, 1880-07-04
"HYpocRIsY ON THE DECLINE"


controlling the law-nlaking power.
-
"HYpOCRISY ON THE DECLINE"
1t is cheering to be Informed, ''of1irially,"
by such staid and conservative guardian Of
tile public morals as the London Spectator
that hypocrisy is upon the decline, and that
there are not nearly so many Scribes and
pharisees Ill the world as there used to be.
We presume the writer Of the article i'll Qnes-
tious arrives at lis decisions from observa-
tions in England, but, as human nature Is the
same the world over, we may assume that
this very t1isagreeable characteristic is dis
appearing hero as we'll as there. This being
the case, the grounds upon which the Spect1-
tor bases its arguments will be Of interest.
Tile first cause Of the great change assigned
by tho Spectator is an increase i'll the gen
eral perception and comprehension OF varle-
ties of character. Ordinary people travel
more than they did, see more, talk more, and
read more, especially In fiction, which Wldens
their conceptions of character, and gives
them more real views of it in all its variety.
In their former narrow grooves, they
could not conceive that persons widely dit
fering from themselves in their views, their
habits, and modes Of life were not hypo-'
crits. They could not believe that they
we're sincere. The Spectator makes a good
point, in the way Of illustration, by citing the
Quakers, Methodsts, and SOME other sects'
1t one time the Quakers were universally re-
gardcd rs parcel of hypocrits. It was be-
lieved that under the garb OF severity they
concealed laxity of morals. The Spectator
saws: "Much, perhaps most, of this change
is due. of course, to the change OF public
feeling in regard to Qnakerism itself, which
Is no longer considered ultra-heretlcal; but
some Of 1t arises from another causc,-a very
| curious and notable decline in the public
readiness to suspect hypocrisy. a very few
years ago, not half a century, this suspicion
| WAS by certain classes perpetually OK
pressed both publicly and in society, in every
| variety Of form; and there is no reason to
believe that it was only assumed,
though it may have been purpose
| " exaggerated in expression" And again
it SAYS: "a section Of the public did really
believe that every Catholic priest used the
| confessional for seduction, that every Dis
sentlng minister was either a drinker,
I cheat, or Il man practicing poor profession
! for gain only, and that every professor rs
the eEyanselicals styled him, was debauchee.
| Comic literature, especially pictorial l1tert-
ture, was almost based OIL those assumptions,
which were so popular with the mob, thnt
the ducking of a preacher or 'Methody ,
| struck them as being only fnir penalty for
! habitual lying and deceitfulness." This un-
fairness Of Judgment joined with certain
degree of personal prejudice produced such
characters as Stlggl1ls and Chddba'ad. The
world laughed ut them then, but it would
hardly laugh now. 1t would be more likely
to regard them as sincere, though it might
heartily dislike them, since the world always
tislikes extremes even in religion. We are
much more inclined to regard such people as
| fanatics than as hypocrlts, and outside of
their particular hobbies they are trusted as
much us the less vehement or radical. Doubt
less. few years ago, Brother Moody would
/ have been regarded as hypOcrlt, but to-day,
while there are many people who may differ
with him, or oven dislike his sectarian views
and his manner of expressing them, no one
questions his sincerity. The most inveteratc
opponent has confidence III him. Unques-
tionably Alr. 1ngersoll would not hesitate to
trust his pocketbook with Brother Moody,
and Brother Moody, though in his heart Of
hearts he believes that Mr.. Ingersoll is going
to the "demnition bowwows," would have
no hesitancy in placing the same confidence in
the great atheist. As stated by the Spectator,
"Thc man who habitually puts his faith for
ward out of season may be, they think, a
hypocrit, but is much more likely to be q
man who lacks on that subject sclf-restraint,
or a full sense of proportion" and as for a
costume or dialect "that Is q way and in
dicates nothing except wish to announce
very publicly the views that the wearer OF
the speaker sustains."
Tho second cause, and to US much the
strongest ore, is a decline in the practice o1
hypocrisy itself. 1t does not pay as we'll II
this country, which is less welded to forms
and 1ummeries than England, it never has
paid, for the disguise is easily penetrated
here. The Spectator says:
If, for instance, man affects asceticism. tht
public may believe him an .tscetlc, yet not draw
h ss It aay ne
not disnterested, though some arc; he may bt
SO or not,-asccticfsm dues not prove It; H
may like asceticiem best, and strive unfairly TO
money Us power ali the same." Average met
Of the former generation did not quite know
that that type existed, and were forced, as !
wcrc to decide either that the ascctic WAS who'll,
disinlercsted uli through, and therefore to tr1s
him, or that ne was hypocrlt. As they did no
trust him ali through they bluntly decided tha
his asceticism was merely hypocrisy. No,
they distrust, but consider tho ascettctsm by IT
, sell. The growth Of perception which enable
spcech hab and WAY waSs may may be % deepy reIiso
men. has released the pious from a certain
temptation to affect devotion, and ut the sam
> time has deprived the hypocFit of the adyantax
, | he expected from the atectaaon.
5 III the matter Of hypocrisy there is All es
, ! sential difference between this co11ntry arl