The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-06
Religions Movements or the Day.


Religions Movements or the Day.
Whilst In the political world questions are in
agitation which threaten to alter seriously its
existing relations but little heed is taken Of the
movements which are eHecting such marked
changes in public sentiment on religious mat
tiers. And yet the revolutions in the one are no
less pregnant with results than those of the
other, or are more likely to exercise an enduring
influence on the welfare and happiness Of society.
The contrast between the present position of
the Romsh church and that of the churches aud
scots opposed to it is one of the most significant.
evidences of this fact Whilst we find the one
gradually renouncing the practices which under
mined its strength, we behold the others plunging
into the excuses which caused the weakness of
the parent creed. Abandoning its dreams of
universal domination the Catholic church ia
fast reverting to the primitive truths and moral
and social teachings which Christ inculcated, and
which for nearly three centuries formed the only
canons of its faith. AS the artificial system
which priestly ambition and the thirst of power
built up in its name is crumbling int dust, the
creed itself seems to be rising into nobler and
more elevated proportions than it ever assumed in
the plenitude ofits temporal gories. 1t no longer,
it is true, dictates terms to the monarchs Of
Christendom, but on the other hand it makes the
vivifying influence of its faith felt in the remot
\ est corners of the earth. From the widest
regions Of the Himalayas to the most
inaccessible centres of Chinese exclusiveness,
no
progress of Western ideas ard civilization.
Where the missionaries of other creeds wait
until conquest has opened path for them, the
untiring propagandists of the Romish faith have
already occupied the ground. In short, nothing
can surpass the persistent and selfsacridcing
mission of fraternal love. Whatever objections
may be taken to it's doctrines, nothing can be
more admirable or perfect than the unity and
discipline of the system by which they are
diffused.
When we turn to the countless sects into
which Professionalism is divided, what do we be-
hold? Dissension, Jealousy, and the ever con-
slant spread of the schismatic tendencies which
have split them up into so many hnciful COM
plexions. Bitter against the Catholic church for
it's alleged greediness of temporal advantages,
and bitter against each other, they one and all
exhibit a similar hungering after the loaves and
fishes In Great Britain we find Episcopacy
revealing in sensual enjoyments and competing
with the aristocracy in ostentation, whilst the
masses are left to grovel in spiritual degra-
dalton and ignorance. Take the agricultural
and manufacturing counties of England for
example, and we question whether, all the
world over there can be found more besotted.
unintellgent or irreligous population. In this
country Professionalism has diverged into other
and still more curious phases. There being no
religious ascendency or exclusive political bene-
fits to fight for it has lost the power Of cohesion
which it possessed from these causes, and is fast
breaking up its already innumerable classifca-
tions into smaller divisions, some of them
bordering on rank rebellion to Christianity. In
New England this is more particularly the case;
for to that section of the Union we owe most of
the "isms which form the curse and scourge of
our community. Socialism, spiritualism, freelove-
ism, and the other abominable doctrines which
have led astray such numbers of our population,
all spring from that fecund source of corruption.
To the Puritanism, in short, which tabooed all
the rational enjoyments of life in that section of
the country, have succeeded the widest excuses
Of reaction. 1t is the nature of man to rebel
against despotic restrictions upon his mental as
well as his physical liberty, and it is therefore not
to be wondered at that the New England States
should have turned out some of the most accom-
plished specimens of the religious reprobate
which it has fallen to the lot of any community
to produce. As religious rascality loves to
adhere to the forms in which 1t has developed
itself, many of these have consistently become
the apostles of the new creeds
1t is remarkable that whilst the Puritans of
New England have furnished large majority of
the Mormon and Spiritualist disciples, there are
comparatively few to be found amongst them
from those sections of the country in which more
rational ideas of religion are entertained. Still
more singular is the fact that the same discre-
pancy is to be observed in the statistics of social
offences. The most serious crimes against the
public morals are those which are committed
under the unbending rule and rigorous Sabbath
rian observances Of the godly-minded elders of
the Eastern congregations In proportion to
the purity Of the atmosphere, we suppose, does
the sin smell rank.
With this tendency towards change and indif
ference to public opinion, which are manifesting
themselves amongst the Protestant sects Of this
country, it is clear that they will not be long
able to maintain themselves against the reform
ed dispositions and increased activity Of the
Catholic church, headed, as it is, by such able
propagandists and hard workers as Archbishop
Hughes. If, instead of passing continually from
the extremes of asceticism and intolerance to
those OF infdelity and libertinism, and back
again, they were to pursue an even and
rational course of conduct, infringing no rights
of indiridual liLar4xz L.