The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-11
OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

that God gives to God" the Doctor said sshas
adapted every man and woman for some calling and
place in this world and if men would
follow GODS lcadings in their several call.
ings there would be harmony and happiness
in the world. But because they don't do this
there is friction and disturbance aud dsharm ony It
is SO also in the Christian Church. Every man hath
his proper callingsome after this manner and some
after that. Some are designed to be ministers and
some to be editors. don't know the statistics Of
those who read the newspapers. said DR.. Bnrchard.
"but the press reaches more minds and moulds more
hearts than the pulpit. And every paper brings to
our homes matter that is either beautiful poison
Every paper that comes to our homes is either
u serpent angel Of mercy. shedding its light
and radiance and beauty on our homes. The press
is moulding and shaping our character to-day. And
If this be we rightly assembled here this after
noon to pray for editors. authors. publishers. &C.,
that they may DO brought under the sanctifying in
fuence of the Holy Ghost that every word that
comes to our homes may be like apples of gold in
pictures of sverlike the fruit of the tree of life.
which if man eat he shall live forever. There is
neither speech nor language where their voice not
heard. Their sound is gone out into all the earth
and their words to the ends Of the world The press
is the greatest fundamentally OF moral power in
the world
GOOD WORDS FOR THE SECULAR PRESS
DR.. S. l. Prime. the oldest editor in New York. Of
fered prayer for the press throughout this country
and the world The Doctor prayed that the spirit Of
wisdom might come upon every department Of the
press from the highest to the lowest, until it should
be used for the elevation and salvation of mankind.
After singing by the congregation the Doctor re-
marked that It only by slow degrees that we
begin to grasp the influence OF the press as an agency
tho mind and heart OF the people of America. ut
would take us long time to count million. but it
is harder for to grasp the idea that there goes out
of printed matter. Only think Of the influence of
that quantity of Of divers kinds on the million
said the Doctor that had hover seen nor heard Of
before. And yet it claimed to be in its twentieth
volume and to have circulated more than one
million copies. Is there any power
earth like it for influencing the minds of
men There was time when twelve
Roman Empire And it great feat But now
every person able to read can have paper. Now
press as It is of the pulpit. When think of the
power of the Bible and tract societies, of the great
Methodist Publishing House and other institutions
what agency the press is and rejoice. There is
not family in the United states that may not be
"that the press is largely on the side of law aud
order and good morals. 1t is not necessary that a
God God The farmer may just as truly siorify God
walking over his field and singing Coming through
tho Rye when he sits in church and sings.
Jesus, Lover of My SOUL"
rHE SECULAR PRESS RELIGIOUS.
."Do you know any paper" the Doctor asked. that
advocates rreligionp Let pray that they may be
more the side Of right; that they may preach the
Gospel as well as q sound morality. Too many Of us
take too gloomy view Of the aspect Of the times.
Everything is not going to wreck and ruin. Gods
truth and righteousness are advancing and not going
Mr. Robert Carter who was introduced AS a pub
Usher who had never issued bad book. briefly re-
lated what good book, written two hundred years
ago. accomplished when the worst king that ever
roigned in England was on the throne THAT book
brought to this country and was read by George
character and making him what he was And who
can tell, he added what blessing has come to this
prayed for blessing upon the press and that the
eyes Of those whose minds are polluted by It may be
opened. that they may turn to the Word OF God ana
that the smile Of God may rest the efforts that are
made to place pure literature in the hands OF the
youth of the land.
Dr. Bevsn. contrasting the literature of the present
age with the past gave the crown to th.s The power
human literature, he said sis very great in this age.
Its tone higher its spirit purer than that OF any
age of the world 1t is little more than century
since this Republic founded, and some OF us who
arc obliged for various purposes TO look into the
books of that age surprised and abashed Ii such
from one end of the land to the other. There
names OF honored publishers those books; but
nnbIishcr Of today would place his name before such
literature. "Newspapers, said DR.. Bevan. 'are and
will be what you make them Editors and publishers
will make what you read. II you viii aud as you
WILL i shall be for the glory Of the Master or for
the pollution of society,"
In the forenoon meeting of ladies' held in the
chapel OF the Broadway tabernacle. and ut four
o'clock similar meeting was held in the Central
Methodist Episcopal chapel. At both Of those gath
erngs the subject Of and other social re.
forms which were included in the topics for yester-
day were talked over and prayed for Similar mcct-
ngs will be held in both places to-day And, in adj
difon to the ladies' meeting In the Tabernacle at
eleven A. NJ there will be meeting for young girls
at the same hour in tho Tabernacle parlors.
NEwMAN's REMARKS.
At the Central Methodist Episcopal Church. in Sew
enth avenue. there was doubling up OF subjects.
Rev. Dr. Newman entered tho lecture room ut eight
O'Clock and after q moment of silent prayer threw
himself back in his chair and said:-"in
city like this newspaper readers
rather than book readers. In the country
tho reverse is the case 80 that while we have gem
era intelligence the better classes of country people
have accurate or minute Intelligence. The New
Yorker IS the moro thoroughly posted on current
events than any other American. The press enters
largely into daily life and its influence is tho
more powerful bccanse almost inperceptible. II
cannot be wholly praised nor wholly condemned; for
the truth In, the press IL both sdeson the side
of virtue well that of vice. The publication Of
crime bcgcs crime the publication of virtuous deeds
encourages and bcgcts virtue. As a rule the Journal
istc and magazine literature of this city il not in
favor of Christanity-that is. not as We hold it, 1t
processes respect for Christian ethics-moraty, bus
not for the fundamental principles of Christianity
Many editors half atheists sceptics. At least
Very seldom do they write out and out in favor OK
Christianity but very often in dscursive editorials
they oppose It,
Doubtless one journal IL doing much good py
printing the sermons that preached on SUNDAY.
tor they thus read everywhere. During the past
moral tone OF tho newspapers. There is less vtuper-
alton. some time ago the daily press was perfect
| school for scandal IL damaging TO nave secu-
| lar paper into the household
"A certain scientific journal published IN TINS city
land the speaker gave its name contains nothing put
the rankest and meancst inhdciity IL is az bad or
| worse than anything IN Paine or voitArc. line ue-
fence offered il that gives both Sides but never
gives an article ia favor OF the religion OF our
| Lord II has cxulted the defcat of tho
theolopans by the scientists, whereas the scientists
have left the Held alone 70 the theologians. I
| don't sec why there should not be corps OF
rolpious editors on our daily papers" DR.. Newman
next spoke the temperance question. saying that
though the Bible qua not arocs'y enJoi r total al
magmaniinity and scli-dcnial. In the of his
rrnarks ON the subject Of general literature DR..
Newman had warned his hearers against certain
aIrdred edition of the Bible, which, he said, had
been prepared by an inhdel society in this city.
PRAYING FOR THE PRESS.
4 Prayers were then offered for am improvement In
currcn literature and the spread of temperance pri-
| ciplcs. The first speaker said:-"I In not all light