The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-19
THE PRESS.
CINCINNATI, TUESDAY, APRIL 10.
An Important Parsonage.

SPoFFoRD Tor copy OF tract by Rev.
NJ. D. CONWAY, of this city, entitled
Natural History of the Devil Mr.
CONWAY, contrary to the unanimous testi-
mony of all the old women of Christen-
dom, denies the existence of a personal
fend, and endeavors to account for the
notion of such being upon the score of
the tendency of the unenlightened human
mind to personify the principles which
it finds in existence. We do not know
what to think of Mr. CONWAY. Thus,
in serious publication, to deny one of the
fundamental articles of the popular Chris.
tianity, is an act of no ordinary temerity.
We half suspect that such opinions are
Atheistic; that they are fagrantly infdel,
we do not entertain single doubt.
Of course, it is hardly proper, in a secu-
lar journal, to enter into discussions of
nice points in theology; but it would not
require much time nor space to prove to
Mr.. CONWAY that he is mistaken. We
never saw the individual in question, it
is true, but have known several persons
who were well acquainted with those who
had at least they said so. In old cider
drinking times, in New England, he used
to be about good deal; and although he
is more careful of himself now than for
merly, there is no reason to suppose that
he is either dead or out of Office. He ap-
pears more frequently in the rural than
in the urban districts, and confines his
manifestations mostly to women and chill
dren, whose testimony, it would appear
Mr.. CONWAY has not consulted.
But there is difficulty in this matter
which we suspect that gentleman has not
contemplated If we resign the Devil,
what next? The act involves long train
Of disagreeable consequences What is
that place whose name is inadmissible in
genteel society, without its presiding
deity? We must give that up also and
with it the entire theology of high temper
atures; and then, what is there left for
a man to believer We would demonstrate
with Mr.. CONWAY: Reverend sir, give us
back our old creed; return to us our
h-ll, if you please, with its seas of fire
appendant, and its mountains of brim-
stone appurtenant; restore to his wonted
haunts our good old-fashioned Devil, with
his orthodox horns, tail, claws, and
cloven-foot so shall the equilibrium of
the moral universe be re-established, the
means be at hand to keep naughty chill
dren in order, and fragrant sinners be
frightened into good behavior here and
eternal happiness hereafter
More than an hundred years ago, DAN
lei DEFoE wrote the Political History of
the Devil" the motto of which is:
Bad as he is, the Devil may be abused, ..r
Be falsely charged, and causelessly accused,
When men, unwilling to be blamed alone,
DEFoE takes his Satanic Majesty to be
a real parsonage, and relates many Incl
dents, in which his acts and influence
were manifest in directing the current of
events. He considers him come of an
ancient family" originally settled and
filling high official position in heaven,
but afterward, for some act of insubordin-
alton, tried, condemned, and the SEN
tence of expulsion executed on him." so
that "he is, in this world, like a trans
ported felon, never to return. Between
the authority of the two historians-the
one certifying that he is, and the other
that he is not real personage-we will
not presume to decide. The world is be-
coming very skeptical, of late; and if so
important a feature in our religious sys-
TEN should be snuffed out in the summary
manner proposed by the Natural his
torian, there is no telling who or what
would become the next object of attack
We might be permitted to state, by
way Of postscript, that the last recorded
appearance of the parsonage in question,
IN MS oihclal character, was at the taking
possession, by the late JOSEPH SMITH, of
The Latter-Day Saints, of the spot upon
the hill Of CumOrah, in the State of New
York, where were deposited the golden
plates from which was translated the
sacred Book Of Mormon. This import
ant ceremony took place in the presence
OF imposing delegations from both the
theological flnalities, who were summoned
as witnesses-the Prince of Darkness
himself with brilliant retinue of sable
potentates, consenting to give his attend
ance. Whether this is positively his last
appearance, win probably depend upon
events in the future.