The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-21


as widely spread as 1t has been sudden and spon-
taneous. The world of commerce, literature
and finance; the world of fashion, frivolity and
folly; the world that exists on the fourth floor
of the tenement house. and the world that re-
sides in Fifth avenue palace, with butchers
bill of seven dollars per month, are all equally
exercised upon the subject of religion Nor is
the movement confined to the metropolis. In
other cities and towns the public heart is won
derfulIy stirred. In the icy, correct, puritani-
cal city of Boston a set of philosophers have
seeded from the evangelical churches, and are
holding daily meetings, where they discuss the
question us to whether or not there should be
some radical change in the religion Of the
country.
In this city we are told that the daily prayer
meetings down town are thrOnged every day
with merchants, bankers, politicians, hnanciers-
men of all classes and conditions These re-
pentsnt sinners make oral confession that they
have done those things which they ought not
to have done, and have left undone those things
which they ought to have done; they pray,
likewise, that they may have strength to resist
the devil and all his works hereafter. Up town
the daughters Of fashion, in all the pOmp of
sables, and velvets, and Honiton and crinOline
-gltedged, bound in extra Turkey, full calf
Christians-throng the daily prayer meetings
at the Church Of the Puritans and elsewhere,
and send up to heaven rosy petitions, couched
in the most eloquent language, and waited on
high by the perfumes Of the legitimate sue
cessors of "Araby the blest." We are
all becoming very pious. The move
ment seems to be deep, profound
and sincere. In one of the religious
journals we read that at small village in
Rhode Island forty-two backsliders have been
renewed and restored to their duty as Chris
tians. In Connecticut, in one town the baptisms
amount to one hundred and twenty since the
revivals commenced. In Kansas a brother is
laboring earnestly in the vineyard, and he
"eleven preaching points per day. In an
other religious paper we read of four young
men who met at midnight prayed, and then
sang a song of Zion, upon the banks of an orns-
mental lake upon a gentleman's estate. They
then made hole in the ice, and proceeded to
immerse one of their number.
After another prayer and another song of praise they
turned To leave when the Waterman intercepted them,
replied that the wet aud Dripping individual who was
shverng before them had just become converted, and
couldn't wait until morning 70 be baptized
In this city, which our rural friends are fond of
comparing to London, Gomorrah, Babylon, and
other disreputable places, the movement is COM
pared to the encampment of the children of
Israel under the palm trees, and by the pleasant
waters of Elm. A writer in the Christian In
tdligncr says
The st. crowded prayer me etngs every MONDAY
in the Fulton street Conssory room, the newly opened
meeting IL Smith the thronged lecture and
prayer engs OF many city congregaions-a testify
that the church Of New York is encampng present
Elm But where is EmS Turn to the fifteenth chapter
OF Exodus and will that after long and painful
march tho scorchng sands, the children OF
Israel ''came to Film, where twelve wells of
and three score ana ten palm trees" With the svery
planes OF the palms floating them, and the Deep
cool wells ripping their delicious MUSIC through the
camp, not wonder that Israel pitched their tents
and abode by the waters.
Chrrts church IN New York (yesl and in many other
places. too) encsinprg under the rain trees OF spi.
ritual refreshmont and delight We are gathering around
one deep "weu OF sav Atom which Christ Jesus has
opened. Thirsty siSuers are coming hhher 10 d,aw
Ministers and laymen. with an ardor unknown before
inviting 10 earnest tones, Ho every one that tbirscih
come TO the ~atersr Deaf are beginning to be un
stopped 1he slow OF speech are becoming eloqucn;
The git OF tongues Is descending Those who could not
pray love to pray Truths preached sleeping
IL fact, the opening gories OF general and
genuine revival Is has been long and dry march
Sahara Of barronness and drought get here but
thanks be 10 Cod we are here NJ last
How we all got to these shady groves. cool
wells and pleasant palms seems to be a matter
OF doubt-certsinly, the clergy had nothing to
do with it. They found movement organized
and placed themselves at its head. The move
ment extends to.all the evangelical denomina-
tions-Baptists, Mcthodists, Unitarians Prcsby-
terians, and so forth. They are all orthodox In
70 much as this-they agree in certain practical
truths Of Christianity, but dispute in relation
TO dogmas and points ofchurch discipline, which
are really of no vital consequence. We can
never understand the mystery of the Deity, nor
decide distinctly Us to the doctrine of future
punishments. They belong to the Infinite, and
il is not given to US who are finite, to solve
them. The clergy, however, of all denomina-
tions- occupy all theh time in quarrels upon
these doctfinal points, and their. focks, bccom-
ing disguised with theological disputes wander
away into forbidden fields. Within the church
there is no excitement no enthusiasm. and
there is certain class Of believers who crave
this excitement and enthusiasm. These persons
wander away TO Mormonism, or spiritualism, or
Fourierism. or characterization. II was thus
that the physical manifestations made by
family of morbidly nervous women at Roches-
ter attracted the attention Of large class of
the community, and for time excited the
curiosity of the scientific world. 1t was thus
that Brigham Young was enabled to establish
State half way between our Atlantic and Paci-
fc coasts. II VS. thus \ bat the apostles of
Fourierism and freelovism were enabled to
count their adhercnts by thousands We all
know how diversified are the ideas of various
persons upon any of the disputed dogmas of
the Christian religion. The old woman who
said that her idea of heaven was that il was