The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-03

doctrine.
Foa.Ttn-when. therefore, "w. CO.. enlightens us
with quotations, please let rs have opportunity to
EXAMINE the context, not that great questions
suss sna are or 70 Even % Sa%a S sn a
ity to be determined BY 'Clippings;' but there
c w 1sn Ss
trusted In clippings Let me commend to 'W.
G." the verdict OF Disraell on Heglln, another Of
the clipped" dlylnss. ana almost the only other
In the world OF etters:"Heglln. In his history Of
the Puritans and Presby terlans, blackens them for
political devils He Is the Spagnolet OF history, de.
lighting himself with horrors at which the painter
himself must have started.n We must know the
attitude OF men before We can judge OF their rep
resentatlve character. ]. II.
A Laborer's Reflections ON Plety and
Poverty.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
1t might not be out Of place to give you the
opinion OF laborsr on Christianity, suggested by
q letter in the HBRALD Of the 9Th inst, signed
'.Anti-Clmax." There are NO people on earth
who have better opportunities than Americans to
distinguish between night and WRONG IS far as re-
hgion Is concerned. as emigration brings the
people Of all nationaities race TO face here, and,
whether the emigrants be from Catholic or Prot
estant countries, their appearance generally indi
Gates happy deliverance from persecution. From
my limited knowledge am inclined to think the
majority OF the people in Christian countries are
both ignorant and poor. II ignorance and poverty
be a part Of the Christian requirement. those VINO
teach the CHRISTIAN doctrine seem to be fortunate
in their escape from either poverty or ignorance
Another feature at present attracting consider
able attention rom the working classes Is
erect costly places OF worship while the
majority OF the people are starving for
appearances, these costly edIfices intended
Tor the lowly or the humble, but for the rich and
tlaniIy Is Its tolerance OF wrong by 0mtetlng to
practice what 1t preacnes. II to love God above
all things and your nelghbor as yourself be the
nrst duty OF Christian, those who live and get
rich by studied injury to their neghDOrs have very
/ little claim to Christianity no matter how much
pews cost. THOSE who 80 TO church on sunday
morning with gold OnerIngs and make their neigh
DOrs drunk in the afternoon with poisoned LIQUOR
are no acquisition to Cnrlstanity. What can DO
| the laborer's future hope wnen he sees the differ
ent parts OF the city wnere the poor reside having
almost every other house diStiilery or porter
house and their proprierors occupying the best
seats IN our Christian churches Or II cast our
| eyes to fashionable localities we can behold the
rich dsrller and brewer, the dishonest and corrupt
politician, SIDE by side with the Christian teacher
noo sre re " ~ saapv Tue
/ prey OF ravenous wolves, their shepherds are
either sleeping or looking on inactive. Wherever
! we look we benold preparations TO punish crime
ever on the increase, aud no prevention TO 1t. We
see our government bent on crushing the poor
| and honOrng tine rich. We beuold the honegt
4 tolier unable TO lind work, and, wnen IL Ia Iound
| he cannot live BY deprecated currency. We see
the impudent politician threatening the pubic
press Tor defending the people we see fashion and
/ mlatlon going on pended knees IN the mud pray
ing Tor the poor publican VINO by retail, while
they sin by wholesale. IN fact. we have very little
! hope except In God and the public press-the peo-
/ Pies next best friend-at the head OF winch
SHOWN friendship to the people by literally giving
\ 10 the poor, and whose honest cause it WIN con-
tinue to vindicate until dishonesty and sham piety
are forced 10 give iar play TO Christianity and the
\ people. A MANHAfIANVlLLE LABUkER.
! A Secptic Open to Christian Convictions.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HKRALD:-
| In "Chrstian's" review OF "Scepticn in late
Sunday issue Of the HERALD he says 1.-THE assertions
OF sceptlcs n1dels the hardest OF all TO deal
with, because not amenabe to the Bible or Church
dogmas" TO me 1t appears that it Is christian,
4 lntrenched behind his Bible and Church dogmas.
received by faith who is the more difficult TO
reach, because he holds faith paramount to obser-
walton ana reason, and Is therefore quite beyond
the reach OF argument refusing to accept evidence
which in everyday life he would unhesitatingly re-
ceive. 'Uhristland accepts on faith alone the
divinity Of the Bible, turns upon the scepttc,
I who cannot conscienti0usly do 80, and with
Christian modesty, says you "are vain, conceited
/ and shallow minded" Certainly he must be
blind sceptic not De convinced by such arguments.
Pray, dear Christian" will you tell me now | am
TO believe that which, after careful and honest In
vestlgation, fall to md evidence 10 convince my
reason and Judgment of the truth Off We're you
sitting upon jury to pass upon the guilt or limo
cence 0t prisoner, and alter listening to all the
1 evidence IN tue case, you were not convinced OF
his guilt. could your opinion have been otherwise,
and, II honest, should you De blamed And what
respect would you have for the other eleven
Jurors who were convinced should they ridicule
ana abuse you witn epitIets ior your unDellef
manly, II not entirely, thing OF early education
Had "Christan" been born IN Constant inople, Of
Mahometan parents. reared and educated In
the Deief OF the Koran and OF Mahomet ~ q
prophet, does he doubt that the Koran would
have been his Bible, and that ne
would have looked upon all dlsDellevers
with the same contempt and horror
that he now does upon poor sceptics
Or had Christian been the son of Brigham Dung,
reared and educated under his tuition, he would
undoubtedly nave been worthy son and faithful
follower OF tIat propnet Inc BOOK OF Mormon
would nave been lbs Bible. and the Gentiles the
recipients OF hts anathenas SO we mgnt say or
all religions and doctrines. Under certain other
circumstances, christian might have been Just
as earnest pagan, ldoater Jew, savage or cannI-
bal, and be taunting all others with unueIeL But
let me consider the cain OF the Bible AZ q book or
divine revelation. suppose that a man.
In whom "Cnristtan" reposes MS greatest
That he mad mad personal interview ana
conversation with the Almighty, and received
direct RON His hands, engraved upon tablets OF
stone, law Tor human acuon, and had been him
sell divinely commissioned to administer that law
and rule over the people. would ''Christlanu yield
ready and wiling obedience ard nave no doubtsg
This is parallel case TO that VI Noses who wrote
the first books OF the Bible. And ..Chrstianr is
under stronger Obligations TO beneve In the latter
case, because IL comes from living witne AZ OF
acknowledged integrity; or, were his friends TO
relate dreams alter the manner OF the patriarchs,
regard ing them as communications from God; or,
DfDieHglQH luSDIreu.