The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-05
&c and Sentiment OF th'
ligious Pressy

Tho Logic and Sentiment OF the Re-
= ligious PressI -
The Independent of this week administers a
thoughtful rebuke to the practice Of political
defamation. Standing on the verge OF an ex-
citing and doubtful Presidential campaign, the
air about us already kissing with the hylng
shafts of partisan calumny the following ex-
tract may with advantage be taken TO heart by
that curious product Of imperfect civilization,
the party organ:-
Political and party journalism has. to large ex.
tent, adopted this system, renouncing SO far all
allegiance TO the laws of conscience ana scruplng
Committed to the interests OF party and Its candl
dates treats all opposing candidates as victims,
20 Ds OF ACTS false cdonr unjust
combinations, concealment OF truth, ridicule and
often the lowest and most vulgar blackguardism-
these and the like are far too much the characters
tic qualities Of party journalism. The amount OF
ain In the way Of evil speaking and evil writing at
by the biblical standard 81 morality would be fright.
full The people are armed against each other as II
they were belligerent forces, violent hatreds are
engendercd, and public morals are seriously cor
rupted by this system OF political and personal
calumny.
The Christian Union has second paper on
s'Christian Unity" and strives to show that it
is best expressed by the existence of q sympa-
thetic bond of affectionate friendship, not by
visible unanimity upon questions of doctrine.
This is its peroration:-
Our life is a training, and we should be constantly
rising from its lower stages to the higher ones.
First az children we are taken into the lives of our
parents. Then come personal friendships; and
then In the order Of nature, the perfect union OF
marriage. And then is given the sublime lesson OF
giving ourselves to others, not for the sweetness
which their natures yield to us in return, but in
Christ's spirit of pure disnterestedness. That s
Christianity When all the family of man shall
prayer lie fulfilled, that they all may be one, as
thou, Father, art in me and In thee"
Verify, q beautiful dream But it is only
dream, if we look simply at the present and
the Immediate future. Let us remember,
however, that the millennium is among the
though it be, it must surely come at last, and
the sooner the better.
The Metropolitan Record has sensible article
on the opening Of the libraries on Sunday--a
question which has agitated during the last
month, and especially since the publication Of
Mr.. Beecher's manly and spirited pronuncia-
mento. most Of our other religious COD
temporaries. We are among those who think
that since Satan finds work for idle hands and
brains to do, and since it is impossible for the
average human being to be kept OF the high
pressure point of religious ecstasy for twelve
hours at stretch, it is eminently wise and
proper to allow the out-of-church hours Of the
Sabbath to be spent in harmless social pleas
ures. or in communion with the great spirits
Of our literature, or even in turning over the
leaves of a good novel. We therefore heartily
endorse the following from the Record
The time for compelling all classes to comply with
the Yankee idea Of Sunday Is longer here 1t has
never again be seen. The solemn hypocrites who
stil observe Sunday IN the old Puritan way, except
kiss his wife on that day. or cling to the notion Of
retributive justice Illustrated In
Hanging a cat on Monday,
For killing of mouse ON Sunday
these solemn hypocrites object to opening the
libraries on the ground that to do so is to "dese
crate the Sabbath" In the same way u few years
ago they protested against the running OF street
cars OH Sunday, but their protests did not avail
and so far as we can Judge there has been no
consequence Of their prejudices being dsregarded.
Quite as many people go to church now as there
did twenty years ago. and the day is In every
respect as orderly as 1t was then.
The Evangelist also takes ground in behalf of
opening the libraries, and says, with much
reason, that if preaching service be estab-
1ished ut the Cooper Institute at the same time
that it is thrown open to readers ''the library
will be the best feeder to the congregation.
Thus too, there might be gathered together a
throng OF worshippers unique in its cha
racter, composed largely Of those who would
not go to the regular churches" So, slowly
but surely, the progressive spirit of our age
frees us from the bigotry of the dead past
Film after film the scales Of superstition fall
from our eyes, and we obey the spirit, and not
merely conform to the letter, Of the Living
Word.
The Christian at Work is as true to its title
and as charmingly written as ever. We have
always contended for earnestness in well-doing,
and believe heartily, as it says, that
Religious work is ike music-it is worth nothing
without SOU 10 T. one may ma ante IA ,ane il
musician who thrills US by the vibration OF his own
heart strings who makes US feel that he feels the
sentiment which the tune expresses.
The present issue of the Catholic Revie,o is a
decided and handsome improvement upon its
former appearance 1t has long article upon
the prospects of America becoming Catholic,
which is generally hopeful in tone, though it
alludes to many depressing moral influences.
It's sober opinion appears to be that, as De
Tocquevills predicted, the ultimate religious
destiny of our people is to be split up into two
vast camps of Auctuating strength-one
Catholic. the other composed Of Indiferents
Disbelieveis, Unbelievers, or whatever name
may seem to be most appropriate. Such q
result. however, seems to us to be very
remote.
According to the Reformed Church Messen-
ger there is the same struggle in that commu-
MON over the revival of external religion
which has divided the Episcopal Church into
High Church and Evangelical This ferment
of active thought is very hopeful sign Of the
living reality Of any religious body in which
it breaks out.