ing about forms of church discipline and other
technic alities; our Christianity has been really
nothing but sectarianism. The preachers have
stated, almost in so many words-"lf you don't
go to heaven our road you cannot 60 at all !"
This bigotry is in direct opposition to the or
ganic principles of the Christian religion ne laid
down in the teachings of our Saviour and his
apostles. Then we have had the political par
sons, and the fighting parsons, aud tho Peck
sniffan parsons, and host Of other traitors to
the Master whom they were bound to serve.
Through all these causes the protesting Chris
tisns became lax, and no new converts were
made. The churches we're close boroughs for
the exhibition of fine broadcloth and the latest
Paris fashions But a great financial revulsion
shook the country from Maine to California i
set people thinking, and brought about new
and singular revival. We first hear of il in the
Dutch church in Fulton street, within hail
Of the HERALD Office; and we are Induced
to believe that the lay sermons we have
been preaching in the HERALD for so many
years had something to do with it. 1t
il. in fact, q movement against The
growing tendency of the people TO worship
false gods-to be carried away by infdei, Fou-
rerite, abolition, spiritualist political fanatical
and mock philanthropic excitements; 1t is
simply carrying out the principles that have al
ways been promulgated in these columns. 1t
their faces against all this nfdelity and fanati-
cism 1t was quite time. Within the past
twenty years the pulpit has been disgraced by
political parsons Every four years they turn
the churches into bear gardens for political
fights; and between the elections they keep up a
running fight, probably for the sake of practice.
Look at Beecher, in this city, Kalloch in the
East, and Brownlow in the South, degrading
their sacred Office by using their pupits for po-
liticsl and personal attacks The people are
busy in trade, working to get rich. There Ia a
great expansion ; money Is plenty great
churches are built, and the seats are a. dear az
at the theatres Anon comes the revulsion
Almost everybody is smashed up and goes 10