The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-08

Ihe Union theological Seminary.
The annual address before the Society Of Inquiry Of the
Union Theological Seminary delivered last evening"
in the Fourteenth street Presby church. ev Dr.
smith's,) by the Rev. VIM s. Curtis.
At half past seven O'Clock the building was filed with
ahighly respectable congregation. The exercises com
menced with the chanting of an anthem by the choir
after which the Rev DIR Smith gave prayer The choir
then sang the 52Sd hymn, accompanied by the congre.
CATION.
DR.. SIXTH then introduced the Rev. Mr.. CURTIS who
said Il nm called this evening to address the Union
Theological Seminary, and 1t is subject Christian
congratulaon that in this great commercial mart where
worldly DEVOTION amuscments and the exigencies of life
demand 80 much attention, a school of the prophets
should be founded in which nearly hundred young
gathered to study for the ministry Christ and
from which they can calmly look out
ciety, as IL from the loopholes of their confne-
ment, and see for what cline they may be best
suited, whether the shores OF tie Pacific in India
China Eastern Western Europe. The feelings Of
the Christian student always Of superior an order
that all attempts to introduce novelty into my discourse
would be unworthy Of this OCCASION The aims OF the
student OF Christianity are higher than those Of the
mere statician or sntiquary, and consequently shall
take for my theme " The Origin and Christian pevslopc
mcnt Of Race and the question OF mans ultimate
destiny which is the all important point for cons
deraton In looking at this question there frequently
too much reliance placed the socaed natural pro.
gress Of and sometimes too much the sovereign
ty oil the Creator. God Is Sovereign, but cannot
overlook the human soul when speaking of the
ton OF mind The existence of Christianity is fact Of
hiaoryit Ia the ssrt tprtbut II IL fact capable
Of separate cons.-ga ion. Man had scarcely had q
knowledge Of his physc wants when in the Garden Of
Eden, when his Fprtual wants were attended 20,
and tue praises OF his God were sent up be-
Tore his organic necessities engaged his attcn-
ton, and love Of his Creator burst from his heart.
Then came the destroyer and for forty centuries the
world mourncd the act of Eve in eating tho forbidden
fruit During this dresry tmc-bcfore the babe was born
for savatonthe mind OF man sought to crcatea religion
for ittc and its workings in this respect form sub
ect for Geep and intricate study. After the rst fall
came Idoa,py, which before the Mosaic insti
utc, for read that Rachel stole tie images Of her
father Isbann So that the idcltor may ask the Jew.
Where was your religion lcfore Moses and Abraham
The star worship Of the hrst dostors changed
by the Tcrsans who deihcd tho god by bowing Ire
symbol Of fire. In the West, the Greek aud Roman
tors statesmen and poets conored TO the vulgar super
stions Of the doators and Athens had her thirty thou
sand images at time. Rome herself afterwards ga
hered In the gods of nations until the Pantheon
tanned, at the time, image OF Christ In company
with the hdeous images OF The most barbarous tribes
In modern Ta5aa.sn We and that the devotion Of the