The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-02


than rhapsodies about gardens and horticul-
tural rhetoric; for, however much Christian
souls may delight in the graces and gifts OF
oratory, eloquence and rhetoric do not con-
stitute religion. In the fall Of Mr.. Beecher-
and we do not speak OF him as one who, what
ever the result OF this trial, has survived his
reputation, ard never again can preach a
sweet and pure gospel but one tainted with
acrid memories of the scandal trial-in the
fall OF Mr.. Beecher we have an incentive to
the revival which we see around us and which
gave Mr.. Marley so much encouragement and
success. There is a crying out in the hearts
of the people for the bread of life. We can
not agree with Mr.. rockingham, for instance,
that this revival is only series of waves, and
that when they recede they leave darker
deposits of mud. No harm ever came from
these movements any more than harm would
cone from the turbulence and agitation of
the sea. Some weak bark will go down in the
waves, some poor soul will be swept ashore
among the breakers we shall see wrecks and
inundations but in the end the result will
be a blessing. There will be purer atmos-
phere, brighter skies and general freshening
and awakening of nature.
In the same way we see in this revival
freshening and awakening of soul. Is it not
time? After so much lethargy can we not
have life? After so much sorrow is there no
peace? After so much shame ia there no
purer. higher, nobler duty? After all those
miasmatic vapors that have polluted the
atmosphere may not the Christian soul cry out
for the air and sunshine of Gospel truth? 1t
is good thing to find our people coming
back to the Ten Commandments and what
ever odd customs the revivalists preach, what
ever their exaggerations and LONELINESS of
thought, they are generally true to the solemn
laws which the Israelites read on the tablets
of stone religion of geometry and the
classics, tempered by backwoods dramas and
the negro Ministries, such as Mr.. Froth-
ingham would preach, will not in the
long run be of much more benefit
than the Horticulture and OSCILLATION of Brook
Ign Heights There is something, after ALL in
these old commandments, and so far as the
revival feeling brings them TO the hearts of
tue ptOplc 50 IL Is IL DleSSluH 10 our CIVIL
ization. We are not afraid of the 'smud de-
posts which annoy Mr.. rockingham, nor Of
the cases Of dementia which have attended the
labors Of Moody and Sankey in England.
For one poor, rapt, uncertain soul which finds
its way into an insane asylum to fret and
gibber over effectual calling and eternal pun
ishment there are thousands who fall into the
prisons and warehouses; and pauper asylums
because Of their sin and shame. There are
moro hearts tainted this morning be-
cause Of what we have heard and
read of Brooklyn theology; more
fresh, virgin minds polluted because Of the
revelations Of this pernicious trial ; more real,
irreparable injury to society and good morals
than would result from thousand years Of
the revival efforts Of Moody and Sankey and
varley. Let our clergymen, therefore, who
mock at the work Of plain, humble men, rise
up and preach Christ crucifed. Religion
does not want an opera or a hymn, but the
ringing Of tocsin, the alarm bell in the night,
the summoning Of every agency of truth to
combat vice and to revive disbeartened and
dying faith.