The New York herald., 1863-02-22

h'N'ao"' 1He HERALD ~ an nstitutioh Mhioh
cannot be stopped any more than the flow OF
the tide or the current Of the Mississippi. We
have received q number Of letters on the sub
Ject-some from persons wanting to be whole
sale agents. We have no exclusive agents. We
sell the HERALD to ali who are ready to pay
cash for it, and in that way every dealer in
newspapers may become an agent for its sale
on his own responsibility.
The Religious Press from . Religious
Point OF Vlow.
Christ said -" My kingdom is not Of this
world" Christianity, therefore, ought not to
be Of the world worldly. Consequently the
religious press, which processes to represent
and propagate true Christianity. should deal
delicatcly with the affairs Of earth, and devote
itself wholly to the arduous task of persuading,
convincing and converting sinners, increasing
and edifying the Church of God, and making
this wicked world more like that Heaven into
which, as some the0logians say, it is some day
to be transformed. Christ persistently and re-
solutely refused to dabble in politics. "Render
unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's; and unto
God the things that are Gods" was His reply
to those VINO endeavored to entrap him into
political speech. It is evident that those per-
sons who claim to be, par erccHence the SER
wants of Christ, should follow his example In
this, a. in all other respects 1t is equally clear
that the editors of religious papers who assume
to be not only readers and d0ers, but also
teachers Of the Word, should be particularly
careful not to attempt to mingle politics and
religion or to effect compromise between
Caesar and God. True Christians Of all denomi-
nations will admit tho truth of these trite but
pregnant statements No respectable dominic
will hesitate to endorse them from his pulpit.
How Is it, then, that we find the religious
press of this city busying itself with the affairs
Of time, and almost entirely neglecting those Of
eternity? How is it that we find the religious
editors advocating doctrines and promulgating
opinions which are contrary to all Christian
principles and abhorrent to all really pious
people? With scarcely an exception the re-
ligious press now urges on the war, and indig-
nantly repudiates all efforts towards concilia.
ton. Is that in accordance with the pre-
cepts Of the Prince of Peace? Is war Chris
tian amusement Is it pious to cut, wound,
religion teach us to shed our brothers blood or
to insist that other people shall commit murder
in fratricidal conflict! If SO, in what are
Christians better than sinnerss In what does
the Bible differ from "The School for the Sol
dier." In what consists the distinction between
religion and the art military? War, as we all
know, is but another name for conglomera-
ton Of massacres, robberies and brntalities-a
concentration Of all kinds Of outrages upon
life, person and property. Is war, then,
a Christian institution? Is the Bible wrong in
commanding men not to KILL not to steal, not
to covet their neighbor's goods? We appeal
from the dictum of the modern religious press
to that original issue of the ancient religious
press-the Word of God. According to the
doctrines Of that book war is o sin. Why then,
does our religious press insist upon our continu-
ing in our SIM What could the most profane. the
most irreligious, press do more? The Bible and
our religious newspapers are plainly at variance
upon this most essential point. Either one or
the other Is entirely wrong. Those who believe
the one should discard the other. No one can
prohtably read or allow his family to read,
authorities SO totally contradictory. It is not
at all difficult to determine which is the true
Gospel.
The proper course for the religious papers to
take during the present crisis would naturally
suggest itself to those who regard the question
from a religious point of view. While endur-
ing this war as patriots, the pous editors ought
to earnestly and constantly protest against
it as Christians. But, rs it is, the religious
papers have not even the excuse of
excessive patriotism for their wofully false
position. Patriotism, like religion, utterly es-
chews politics. The politics Of this day are
notoriously dirty; and who can touch
filth and not be defiled? But the reli-
gious papers are almost all political organs.
In last weeks Independent there is long
article, written by the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, and entirely devoted to personal and
political abuse Of Thurlow Weed. Is that
proper article for minister of God to write
and a religious paper TO publish? To this arti-
Gle Thurlow Weed has replied in card 80
well conceived and keenly worded as to COM
pletely annihilate the reverend editor of tho
Independent. 1t is thus that truth always gets
the better of error, and right Of wrong; but
how sad it is to find error and wrong cham
pioned by minister of God, and truth and
right opposing religious paper. Such spec
tacle sets all old ideas Of both proprety and
Christianity at defiance. What is the world
coming to, when already the agents Of God are
doing the work of the Devil, the pulpit has be-
come political rostrum, and the religious
press, instead Of expounding, illustrating and
sobcrness is found crying havoc, hi-hi-ing on the
dogs Of war, and indulging in the worst and
basest sort Of political controversy
But, say the editors Of these delectable
papers, we must write up the war and dabble
in politics or our papers would not pay
Upon this principle the Evangelist reserves