The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-22
DEDICATION OF ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.
SERMON BY ARCHBISHOP HUGHES.
|CAs MORALITY EXISY WITHOUT RELIGION (.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH.
The new Catholic church recently erected on twenty
cighth street, between Lexington and Third avenues
named after the first martyr of the Catholic church
was dedicated yesterday by the Most Rev Archbishop
Hughes As the occasion of great interest to
khe Catholic Community the edce was crowded although
khe price Of admission was fixed at dollar The cere
mony Of dedication which Of the most imposing
and solemn Of the Catholic church. was commenced at
sf past ten The gorgeous appearance Of the church.
80 earnest attention of the congregation, the msgnif.
dresses in which the clergy habted the splen
lid ornaments and decorations belonging to the ceremony
and the delicious music Of organ which is not sur
passed BY any in the city, all combined to make scene
~hich for effect Lave seldom surpassed in this
country.
The ceremony Of dedication has already been 50 often
esciibed as to render any of it here supera
bus The usual procession of the clergy, with the
hshop in the centre took place the reverend preate
prinhiing the outside of the church with holy water
fter the ceremony grand high mass was celebrated in
hich the following priests offciated with the Arch
ishop:-Aev Dr. Cummings, pastor of st. Stephens
Sev MessIs. Andrade, Cano, Very Rev. Mr. McCarron,
ev Messrs. paubresse. Driscoll, Quin McLeand. and
fcClosky. The choir sung Mercadaute Mass for sour
oices
During the interval in the mass the Archbishop
Preached the dedication sermon taking his text from
be Epstie Of St. James, chap. 1, beginning with the
2desnd ending with the 9th verse, as follows
nut be ye oers Of the word and not hearers only de-
eivipg your selves.
For any be hearer Of the word and not a doer he
Ike unto man beholdng his natural face in glass
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and
But whose looketh into the perfect law liberty and
ntnueth therein he being not forgetful hearer but
doer of the work. this man shall be blessed.
lf to N rtliO hr;J
"a not bis tongue but deceiveth his heart this
ans religion Is vain.
this, To visit the atherless and widows their attic
on, and to keep himself unspotted from the world
These words, my dear Christian brethren, said the
verend prelate might at first to have but little
nncction with the solemn and joyous occasion which
rs brought this day together before the altar of
3D. They form the epistle of the Sunday and though
selected for the ceremony of dedication they may
vertheless furnish with reflections altogether
ppropriate to this solemnity, which ought to ex-
'tc' in your hearts and in the heart of your
epected, learned and jealous pastor, who wit
sses today the successful accomplishment of
labors and the recompense of his many solcitudes
is tome occasion of that description and do not
how could better discharge the obligations of nv
nistry than by calling your attention this day
the opening and dedication Of St. Stephens church,
the purpose for which churches founded and COM
ted The APOSTLE instructing those who had been by
ministry and that of his associates converted to the
til Of Christ, takes occasion already to warn them
ainst possible mistake, and he makes distinction
lich through the whole Of that portion Of his
istle which you have just heard. He has before the
ntempation Of his inspired vision not only danger
that period but danger which besets the faithful
rough all tme-namely, the danger of confounding
ion In mistaken with fulflment of its obliga
ns in practice, assuming that, leaving religion
de- the fulfment of those things which religion re-
Tres, without religion, might take the place in the
nds Of men substitute rendering religion itself
necessary and hee uses illustration for this Of
rson looking q. the reelection Of his counenance in
rror and who afterwards going forth, forgets what
anner Of man he was" SO the epstle, speaking of
sion iutimatcs clearly and distinctly that religion by
eli and unfolowed unsustained, unsupported by the
beharge Of the obligations which It imposes, Is the
alty of the metaphor which he employed to imply the
ssible mistake And it is very clear for il you read
other verse, you will find he says that man who
es not know how to bride his ongue-n other words,
given TO detraction to sander unchartable
90 in speech-that such deceives not his neigh
r-his ne;ghbor is only scandalzed-but he deceives
own heart and such a mans religion is vain. We
n easily understand that religion coming from God
mot be vain. The meaning of the epistle in regard
such man il, that he has made it what God has not
distance, and made it vanity by which his
art is seduced 1t is not, dearly beloved brethren,
at 1 mean to dwell upon this vice to-day but
mean to infer from this mode Of reasoning of the
spred Apostle that religion in order to accomplish the
DDS for which God permitted her to descend from the
by heavens to this polluted earth not thing Of SEN
ment merely but that 1t is the beginning the centre,
be power NO part Of which is beyond the influence of
principles St. James did mot speak of every derelc
on but he taxes one a sample, and that one by
eans rare in the world and he ntmates distinctly that
here that vice, Is . sampe-for it would apply to
hers far mere 1T variance with the principles Of religion
ut he takes this selection, intimatng this that
oral recttude be the consequence and the prac
CO Of man who receives Gods religion and preserves
ae God gave it. not making 1t vain, and takiag away
om it it's best part and power. And then, the other
and by showing an indication of point of conformity
eWeen the practice Of the Christian and his religion, he
ys religion IL pure and undeGled and this not the
hole, but IL is also sample Of the correspondence
hich religion sustains. The point therefore, to
rhich would this day direct your attention is
amely that religion is essential, that religion in any
ense less than that embracing the holy purpose for
hich it was communicated, is inefficient. II person
rsgines himself religious, and follows the practice, he
ray be looked upon by those who see him in the per
ornance Of acts Of devotion sometimes called acts o.
sgion, Al perfect model but this is not ALL although
IL Accesssry; and here Is point to which would call
our attention-we live in age in which there Is
<nse Of speculation in which every man is writer,
philosopher, and in which all subjects, all ideas are
brown into sort Of eloquent confusion and you must
ave perfectly and distinct views OF the whole
uty Of man. in order that by the possession OF them
o6 may be enabled to ward on the stupid sophisry Of
hose who contend the side that religion is suf
ient and the other side that morality Ii sufficient
Il well however, first to understand what is meant by
eigion. Tho very word implies its meaning-regio TO
X thiss That by religion God has given bond Of
hnon to himself BY which he elevates us towards
initiate him far He ID all mercifa; He
all Just and makes justice part Of mans duty. He
all truth and he tells that falschcod ofends This