The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-31
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.

Blssnlngdale Catholic Associusien-
and the Refsrnaslsn.
The Rev j r Heckss delivered lecture last evening
In Irving Hail. under the auspices Of The Bosningdas
Catholic Association. "Luthsr and the Reformation"
Every avaiabls ssa in The body Of the hall occupied
the gallery crowded Shortly asr eight O'Clock the
reverend gentleman ads biz appearance and proceeded
70 say that when they were searching aer truth they
should sst aside al sectional feelings and prejudceG He
not there to discuss whether Martin Luther and Leo
the Tsnth good or bad men, great and bad
They we're dead and buried and hs would not dis
their ashes He there tonight Investigate the
principle which underay the religious revolution OF the
sixteenth century, or in other words 70 discuss the
cause which separated so many Christians from the
IN me century, ,no Sill KEPT nsm a
mission and universally Of the Church, be said, looking
on the divine side OF the church. abe was holy church.
q perfect church. Looking at her human SIDE the
church had not her business among angels but among
men, and therefore among slnners. Men were not
OF tho church. Sanctity was . plant of very slow
growth There was great scandal, great crime
church, No no. The church reasoned with them, OK.
postulsted with them and they did not listen 70 her
voice she cut them on from her sacramens but there
her power ended. On the divine sds the church was
perfect; the human side she imperfect, she
had to deal with Sinners the good and the bad The
church was mixture OF good and owl, according to
Chrst's idea oil tho church. Tho reverend gentleman
spoke Of the hereses that existed in the early times OF the
church. and having alluded the passage in Holy Writ
10 the effect that teachers OF false doctrines would arise
he said that the history Of the church which always
militant against sin, history OF struggle against
corruption aud heresea He reviewed the Arian heresy
at length SO there hcresies In tho sixteenth
Guzo Protestant historian, said that abuses
properly called, not numerous In the six
teenth century they at other times When
sprung up the church had b. her councils the
power TO repress those errors; and here he gh be
permitted TO say that from thes. councils sprang the
system of representative government. Having dwelt
upon establishment religious time
st Francis and ST Dominic Father Hecker spoke OF the
Council Of Trent quoting the opinion OF Mr. Halam, an
English Protestant writer, that that council was
posed OF learned eminent men, who sought after the
truth In the matters thai before them for examine
tom and he 1.-THE reverend genteman) affirmed without
fear Of contradiction that all the abuses that existed
the time of that council had been wiped out by its
DEGREES and ceased TO exist altogether. Luther
attacked the sale OF duigences, and doing he id
right; but while he made that attack he admitted the
right Of the Church to grant those ndugences Acentry
before Luther began his attack, for the reform OF
ITSELF Having dwelt upon the position Luther lost
rcformcr by attacking the church which was divinely
constituted having within itself the means OF correcting
all and abuses and combated the notion that the
Catholic church had kept the bible from its people, Mr.
Hecker concluded by stating that Professionalism was
founded on despotsm. 1t Luther proclaimed the
divine right of kngs-a principle always opposed by
Catholic divines, who maintained the principle Of
and free will in Professionalism, in It's princi
pies, opposed 10 light and liberty II II had spread
civil zaton allow him say that nations civ zcd
before Professionalism existed 1t was not true that Pro-
testansm, BY means Of it's doctrines the means Of
spreading light and truth. The reverend gentleman
spoke for nearly two hours