The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-12
Cheap John Religion.

body Will ever hud out you've got II; take
II along with Won. It's so thin you ,an see
through il; it's SO soft you olu't feel of It;
It's SO hight you can fool with it. Going,
going, gone-frec, gratis, for nothing; ard,
when you think you've got 1t, see II you've
got what you think.
SO cties CHEAP JonN. ns he goes TO and
fro, with his gospel wares in his hand, and
II GLIB tongue IN his mouth. Before him
are the gaping mutitudes, aud behind him
are his shipwrecked victims.
There is any quantity Of this cheap, easy,
ard worthless religion in the world. II is
the DEVILS counterfeit. IL Is the bogus
currency with which he defrauds count ess
dupes. He knows that men Ind women
want some sort of religion, and that II Is
not possible to cheat them out of religion,
unless he offers them something that
looks like IL. lie therefore gets up
all sorts OF devices, and suits them to every
taste. whether the taste be for gllded sham
or solid humbuG. lie would doubtless he
happy If he could upset all religion. and
turn the whole human race into pirates,
hlasphemers, felons, and debauched mon
stcrs; but he has learned by experience
that IL Is useless TO attempt such a job I;
aud so he takes on the airs of respecta-
bility, while he draws wcak-miuded
people into his arms by the seduc-
tons Of cheap, easy, aud false rcli-
gion. He smiles 10 them, sings TO them.
and points them to Heaven, even while he
Is leading them In the way which goes TO
what THOMAS CARLYLE so emphatcallv
calls the "Other Place" Thus he gets
hold of tens OF thousands who are not
properly instructed a TO the arts of couu-
t'rioitnG, and the true nature Of genuine
religion.
1t Is our duty TO warn the Rev. FRED
ERIcK BELL TO beware OF tho wiles and
lnachnations Of the old dcceiver. We do
not know rs much ms we ought 10 know
about MIR. BELL. lie has lately been op-
Grating rs a rovivalst In this city at q
brooklyn. He has appeared in the pres
ence of multtudes rs the Singing
Preacher" He Is both MOoDY and SANKEY
In one; or rather, he is more than each
AMI more than both, according to his adj
mirrors who siy no can preach better
than MOODY and sing better than SANKEY.
These statements, IF correct, are pleasing
tous. II man has two talents he ought
to use them both; and he who has two is
twice as we'll off as he who has but one.
The Rev. Mr.. BELLS methods interesting.
When he appears before an audience ne
does not begin by preaching n sermon and
end by singing hymn. lie breaches u
few moments, then sings n verse or two,
next breaches again a few moments,
then sings a little more, next breaches,
then sings, and 90 on 20 the end. Thus, for
example, rs we take up the report of one
Of his recent meetings ana look NJ the first
place that meets our eye, we find these
words;
ga o "@ con- y "" R b. S.' "s qaS
'"' Jaw Amos sII PC saa ' ,'t &c.
Now, this Is an odd way OF Mr. BELL,
but We don't find fault with II, though 20
some people II must have associations cal
culated 10 make them smile
Mr. BELL has recently been operating In
Mr.. TyNG's Church-the younger TYNG's:
and he opened one OF hts meetings thus:
- Icaono, tell you how glaa an o nave the PRIV
nj unGcrstand music bv not. IA Mt kn6v y rom
ac i r iasa "' ioo tp p''s '' 20" e. ny,s AZ
! ye sans m r. mo lvSdon III n have ,pra' ed
cinn sing, - course / 6m gong 20 engv u = SOM
ese Mr. BglL mere sarg 1he Blood-staned Banner,
after whIch.' re.
so Mr. BELL "sinGs people into saliva
ton" This Is certainly an easy enough
way 10 be saved. 1t seems to be rather n
pleas ant way, though We surmise II would
be quite rasping way for those who I'M
dcrstand the music which he twists TO suit
himself and the musical notation which
il would be no use for him TO look at.
These people would undoubtedly squirm
while he WAS operating on them, ana
would be in danger Of becoming bias
phemers instead Of converts. But the less
cultivated and sensitive hearers who ex-
perience salvation through such singing
would probably never find out how lie had
twisted them while twisting the music to
suit himself. But these are trivial matters
What kind of salvation is it into which
the Rev. FREDERICK BELL has sung go
many sinners? As his SONGS seem to be OF
the sentimental, emotional, pathetic sort
we presume that he siirs up these feelings
in his hearers. ana that they have a sweet
sense Of enjoyment which they take to be
the experience OF religion. II this be
BELLS salvation, II is the DEVILS coulter
felt. True religion IL something else than
sentimental Indulgence and true CONVEX
sion Ia something moro than the BELL
business. In the scrptuTal sense IL IL Il
practical, serious notwithstanding thing
"quick, powerful, and sharper than any
two-edgcd sword, piercing even to the d.
viding asImder Of soul ana spirit, and of
the joints ana marrow" II Is not a thing
that can be sung into man, though the
singer twist his music into the notation of
despair Does BELL sing men and women
out Of their evil lives ways, and passions
Does he sing out their malice, avarioe, AMI
devltry? Alas! for the converts made In
the BELL fashion, il they are not after
ward made over again. We fear that PAUL
would describe them ms sounding brass or
atinkling cymbal. JEREMIAH, IsAIAH, and
the other austere prophets of Israel, did
not operate on the SINNERS Of their times