The New York Herald Newspaper, May 7, 1877, Page 8

GOD'S WORD. The Work Allotted to Every Man by Heaven. — DEVOTION TO THE VIRGIN MARY. Sanctification Attaiaable Through Truth. a PICTURING HEAVENLY LIVE. ——— Mr. Talmage on the Awful Example of Bad Officials, —--—-+- THE GOOD STEWARD'S REWARD. petslae the Ga THE DISCIPLES, “VERY MAN HAS HIS WORK" DISCUSSED BY | REV. GEORGE H, HLPWORTH. ‘Taking for bis text John, v., 17, Key. Dr. Hepworth yesterday morning delivered a discourse, Labor, said | be, seems to be the full roid to success in life, Upon | every man has fallen the necessity of working, Ibis | | | | CHURCH OF golden bondage in which we are all bred, and the clinking of its chains makes the brightest music of tife, Labor is the beaten highway which God Himself hath laid out for man to « in, and which He hath Him- self hedged in by Hislaw andby His love, Ournighest happiness is allied to the hardest work. To toil gives one the right to smile after itis done, To expend all one’s force in trying to carry a forlorn hope to a suc cessiul end is to enlarge one’s heart and increase bis energies until he is surprised at his own power, ADAM'S FALL. To have nothing but leisure is to be subjected to constant temptation, He who has nothing to do sits down in self-condemnation and 1s surrounded by dis- ; content and unrest all the while, Man’s normal con- dition is to be at work. ‘To be at leisure is to suffer from disease, The minister pointed out the fact that ‘Adum Was supplied with ail the heart could wish, that he labored on the summit of the mount; he had but | tu dream and what bo saw im imagination became golden realities. but he suddenly teil trom the moun- ‘tuin’s summit to the mountain’s ba We were not furmed until after he tell, Our cradies were rocked in the valley; our feet never toucbed the mountuin top. Therefure we Know not what we lost by Adain’s fall, | But, brethren, by God’s redeeming grace we can reclaim the | auciept inheritance of our grout | ancestor, because God loves and God for- gives. We cunuot anticipate Adam. What we want does not le here as it did with him, Lt lies afar off; but whie we are climbing toward | it and working for it We dream of it—we hope to reach | the goal some day, and scatters sunbeams all around | our puth, God voucbsafed to us the ability to dream of What is beyond, While we trudge along we can bor- row tlowers of the hereafter, fill our presence with | the future, unul the cup is overtlowing and drops tall | from the edges 0 baptize us im the midst of our sor- rows. GOD A THEOLOGICAL MYSTERY. Brethren, there is a strange association in our toxt: “My Father worketh heretofore ana 1 work.” A working God is a theological mystery. Far away in the East, where the people imagine their Deity, they tink of Him as recuming on a downy couch of clowas sleeping time away—never giving any thoughts to us The gods of the ancients are portrayed ia mythology as seifish, Ail Jupuer cared for Was bimself, Bat when I turn over the ieaves of tuis blessed volume L find tne conception of God such us the world never | had betore, There we bave a God who worketh not tor | Himseli—who worketh tor me, for mine, tor you. he | Fens His immistering augels to me day and night. He Is willing to do everything for ine and asks nothing in return put watt will love Him as much as He loves me—that I will have faith and confidence in Him ev in the dark bours when i cannot see the path de- fore me. Gov’s PURPOSE. The minister next considered the purpose God had w in working tur man, fis object is not to me | in vie cl His power wo ylorily Himself, nor to extend His ct is to | i we shall sit in mpany jorever and ever, He is one wh sactitives and wo all the gain. es, He made a great when from His golden home Ie summoued loved Son earthward which chued with the cross aud with the Bb Yuere must have been sorrow in en atthat moment as there was doubtiess joy in when Corist broke from the bondage of the d ugcended upon high, We may be tempied from following HH Christ was eli tempted, dut k bold in God and He resisted 1. God asks us thatwe shall love Him for sending His son to eurth tobe our ransom wants us to follow in the et His ouly t sou Jesus Christ. The one price We pay tor His love 18 lovove the Master in return, It is cuougu, Lv 1s all God asks, ana it He wsks uo more then we are Fate ised. MAN'S TON TO GoD. Ii God has an ovject in view bow do you and I stand with regard to that object? If it be true that the tu ture will bear Witness to God’s retribuuve jastice on one hand and rewards on the other, how do you and I stand with re; ’ Is our pe.ce made with Him? is it weil with you, my brother, or are you im « r of His wrathy One ‘thi Know, you are happy in proportion to your love of God and unhappy iu proportion to your disregard of God, Mr, Hep. | worth concluded by relerring to tbe two pictures by Rembrandt, in n—his first and lust creae tious respectively powed that the Curisiian, like this great artist, Irom alittle beginning might attain to the highest point in Christ ment, He pointed out that no one could h vd who did hot do ood to others, unde peated to each of the 400 chareh meiwbers ent to make an etlort before the next com finner trom darkness in PLYMOULH CHURCH, BERMON BY MR, BEECHER “THE SIGNS OF THE HEAVENLY LI’E’’--ADMIS-10N CF MEM- BE ——THE MISSING ORGANIST RETURNS, The latest ly mouth Church seusation bas collapsed, Mr. Henry Eyre Brown, the new organist, who had Deen missing from his home since Friday last, pre- at the organ yesterday, entering, at the proper i place, upon those duties to which he had been appointed by the chureb, The explanation given of his strange nee is that he went to Albany, was to bring at least one orious euntight, oN taken sick and became so prostrated that ho was una. ble to communicate with bis friends. The first Sunday in May is always a red-letter day in the calendar of l’iymouth Churep, Ninety-seven per- sons Were publicly admitted as members, comprising Busbands and wives, brothers and sisters, an acces. milies as well as individaals, The sixty-tive who entered on a prolession of faith signi+ fied their allegiance to the following covenant by the {nclination of the head after it was read to them in solomn tones by Mr. Beecher Bion of groups ot 1 Jehovah to he yo rT tloly spirit tu be your Banctider ? lon of this world over 60, doy whole soul aud body to tue ser= Viee of ¢ His word. wi rule of your s you, will you porsevere in Fighteen of the now metbors not having been re- cipients of the rite of baptism in their infancy were baptized and “named” by the pastor, cach devouty Kneeling at his feet as he sprinkiod their torebeads with water. This rende removal by the ladics of i heir new spring bats, KH ¥ The gubject ot Mr. eocher’s sermon was “The Signs of the Heavenly Lite,” and the text was selected from Hebrews, xii, 22 anc be Mr. Beecher comraenced by saying that this whi ehaptor was in the nature of a future. ft Is an in fucuce rather than a knowledge, and yet how shail @ue ioe) influenced except through the reason or Knowledge? But itis the way of the liguest instruc. tion to cuter through the tmaginativn und come to the Feason in that way. Th the genius, certainly, of tue New Testament in he lilo avove—the life that 18 to come. nes, It never deseribes by clean, right li bills of items which will bear scrutiny be reduced to the basis of actual fact, not so ouch a knowledge, as wo should call it in this jife as to produce inthe mind of the reader certain | It seeks sintes of jeeling. Unskibed men writing without in- ton of the great alter life istake OF aliempuing Lo give to men in even pCUrUCY op.nious respecting frowdom, or our oxis & compre: bend, When inspiration writes it poetizers heaven; the writer becomes u divine dramatiet and gives to mon conceptions through their imagination, After all what men need i# to be spurred up, to bo raised to would bave fallen into od that which 1 promotive ol the bigher spiritual life, What wo neod is tnore jinayination that will propel us A our present lie, make us earnest, slong the plane taytnfal and diligent in bus! serving the Lora, Lt 18 to Javions tends ; 16 Is to tars th TOPOGKAPHICAL All efforts, therciore, to deserii but at th MRAVES. & topographieal heaven, a geological heaven, or chemical heaven, an Ectual cdivational heaven, When the descrivers aspire to be poets or to give pon und pencil drawings, are all poor, Ludeed, the noudn of heaven 18 like @ great there is nothing mors oxquisie unless you put it on the palm of At was the vel many other things shan a flake of show, your band, aod then you have not got any. | great trath was a source of joy und consolation. J necessary the temporary | ap bubble, he end of the imaginative knowledge that we get; the moment that we attempt to compress it to the form of literal tact we destroy it. To say that we shail be glorious meaus a good deal, but the moment we undertake to tell what glory is we feel our mistake, The best things that are inside ot man are like nightingales, which sing if they think nobody hears, but wou’t sing when coinpany comes, THE LIVK THAT NOW Is. There are some lessons to be derived from this with- out the curiosity mongers’ process; there are certain great truths that may be deduced trom this without at- tempting to anatomize heaven and render it 1 scic: tide form, and which, if we seize thom right, will be an exceeding great comfort to us in our Christian life, If it be true that we live again, if it be true that wo are going forth to live in the higher life, tnen the grandeur of the lite that we now live }s out of sight. What we are in the family and the shop, in the State, in society and neighhorhood depends upon what we can do, Man is worth the facts that he cao prove—po more and no less, Judged by polit- ical economy a man that can, create noth- ing is worth nothing; he is absolutely valueless in the strife of this mortal life, Thus, mon moasur- ing themselves by this automatic rale ure thrown into aespair, There are no signs and no symbols ol the otter jue. Very bright children often become stupid men, and dull children often make very bright men, You cannot tell by the bud what the efflorescence is to be; you cannot tell by the flower whut the fruit is to be, Leta man contorm himself to the central law of the universe—namely, ‘God is love’’--and he will run no risk of his not wmheriting eternal life. He must not act as though the things that we have most to do with in this lite are the things that are the most impor- tavt. There 18 nothing noisier in this world than & storm, yet what does it do? This human liie goes thundering on; the things that wll the air und which attract us the most, that fill the eyo and the cars, are the march of armios, riso and the fail of States, All these things grow before us tn large proportions, but they come and go and leave bo permanent sign, You migiit to-day wipe out China and tbe world would aot know it; you might wipe out four-fifths of the globe, with all tneir thrones, toeir kings, (heir princes and their grandeur, and yet tho reulties of life would remain, The things that are ally worth chronicling are chronicled jor ever and these are things that no man sees and no man The records of « good man’s Iile are treasured and recorded by an Almighty love, He has said, +1 wil dwell with those who are broken in spirit and who are of acontrite heart.” Mr, Beecher here com- mented upon the two-fold character of man as given fh tho fifteenth chapterf-" St. aul’s First Eptstie to the Corinthians, and salu he bad always been very much impressed with the two-sided argument therein contained, TUX NEW MEMUKRS BNCOURAGKD. I have presented to you this morning, said Mr. Beecher, those signs of the new lite above and be- yond, in order that it may not seem strange to you When the novelty is flown that’ there is so hittie in religion—that it should seem so airy. There ts no other course, and no life that has really so much in it as that Which seems to have nothing. The qualities that go to make up the Christian experience are those qualities that have immortality, You have entered Upon that course that 1s described as being the hid- den life. Your lite is bidden with Christ in God. Some of you will walk the ways of w hfe in poverty; some of you will walk buta few years more. Some of you will baste the tedium of trial and will find people to be but uuleavened bread; you will fnd men that will tempt | you to dishonor and to immorality, But the life of jaitp and truth and purity and fidelity bas in it the very element of the other life, Love anu hope and faith and holiness even may not be at a premium hore, but they will grow more and more precious to you as long as you live; and then, when everything else leaves you, they will become stronger ond stronger and over- Shadow you. Thon, when you stand in Zion and betore | Goa, you will be giad for every manifestation ot pa- for every clinging to purity, for every hope, for y love, for every fidelity to conscience; tor all truth, for all self-denial and ali labors for others. God in you, the hope of glory here will bring you glory there, Communion was given after the public services, ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL. DEVOTION T0 THE MOTHER OF GOD—DIS- COURSE BY REV. FATHER KANE, A large congregation was present at the high mass services at St, Patrick’s Cathedral yesterday morning. After the first gospel Rev, Father Kano delivered the sermon, taking his text from St Jobn, xvi,, 23, 30, The reverend gentieman alluded to the fact that it was the first Sunday of the month of May, a perivd do votod to the holy mother of God, and he considered it appropriate to speak on the subject of this devotion, Since the Reformation mary truths of the Church bad been attacked by certain of ber enemies. ‘Tho sub- stantial and actual presence of God in the cucharist had been then a source of great scandal to many out- side of the Church, To the Catholic, however, this Bolt was with tho confessional. We were all aware tbatif we went to this holy place and confessed our sins with the proper spirit wo would most certainly be forgiven, treni | Outside of the Church the practice was looked upon Witu dread and norror in view of tue necessity of humbling ourselves bveiore a human being in aisciosing all —sour— crimes and ~—simpertec- Many even despised the devotion to Mary, whereas every Catholic heart flies to her when they feel that their supplications will be more readily. answered through her intercession. They called her the mother of God as weil as the mother of our Saviour. Christ was God from all eternity, und theretore came fnto the world at Bethlehem with Mis divine nature, Therefore the Biessea Virgin was the mother of God as well as of man, We should be de- voied to her on account of ber great dignity. Tho Church bad not commanded us to pray to her, yet suceu devotion had always been encouraged from tho great advantages to be derived from it, Mary nad been Honvred irom the beginning. The Angel Gabriel's sajutation bore with it high compliments—'Hail Mary, 1ull of grace; the Lord 18 with thee; blessed art thou among women.’ He atterward explained to her the meaning of bis words and why she had been chosen as the mother of the long expected Redvemer. The sacred Scriptures also spoke of her frequently in this connection, She was devignated asthe woman Eve, and was especially mentioned in the writings of the prophets where they spoke of | the coming of the Saviour. When thus so compli- mented by earth aud beaven was it not just aud right that we should bonor her for her dignity | avd virtues? Curist had treated her with the greatest love and consideration, He had been fondied im her arms, and His first miracie—that of changing water into wine—Lad bcen periormed at her request, If the Redeemer of the world thus houored her surely it be- came our duty to follow His example Devyouon, ip the second place, consisted in loving her. We honored the saints because they were the chosen iriends and servants of God. How much more should we respect the Blessed Virgin, who was queen of all the satots. We were charged with taking away much of the love due to God and giving to the Blessed Virgin, We y vi use of the relationship ex- isting between her and God. Surely, as she is the motuer ot God her sou would not be jealous of the love lavished upon His parent, Rev. Father Kane continued in this strain to argue ae to the justice of the Catholic position inthe matter of devotion to Mary, and pointed out tho great benefits which must accrue from such a pious practice, MASONIC TEMPLE. B, FROTHINGHAM ON SANCTIFICATION BY THE TRUTH, + | The subject of Rey. 0. B. Frothingham’s discourse at Masonic Temple yesterday forenoon was ‘‘The Yower of tho Truth to Sanciify.”? Sanctification, he said, is holiness; holiness is wholeness; to be holy is tobe whole. The saint—the holy man—is the sane man, the man who is sound and sweet, Salvation means safety, and tho condition of salvation implies the possession of a sound body, mind, heart, con- science and soul—a periect state, in which nothug more remains to be attained. How to reach this con- dition is the great question of life, The accepted ra- ligionists say this perfect state is not to be attained REY. 0, savo by supernatural grace. No natural gift or de- velopment can lift any one toit, It must come from asource outside of those who seek it, It comes to tho penitent at his hour of confession. It comes at all seasons and im all times, It comes when one 4% content that Providence should remain unsolved and becomes as a little child, forgetting all vat that the Individual is but as a little creek into which the mighty ocean must flow 1f be would be whole, In con- trast to this waiting for grace the preacher dwelt upon the natural growth of the individual by conformity to | the conditions of life, citing rules of mental and phys icul exercises usually employed with advantage in selt- development, ‘he heart by loving grows more fond; the couscience is strengthened by sirict adherence to Tules of conduct, even i trifling afluirs; veneration grows by revering things Veuerable, THE POWER OF TRUTH, | — It was a significant thing that only in the gospel of | Joun were any irequent reierences tound to truth; for instance, where “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,” is spoken of; agai, Ye siall know the truth;’* “lam the way, the trai andl the light.’ The word ‘trav’? in Jobn may not lnean What We mean by it. The gospel probubly re- | fers to a system of truth, which, however, 18 not ex. plained. Truth, the preacher satd, 18 the soul of syim- bol ‘Take away the truth that is the basis of so many symbols in the Christian churches and the symbols become meaningless, Trath comes everiastingly, hike | the waves on the shure—now as art, now as science, | and again as philosophy—in gradual, swelling waves, roiling Over the suteliectua: world, It was difficult to estimate the power and value of a single truth, How much force there was in the one thought that our attractions are according to our des- tnies, Human feelings are kept in their place by no external force, but by internal impuises, After elabo- rating this idea Mr. Frotuingham considered at some Jongth the suggestive hints Laat present themselves to the mind on rellecting that in nature nothing dies. Hoe then turned his atteution to a consideration of the dis- tinction between truth and docirine, ‘These differ im their sources, he said. A truth has is suurce in pa ture, in the earth, in geology, in the eky, iu astron- omy, in the mind, in philosophy. Lt rests'on tact apd ig a truth because it has its source in nature, Duce irine haw its source in a book, in a tradition, 1n a coun. oi, Cathoie docitines have their source mostly in councils; Protestant doctrines iu the confersions of the faith, Swedenborgians go back to Swedenborg, Unitarians to the Unitarian fathors, Thero is nova who would crush the serpent’s head, asthe second | aN single doctrine that rests on fact, All stop sbort of nuture, ending at a conclave, a creed or a confession. TUX MAJESTY OF TRUTH, ‘Trath appeals to no authority; it is part of the um- verse; po great man can vouch for it; no mighty cburch cay sustain it; it dispenses with them all and stands on its intrinsic merits. Not a single doctrine Stands on philosophy, on science, on its own merits, The Calvinists refer to Calvin; the Swedenborgians to Swedenvorg. Tho preacher next pictured the differ- ence between the mab who rests on truth and be who tauds on doctrine, Doctrine was partisan; hence nar- row and exclusive, hke sectarianism, which is not bora oftruth, but of doctrine, It was from dootrine men Kot the idea of God which so many philosophers reject, as they do also the doctrinal, narrow idea of the im- mortality of the soul, It was impossible, he truth and doctrine should ever be idet crushes truth, He described the saint denominations, and intimated shat none of them cat within the dotinition of wholeness or holin described by him at the outset of his di course, The Catholic saint was seldom a saint us regards his body; he often disobeyed the laws of heulth, and was not a scholar anda thinker. He left the world to avoid social duties, living in a cloister and dressing like a fright in the street; bence be was no saint, The Protestant toned, domineering, per: In the same way other salnts were described, and, ac- cording to Mr. Frothingham’s standard, all were found want! His conclusfon was that no saint was whole who waa not mado whole by truth. 1n conclusion, ho said that even disguised in doctrine truth had worked wonders thus far im the world’s experience, and be thought how much more could be done through tt, of itsell, if hberated trom the restraint of dogma and doctrine, BROOKLYN TABERNACLE. SERMON TO CITY OFFICIALS BY THE REY. T. DE WITT TALMAGE, Mr, Talmage preached yesterday morning to city officials, or, in bis own words, ‘‘To those whose occu- pation jt {sto bear rule in our cities.’”’ His text was taken from Matt! XL, 1—"He departed to teach and preach in their cities. ’? So, you see, said Mr. Talmage, Christ bad no preju- dice against cites, Plato despised them and bad an idea that the coming togetbor of great populations in cities was harmful in the extreme, Christ had no hatred against cities, While be was willing to talk with the woman at the weil of Samaria and to preach a sermon to ono blind man, ho felt that through the great masses of people to whom he preached in the cities he was to reach the heart of the world, The familiar proverb that God makes the coun- try and man makes the town {s untrue, New York is not a mere product of brick kilns, It is a million anda half ot people. God mado the peopie, then God made the town, It was apart of God’s original plan that New York and Brooklyn should stand where they are. They are at least equalin morals to any other city under the sun. It so happened that municipal wickedness was first exposed in New York, but the following investigations showed that Boston and Phila- delphia, Chicago and New Orleans stole just as much in proportion to their opportunity. If they stole less it was because there Was not so much to steal, If the fraudulent gains of New York city management a low years ago furnished. oa wedding with filteen sets of diamonds—one of which sets cost $45,000, and a érowsseau ond a banquet aggregaung in expense $250,000—it was not because otner cities wore More economical, but be- cause they had not the same opportunity for ridiculous and outrageous display. Over againet this municipal dishonor I pluce the story of our fur-lamed commer. cial palace upon which there 18 not u shadow of suspicion; our institutions of morcy and our churches of every denomination, Let us thank God that we live here, and now, and in all public and private ways, let us toil for the moral elevation of ourcities, Save the cities and you save the world. The moral churac- ter of the people is mach affected by the moral charac- ter of those who rule in your cites, 1 shall proceed Ubis morning to classity some of those interests that are aifected by the moral character of men tn official position, THE INVLUENCH OF OFFICIALS, In the first place, when officials wink at crime, in all such cities crime bas {ree locnse and runs riot, Every shop, every swore, every factory feels the moral tuflu- encu of the City Hall If there be vigilance aguinst all the outbreaks of crime there wil be protection for ail kinds ot honest bargain making. 1 know in most ‘cities the merchanis say, ‘We cau’t put our bands into the slush and slime of politics,’’ Dut there is not an in- significant trial in the police courts that does not alfect every merchant and every banker. In New York city years ago merchants said they bad nothing to de with politics, Things grew worse and worse, until there rolled up on that city a debt of nearly $120,000,000, ‘Then the merchants got together and started out to re- form, and things have been getting better evar since, I wunt the peopie of this country to understand that not only their business, but their moral character, ure influenced by the charactor of those who rule over them, Our educational interests are also alfected, couu- kreat multitude of youth will be affected in eternity by the virtue or vice of our Boards of Education, In some of our cities the educational offices are filled in low caucuses by mon full of igno- rance and rum. ‘ihat vast multitude are to be affected, their destinies to be decided by your common schools, Instead of driving ihe Bible out of them drive it fur- ther in, (Applause.) May God defenu our grand and glorious common school system and put to rout and conjusion all ts sworn enemies. There is nota single home circle in a city of this ccuntry phat ig not directly affected by the moral or immoral char acter of those 1n office in that city. The Church of Corist bas to contend with evils that the civil law should put gown, It is high time that Christian ‘men should come to the front belore piratical demagogism wrecks the ship. Itts high time that men paid lees attention to national politics and more to municipal government, WHO CAN guts BE? Occasionally you find sdine of these demagogues | crawling in and out of our City Hail, They comoto the top because they worked bard at the elections aad must have a place. When a reform js attempted it is not begun right, The fact 18 well illustrated when, one or two yeurs ago, the two political parties resolved that they must have some great reiormer, some large-hearted reformer. They both united in New York on one man, sending him to the Senate at Albany. And be, the most notorious gambler in Christendom, | #0 far froin oing redeomned trom crime, supports to- day institutions that will sepd thousangs of men toruin for this lite and to perdition in the life to come, and at thia very hour is estabushing one of his gambling hells under your own nostrils in the city of Brookiyn. It 1s high tine tor Christiun men to come to the front. They do not do their duty when they goto the polls, ‘Tho ballot vox does not decide the elections in tbis coun try—it’s the primaries. If bad men are nominated what bave the voters at the ballot box todo but to take their choice between thieves? Just so long as Chris- tian men stand back trom politica just so long will rum make the notninations and rum control tbe ballot boxand rum inaugurate the oflicials, The kings of olden times hadn't so much influence as the mayors in our cities, Then there aro the common councilmen, endowed with splendid opportunities tor gvod or terrible ones for evil 1 don’t think thero is ono man out of a bundred whose character is strong enough to withstand successiuily the temptations of being acommon councilman, Then there 18 the police force. They have thetr trials and temptations as they themselves best know. They bave iu their bands the order of our cities, and without their presence our property and lives would be of httle worth, There are the prison inspectors aud jail keepers—awtul work have they, but benelicent, Who are those people under theircharge? People just iike you, except t they were tripped up. Strong drink, bad company, or a strange conjunction of circuinstances flung them hea long. Ask them what their early prospects were, about their families, how they get iu prison, You will find them very much like yourselves, there being a difference only’ iu this respect tbat God restrains you and he did not seom to restrain them, Only one false step may have wade the diflerence. Ob, there are a great many such unfortunates under the care of these | prison keepers. Pray for those who have cbarge of them that they may be the means of treir reforma- tion and rescuo, But 1 cannot particularize any i ther, My word to ail those having charge over cities is thatthe King aud Jadge of the universal city shall sustain you in your places. My word to ali—governed as well as those who govern—is let us toil and work and speak and pray tll our cities are rescued from all iniquities. ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH, WORK AND NOT LISTEN ONLY—‘‘BE YR DOERS OF THE WOKD"—SERMON BY THE REY. DR. CURRAN, 1n St. Stephen’s Church yesterday morning high m: was celebrated by the Rey, Father Colton and the sermon preached by the Rey. Dr. Curran. The rever- end preacher took his text from the epistie of the day, James, 1. 27. When the paraclete dessended upon the apostics the mission of men, he said, began, Up to that time they bad been hearers of the Word, learn- ing from the lips of Jesus the law. With the divine inspiration that came upon them, now that Christ nad MAY 7, 1877— the prophet Micheas we earned in what consisted the doi prophet Mig will shew theo, oh, man, what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee—to do ju to love mercy and to walk solicitous wit thy God.” We should do judgment to ourselves, making use of the faculties both of mind and body tor the purposes for which they were given. We should keep 8 rigid Dec ome Ger — ‘oatemedt unruly passions an keeping subject I, in whose honor alone our faculties should be em- ployed. The epistie of St, Paul to the Homans told us of the dreadful puaishment that God infiicted on those who only heard but would not do—“The wrath of God is revealed from heayen upon all im- piety and upon the iniquity of those men who detain the truth of God 1m iniquity,” that is, on all thoso who received His grace Feaped no 8, benefit from it, and who detained ie. an unjust cap- tivity all those grand truths which He had been pleased to make known to them, Upon those who re- fused to receive and act up to His graces the Redeemer, however, did not command Heaven ané earth to re- venge the contempt of His favors. David dreaded a punishment, and the Almighty herctolore had often threaten: ry His hets to inflict punishment on His people; but thi withdrawal by God of the sustainment of His grucog—it was the silence of God that was the Pern ear God was undoubtedly full of mercy and bounty to those who faithtully corre- sponded with His graces, but Ho was also armed with wrath and Vengeance against thoso who despised His goodness and merely hi but would not do, It was for this reason that Christ told us in the Gospel that the servant who received but little and who profited by that little should receivo more, but that be who buried tho talent should have it taken from him and ho himself be cast into exterior darkness where there would be perpotual weeping and goashing of teeth, lo permitting us, after repeat Neglect of His graces, tu be decoived by pernicious i!lu- sion God punished us. When the measure of our ini- quities was filled up He abandoned us, The graces Ho showered upon us were given to enable us do, to employ them for the end for which they were designed, Tne fruitless Og tree, mentioned in the Gospel, was struck with an anathema because it bore no fruit; the servant was condemned and he lost the talent he had received because he did not make proper uso of it, In the epistie of the day we read that if any man thought himself rehg: bridiing bis tongue, but deceiv- ing his own heart, such a man’s reliion was vain, and that religion, clean and undefiled before God and the Fathor, was to visit the fatherless and widows in thor Sea and to keep one’s seif unspotted in this worlu, SWEDENBORGIAN CHURCH. STEWABDSHIP, THE LAW OF ITS REWARD OR PUNISHMENT—SERMON BY THE REV. CHAUN- CRY GILES. Mr. Chauncey Giles’ sermon yesterday was a #0- quence of that preached on the preceding Sunday. The subject of the latter was “Man a Steward, Not on Owner.” Yesterday Mr. Giles preached on “The Laws of Man’s Stewardabip in Relation to [ts Rewards or Punishments.” His. text was taken from Luke, xil., 47,48, In the words of the text, said Mr. Giles, our Lord teaches the nature and measure of our respunsi- bility to Him and to our fellow men, Our ability is tho measure of our duty, This isa particular’and a general rule. It applies to every faculty and posses sion, The Lord does not ask any one to do more than he can. But while the Lord asks no more than we are able to give He algo asks no less. Any departure from the Divine order always produces suffering ac cording to the degree of the departure, This principle of making our ability the measure of our duty tsa | most comiorting doctrine to those who are trying to do their duty, and it is a very terrible one to those who shirk it Let us apply i to ourselves as new church- men, What haa the Lord given tous? Ho has givon usa tullerand c ir revelation of His divine truths, These traths re! tothe highest problems of mun’s existence, Surely much ts given tothe meno! tho new Church, and much will be required of us, Let us try to leara What the requirements aro, First—They raise a higher stancard of motive, One of the most powerlul motives to a Christian life has been fear, Bat that 18 a servile motive. Anothor, higher and better, but still not the Bieeer te duty, Our motive should be not fear, not duty, but love, Our hearts ought to be filled with love to the Lord and to mun, Second—This clear knowledge of spiritual truth, tnis insight into the soul’s destiny and tho mcans ol ob- tatuing the highest good requires of us a grouter fldel- ity and skili in usipg the means for our rogeneration and conjunction with the Lord. When a mun is in doubt avout what road to take ho is excusable for hes- Mtation and delay, But there can be no such excuse jor ond who knows the way, If a man thinks he is to be admitted to heaven {from mere mercy be may have some excuse for nut knowing what to do, for waiting in the hope that the Lord will abate His anger and regard him with favor. T! new churchman has po such excuse, 1! he fails of heaven it js his own fault, and wholly his fault, Third—Again, the new churchman knows what the difficulties 1n the way of bis salvation are. He knows that they are the evil and false priuciplos iu himsell, and that they are the only obstucies in the way ol the Lord’s access to htm—they are the only hindrance in the way of lite, He knows that he must shun them as sins against God. He must cease to do evil und learn to do well. He knows, too, that just so far as he tries to do this work the Lord will help Lim, tbat he cannot fail if be will do what be can. What encouragement! What motive toeffurt! Has any other man such pow- erful incentives to self-denial, to the crucifix.on ot worldly lusts? Fourth—Weo bave also motives to a heavenly life which nv other people can bave, 1t 1s impossible to influence a man by truths which he does not know. To most Christians the spiritual world is a mero biank, The ouly thing that 1s geuerally accepted uwbout it is that we shall ex in a state ot happiness or misery. The motives to a ritual life, therefore, are limited to the very low one of fear, or the very fainy one of vague bope, To the new charchman the spiritual world 16 a rovl and substantial world, He knows that be is to live in itas a haman being in a human form, He will exercise human affections, have human wants und human joys. He knows that his Telations and condition will grow out of and be deter- mined by the character he forms in thislite. He knows that ho {s not going intu tho vast realms of empty space, but ito areal world populous with ha- man beings; a workt where the kingdoms of nature, though spiritua), contain a tly greater variety of objects 1m more veautitul forme; a world in which the landscapes are more lovely than o poot’s dream, where all human rojations will be lovely, pure, peace jul and blessed according to the churacter formed while in the materisl body. Here is a copstant aud most powerful motive to lead a heavensy life. Keall- ties press upon us, The eternal future springs froin the living present. We aro to-day gathering the ma- terials of oar homes and puiting them into the forms they will assume und retain. Fifth—Uar greater kpowledge reveals to us also ina clearer light the weakness and detormities of our own hearts and the streagth of our selfisn and worldly loves. We have difficulties to overcome known to us and tothe Lord alone, How ougnt this insight into our own intirinities to Jead us to regard our vrethren! How tender wo should bo of thoir reputation! How prompt to excuse their faults! How ready to give them sympathy! How willing to torgive! There are no people on the earth whose truets and responsibi| ties are o great as ours, We must oe something moro than Jaithiul Juborers in our nxtural avocations, Much has been given to us; much will be required of us, Let us meet our respousibilities liko men. THE RUSSIAN-GREEK CHAPEL, DOCTRINES OF THE GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH— EXPOSITION BY REV. FATHER BJERRING. At tho reguiar Sabbath service in the Greek Chapel, Second avenue, yesterday, the Rey. Father Bjcrring gave an interesting exposition of the doctrines of Greek or orthodox Churct. Ho did this, he said, chiefly to correct misunderetandings which the public have as to tho devotion of the orthodox Church to the Virgin Mary and the saints, His Church, Father Bjerring said, while believing tho Blessed Virgin to be no ordinary woman, but the elect instrument of God in the work of redemption as tho mother of the Saviour, do not at tne me time give to her the honor due to the Redeemer alone. They beliove that when He, the divine sufferer, committed His beloved disciple to her, He with bun committed all of us to ber motherly Jove, and the Church therclore believes that she in the kinggom of her divine Son holds a sacred place high above all others. ‘I'he Church also believes in her intercessory power belore the throne of God, and that sho 18 raised to this dignity as well by aivine justice as by divine grace. She is to the Church also the type of virginity crowned by 4 divine maternity, which made her the tavernacie of God incarnate, in ike manner, Father ijyerring remarked, tho Greek Churcn beheves in the iniercession of the saints and ordains reverence toward them, He then showed, from tho nature of love and the devotion of the they cannot fail to be interested in the prog! Churet: on earth. Heuee prayer is properiy oflered to them, not from any teeling of doubt im Divini ascended, they were to become the teachers and the doers, that those who were to come after them in tarn might also hand gown the truth for all time, lt was for those who heard them not merely to become listeners, but doers also, because those who only heard and Jailed to do were deceiving themecives, The epistio told us that the man who was a hearer of the Word and nota doer, might be compared to a man boholding his natural countenance in a glass, and who, after going away, forgot what manner of man he was. But he who looked into the perfect law of liberty and con+ tinued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but @ doer of the Word, should be blessed in his deed. Of all the aelusions which the spirit of error had spread abroad to pervert the pure morality of the Gospel one of the most Unsupported was the doctrine that our re- hance for salvation should rest upon faith alone. St Poul declared that if he had all faith, so that he could remove mountains and had pot charity in bis heart, urgiog him to obey and act up tothe divine command- ments, he would be nothing. And the Sovereign Judge Himself declared that He would to every one pot according to hi cording to bis works, }- gence in doing the will of the Father the Redeemer At ono time compared the negligent Christian to those foulish virgins, Who, because they omitted to procure oil for their lamps, were oxcluded from the marriage foust—‘Amen, L gay to you T Una enn mak) Roam or in the saving nearness of God, bul that the communion of their prayei ours may bring down the blessings that we need aud ask for, And this feolwg impairs hot in the least the just ana firm beliet of the Church that holy, in the absolute souse of tho word, 18 God alone, und tho holiness of the saints is bute gift of His grace, Another nutural consequence of the Church’s faith in the communion ot love and prayer botween the Church upon earth and that of heaven 4s her hopetui prayer for the souls of the deparied, The Greek Church believes in prayer for the souls of those who havo died in the cominunion ot love with her. And asin evidence that this devction of the Chareh to the Virgin Mary and tho suints bas not in any respect weakened or impaired the bond of love that ought and does exist betweon tho Church and her divine Lord, Father Byerring pointed to the liturgy, which he considered the highest typo of divine wor- ship, and ail other acts ofdevotion are inerely sapple- mental and complemental of that, The order of ritual is a mystical shadowing torth of the principal over in the and sufferings and death of our blessed Lora, And in the holy sacrament of the Kucbarist we eat the mystical flesh and drink the mystical blood of our Saviour, and show forth His death till His coming again, e father Bjorring thought that if all tho canonical books of the Bible wero suddeniy blotted out the liturgy Church would be suilicient to show tho faithfui- ness of tho Church and the true spirit of pray The Greok Church believes aiso in \aptismal regeneration, hinsubstantiation, and that in the Sacrament of tho Eucharist tho iE SHEET. ST. AGNES CHURCH. Cardinal McCloskey Dedicates the New Edifice in Forty-third Street. * A BRILLIANT CEREMONIAL. Sermon by Bishop Spalding—The Car- dirial’s Congratulations. ——— ‘With prayer and sacred song and ceremony the new Roman Cathelic Church of St. Agnes, in Forty-third street, Rev. Henry Cummings Macdowall, pastor, was yesterday dedicated to tho servico of Almighty God by Cardinal McCloskey. It is estimated that nearly 3,000 persons were present, and hundrods were turned away unable to gain admission. A large proportion of those Prosent were Protestants, and there was a considerable number of those kuown ip the theatrical world. Dr. Henry Carter, organist of Trinity Church, presided at the instrument by invitation of Professor Villanova, and performed before and during the service the fol- Jowing selections:—Offertoire, Baptiste; Finale to the Fitth Symphony of Beethoven; Symphony from the Lovgesang, Mendelasohn. THX DEDICATION CEREMONY. Sbortly after eleven o’clock the door of the sacristy, on the left of the altar, opened and the procession en- tered, It was preceded by an usher, in a black dress suit, who cleared a passage through tho mass of people that thronged the aisle, First came three acolytes, in white surplices ang black soutunes, walking abreast, the one im the contre bearmg a crucifx and tho others a lighted candle each. There tol- lowed twelve acolytes, in white soutunes, with red and purple trimmings, and walk- ing two and two. Behind them marched, in like manner, about forty priests, in black soutanes and white surplices, Atier them Bishop Loughlin, of Brooklyn; Bishop Corrigan, of Newark, N. J., and Vicar General Quinn preceded the Cardinal, who was dressed in cappa magna, the iong train of his purple robe being supported by six young acolytes in white soutanes, with red trimmings, The procession pro- ceeded torough the lett aisle to the strains of tho march from Placida, the Cardinal sprinkling tho walls with holy water as ho went. Reaching the vestibule the Cardinal, with his attendants, went outside and blossed and eprinkled the outer walls of the edifice. Then he knocked with the croster ho carried at the main door of thechurch, and, demanding admission alter the Prescribed formula, was adinitted by Father Macdowall, The procession made its way up tho central aisie chant. ing the Litany of the Saints as it went until the sanc- tuary was reached, The crucifix and candle bearers entered inside the rail and stood while the priests filed off on eithor side of the aislo into chairs reserved for them just outside the rail of the sanctuary, and tho Cardinal was escorted to his throne on the left of the altar and there seated. During this timo the Litany was still chanted by Father Nacthing, of St. John’s Church, Albany, the responses being nade by all the clergymen present. With the conclusion of the Litany and tho closing prayer by the Cardinal the dedicatory servico came to a close. PONTIFICAL WIGH MASS, Preparations wero then made for the celebration of pontifical bigh mass, and in the interim Miss Lotta Simpson sang a ‘‘Hymn to St, Agnes,’? composed tor the occasion, the words by Mr, John Savage and the music by Professor Salmson. The young lady sang to aclear and sympathetic voice, of great purity in the middle register, the hymn, one verse of which reads:— For this, flung tn a den of vice, She praised and biess’d he And angels roved her spotie: iy With cireling shields « f heavenly flame !> For this, the burning pile she crown’d, nsenth’d, and seem'd throuzh arching fires The greater light, wiose rays iexp'd round As love of Christ her voice inspires. Mass was colobrated by Right Rev, Dr. O’Hara, Bishop of Scranton, Pa., Father Pratt acting as deacon and Father Donnelly as subdeacon. 1n the course of the ceremony Mrs. Lilla Bryan Robinson sang ‘*Et In- carnatus est’? and ‘0 Salutaris Hostia,”’ solos; Miss Simpson and Mme. Burril togethor sang “Qui Tollis;"” Mme. Robinson, with Signors Romeyn and Salmson sang ‘Domini Deus,” and a new Te Deum by Protessor Villanova, organist of the church, was given by the full choir, ‘pouse's name! BISHOP SPALDING’S SERMON. The sermon was preached by Right Rev. Dr, Spaid- ing, wno on Tuesday last, at tho Cathedral, wus conse- crated Bishop of Peoria, Ill. He began ying that the aim of true religion was to excite faith, hope and love, and these fecliugs, being excited, naturally found vent in sigus and symvols. Tue ecremonial of the Catholic Church was a necessary evolution of Catnolic belief, Men sometimes talked of the splendor and show of the Church’s ceremonics und made them an object of criticism, but the objections were shal- low. It was as natural to the Church to symbol- ize its faith as it was nec ry to the human soul to utter its thoughts—as it was natural to tho heart to love, to seek communion of thought atever ‘else is beautiful, in order to protect and cherish the object of its love. It was the jntention. of the Church that through this human element men should seek to rise to higher and purer lives, To the faithful there is nothing empty or unreal in anything that the Church does, Its ceremonial grew out of Christ’s incarnation—out of the fact that Christ was man as well as God. ‘The Church follows him from tho stabico at Bethlehem to tho cross on Mount Calvary; and He was as really present in her altars as ho had been in those places in tho body, To him who believed this all the symbols of the Church were seen to be natural and nec ry.‘ Man bimself, indeed, was but a sym- bol. In each human form there lurked a divine mys- tery. The words a man epeaks, tho gestures ha makes, his acts, his thoughts, ail wore but symbols of some inner nature, In like manner, though Christ was hidden under the sacramental vel, yet He was really presont. It was not mure didicult to beheve that God could appear in the torm of bread and wino ‘than it wus to believe He coula wppear in the form of Christ, then, being truly present, what His people to dur They must build a temple mo) «6whbich) «= t0—ssworsbip) «Him in spint and in truth. It was not enough 10 love Him simply. We should give expression to that love, Thought is spiritual; but the man that thinks and never expresses his thoughts wiil find, when he tries to give them a voice, that they are not fit to hearit, So tho man who believed, and stopped at that, would alter a time find his taith dead, Men were to show that they worstupped Christ in tuith and truth by using all the symbols by which they show their re spect for the highest, noblest and worthiest of men. Tho temple of religion grows out of our conception of God, and nothing can give a truer insieht into the con- ception of God entertained by any people than the style of their religious edifices, In illustration of this tieory the right reverend gen- tleman described briefly tho temples of Grecee, Egypt, Kome, and then dwelt upon the characteristics of the Dhriatian reigivus editice, The more the symbols of holic Church were studied, he said, the more V they would develop. She proscribed nothing butevil, She encouraged painting, orato nusic, sculpture, peetty. A rotigion which consists ot opin: | fons aud’ has bo organic, evolved and ascertaived mind, can have no symbols, needs the arts, because it has a history which it wished to perpetuate, We know nothing of the heroes of antiquity except through poets and painters, ‘There was po vation that bad a history comparable with that of the Church, en sometimes criticise the Church jor erecting costly buildings, God does not need them, aud, perhaps, His people do not; vat they do need to prove to men that their /aith 1s not a show by builaing the proudest tomples we can conceive in God's bovor, Congratulatioy the congregation upon thoir new edifice the preacher said:—"You have dono nobly, and certainly I could, for my own part, think of no saint more worthy to dedicate this temple to than St. Agnes. For, my brothrcn, it seems especially desirous that we shouid bring vack those great saints of the martyr a The old epirit thay Drought about the persecution of the early Christians has now been revived. Men say now as in the days of St, Agnes that we cannot be luyal to Cwsur and to Gou—that we cannot be good citizens and good Uath- oiics, Do you know why those Christians died tor conturies, my brethren? Shey died for being true to divine allegiance; they died jor liberty to worship God in spite of States, This is really the history of all those persecutions, The Christians were per- secuted because they refused to acknowledge the su- premucy of the Empire in religious as in civil mattors; and after 700 years of martyrdom they conquered that Hiberty for all the ages. “Now men are again taikin, that falso doctrine. We may have to suffer again, an therefore | am glad to see temples dedicated to those Great martyrs who suflered and died rather than givo to Cwsar tho honor which belongs to God only and to His Church.” In conciusion tho proachor alluded in touching torms to his relations with tho pastor of the newly dedicated church, whom he had first known twenty years ago at school and tater met at Rome, where they parted again to meet m New York under euch happy conditions, And now they wero to part ugain, per. haps to meet no more, The reverend gentiema warmly congratuluted the pastor upon the new edifice and upon his devout congregation. TUK CARDINAL ARCHHISHOP’S CONGRATULATIONS, Just before the benediction Cardinal MeCloskcy turned to the people and said :;—"“Belore imparting the episcopal bicesing I cannot refrain myself and hope that you wul & 1ew words in most hearty and The Catholic Church ord ol unite my sincere congratulations with thoso which have been already given within orthodox Christian partakes of tho truo body and hieed ot Chri your hearing by the oloquent preiate whom 4 vou have bad ‘wrivilaa of Hatening to with go much concede mo the privilege of saying | delightand with so much fit, ers this mornii Tostiatbiy demas tiaeowy otae nok toe teed oe congratulations to the young and devoted pastor of Lois Church of St. Agnes forthe good work which he haa achieved, not only for you but tor all the Catholics of this greatand populous city of New York. But tor you members of St, Agnes? Church this ta truly a most happy, ana willever be to you und to your chiltren @ most memorable day. You haye in God’s providence been enabicd to build bere @ beautiful temple to His ponor and glory, “Fon havo offered it to Him, You have witnessed with what ceremonies the holy Chureh, the presence of her bishops and ministers, bas blessed and consecrated it,. and then offered it to Almighty God, begging Him to accept the offering of His loving and devoted children, And He has acceptod your offer. He has come down Bimsolt this day upon the altar to, bless this church with His own divine und real pres ence; to bless tte bishops and its priests who knelt around that altar, and to bless you all, who, with grateful thanks, knelt in adoration before Him. May that blessing rema: with you and with your children, May it be multiplied from day te day and from year to year; and may you look back with thanks to tbat day when you bad the honor not only of adoring your Divine Lord upon the altar, bGt seeing that presence made venera. bie-—at least honored more in your eyes—by 80 many prelates coming {rom cther diocesos to join you in this great ceremony, to find the young and newly conse- a crated church — having ha young and’ newly consecrated bishop to delight you with hrs voice of eloquence, And may be permitted in your name to return him thanks, to hope that God’s, blessing will follow him in the new and ular off diocese that he 1s going to, and that many d many @ soul will be profited, and many and many a heart will be delighted and cbeored, and bee 4 asin. * ner beconverted by that same cloquent voice that you have heurd this day.” BLACK VEIL AND THORNY CROWN. PROFESSION OF VOWS' BY TWO LADIES IN THR ORDER OF 8T, DOMINIC, The Rev. Charles McCready, of St. Stephen's Church, yesterday gave the black veil to Miss Lucy Thorpe, of England, in the convent of Our Lady of tho Rosary, No, 109 Eust Twenty-eighth street, anu the white veil to Miss Susan Conway, of Stamford, Conn, Mass Thorpe bears the name of Sister Agnes in the third Order ot St, Dominic. The sisters composing this community wear the white serge habit and black veil with white lining, Their mission is to provide a home for respectable girla or women who are out of employment, and they will also board a limited namber of mvalids and offer their services to the sick iu private families, As they are com- paratively now to the readers of the Heap a brief description of their ceremony of vesturo and vows will prove interesting. ‘The postulant who desired the babi wus led into the chapel by the prioress, and Pprostrating herself before the altar was asked by the priest “What is your requesty’? She replied, “I de- sire the mercy of God apd the boly habit of St. Dominic.” Bidding her arise, the priest addressed her in words of exhortation and commended ber desire to serve God in so illustrious an Order. At the“end of his discourse the prioress led tho postulant uway to change her plain secular dress ot black for the white habit. They Speedily returned, and the novice knelt before tho altar whilo the white sergo scapula, which is tho dis- upguishing mark of their dress, was placed over her gbouldcrs, A broad leather girdle was then placed about her waist, the white veil upon her head, and the black cloak completed the clothing. The name ot Sister Theresa was given her, a crown of white placed on ler head, and she retired, while the ca: didate for profession was Jed to tho altur. The black veil having been placed on lier head, sho read her written vows und roceived tho gold ring which {s the sign of the final vow. The prioress thon placed a crown of roses and a crown of thorns betore the newly professed nun, who, without a moment's hesitation, seized the roses aud threw them bebind her, while she clasped the thorns lovingly in her hands. Having choson this crown it was placod upon ber head, and prostrating hersolf before the altar sho remained in that position while the Te Deum was chanted, four of the novices, meanwhile, holding the * faneral pall suspended over her, When the Te Deum was ended she arvse, recoived the ‘kiss of peace’ from the prioress, as did algo the new novice, Alter all the sisters had embraced them benediction of the biessed sacrament followed and closed the service, THE OLD AND THE NEW. AGAINST THEOLOGY—LECTURE OF PROFESSOR FELIX ADLER. Standard Hall, cornor of Broadway and Forty- ‘@econd street, was crowded to its utmost capacity yesterday moroing to hear Professor Adler’s discourse upon “fhe Old and the New."? He said that tho charge ogainst modern liberalism 18 that it has dared to prociaim its sentiments. There is lukewarmness in all the churches, but no one objects to that; thero is a failing off in the attendance of members among the Coristian creeds, but nobody murmurs; rank unbelief is abroad among them all, yet every- thing is glossed over, A wild and frighttul fable which exists In many lands says that the | recent dead cannot find rest in their graves, and as the weird spectres of spirit land pass by young and old are affrighted to behold thom in their hideous cere | ments of the tomb, And thus it is with past supor stitions, they are dead and buried, but they cannoi rest in the grave where the might of reason and the hands of science have laid them. ‘They stulk about, the fearful ghosts of their former solv so that even the enlightened portion of tne community, knowing them to be what they are, shudder and tremble at be holding them, but denounce them not. And yet this tens of temporizing with expicded traditions is un- worthy of the modern liberal. 1t is the part of honos- ty to confess tacts as they are, and of prudence to Penetrate their consequences. TESTING THE BIBLE, We are conscious of entering upon a now era and fee! a fresh faith within us, Wo liberals hi pro- posed in these days new theories for men’s considera- tion, and these progressive ideas are fully sustained by the light of science as seen through three principal media, Theso are:—First, the science of historical criticism; second, the study of nature, and third, the devolopmeut of commerce and of art, Historical éritt- cism took up the Bible and tried 1% by the crucial test of the purest scholarship of the day, and not ip a spirit Jacking reverenca to 80 venerablo a tradition, It was placed by the j@ ot Homer, the Rig Veda, and the Per- sian account otf Ormuzd, where it ought to be long; and this result of critical investigation is every day more and more generally accepted by those whose testimony is worth having. ‘the oid Hebrew narra: tive of Abrabain is mereiy @ legend; the Pentateuoh, upon Which 80 much reliance has been placed, is un- connected and inconsistent in Its parts, while those great doctrines of the Ten Commandments ure fouxa to be extant im three separate versions. But although @ unique Value att!l attaches to some ol its books, this does not warrant us in attributing the Bible to super. natural agencies. Many of 118 wel) known passages are spurious; and $0, too, are much of tho records con- nected with the life of Jesus. To restore these shat- tered documents is now impossible. ven the Sermon ou the Mount is tound scattered in various pluces throughout the Hebrew legeuds It 18 plum that the finuing out of weak places in revealed religion could not long remain a secret with the learned. Tue works of Ernest Revan and some other able writers are now read every where, and are preparing the way for a new rationalistic religion. ORTHODOXY AND METRRODOXY. There was littie love lost at any wma between science aud theology; the tormor was always content to peacotuily pursue the even tenor of its way, but the Jatter would hover suffer this. Tne conflict botweet them was. inevitable, The crude conceptions of the creauion, proper to an age that lived many centuries before geology or biology were Known, ag recited in the Hibie, became the ground upon which the battles of truth wero fought, But thor those who belie: that every word iu tho Bible is the word of God; hence we had the persecutions of Galileo and Copernicus, the burning of Bruno and others, who were the martyrs te great thoughts. In religion tho priest stands between the people and their God. [1s his privileged duty to bring (ho wants of man to the notice of the Creator; the agencies of prayer, ceremouies and pious works are, brought into requisition, If the crops fail or an epidemic visits id the priest is called in to pray tl calamities may pass away, just as if his prayer would have any weight in moving the decrees of aa omnipo- tept God. It the sinner’s conscience is weighed down by itn load of iniquities the priest steps in to assure the traosgressor of jorgiveness—a thing which is trary to all the precepts of morality. Now, it is widely known ond geverally believed that wo are punished by nature for transgressions of her im. matabie laws, but as this wholesome doctrine spoila the power of the priests liberals who entertain them are made odious, Indeed, teuchors of the peopto will always be nocessary; but the priests who can bring us sulvation and happiness When the laws of morality and justicy condemn us to a fate the reverse of this—pricsts of this class will soon be no longer necessary. It is not wondertul, then, that such works of transcendent goniusas Newton's Principia,” the astonishing deductions of Laplace, and many other imperishable monuments of human progress should be loudly condemned by the theloginne, The Darwinian theory, also another triumph of thought, has come in for ‘a goodly share of vituperation and denunciation. It attempts to explain the progressive steps by which man | ed at his present coudi- Hon. 1b does not lor dignity in the i SCIENCE F man tor whother tho first man was made of dust or de. scended — from ape, he was humao and distinguished =irom all else that went before him. Aua it is our duty now to display as litte of the wolf, hyena and tiger iu our natures as the in- telligence enjoyed by us will make it possible, Here the lecturer claimed for Darwinism that {ts principles aro at least as clear und suacepuble of proot us th of theism, He claimed that, like all natural sciences, itis at war with theology, It 1s a recognized fact that the broadest and brightest talents of the age are on the side of science, The great trouble of the day Is that tho hearts und the braing of the people are at war with each other, and the only way to bring about a recom cthation ts by means of education, SUDDEN DEATH. James Keegan, aged fifty. ix years, a laborer, re siding at No. 68 Magnolia street, died suddenly yoster day morning, while in the act of walking down stairs Disease of tho heart is believed to bave boon tho cauw at death, ro er ewr