The New York herald., 1870-09-19
LYRIC HALL, SIXTH AVENUE.

Remarkable Sermon by Rev. q. Il. Frothins.
hnm--SnperstiiieDs of Episcopalians and
Catholics.
Tho Rev. o. B. rockingham delivered a aremarka.
Bile discourse at the morning service IN which he
,arially dealt out his blows ut the Catholics and
the Eplscopalians aIKo for the supersttions which
he laments to find them practising.
THE CONGREGATION
was very large, and consisted apparently of plain,
business people for the most part, to whom Sunday
brought rest and relaxation from and toll. Con-
trary to what il tho almost nvarable fact in other
places OF worship, the gentlemen were something
more numerous than the ladies', and bald and gray
heads were M triumphant majority.
hymn having been sung lthe lorty-eighth) CON-
menoing-
The offerings 10 Thy throne we raise
of mingled prayer and praise.
UneAs the heart be there
The preacher read the text-Acts OF the Apostles
XVII, % and 23--"Ye men OF Athens, perceive that
IN all things ye are loo superstitious, for behed
your dev0tions and found altar with this inscrp
ton, TO the unknown GOd.'" From this he pro-
Ceeded to explain the meaning Of superstitIons but
first took occasion to denounce
DELIBERATE FALsIFICArIoN OF TIE BIBLE
by the translators. He said the correct rendering
ought to run thus:-"Ye men OF Athens, perceive
that Ia al things ye are very religious, for as
are very regi0ns' for he Is praising the Atne-
mans not blaming them; he Is not cOndemnlng
Them for being supersttlous, but commanding the m
Tor being devou and the instance he gave their
worship OF u god whose attributes they knew not
their determination to worship all gods, known and
unknown, not tia, they were Supersttious but very
poua But the translators OF the New Testament
being good churchmen, the same as the Romanists,
in fact, couldn't ind It in their hearts TO say that
Greek or Roman Pagans could be religious and 40
they preferred I'd render the words 'too superstI-
tious" To them all worship but their own was to
COnuemnHu. ristin
people could have earnest and well devised sense
Of divine things would be to stultify themselves,
and so they preferred to render naught the argu-
ment and Illustration OF the apostle.
WHAT Is sUPBRsTIToN?
All classes OF believers are ready 10 suppOSc their
neRhDOrs superstitious. Superstition is the great
enemy Of creed, all men cry 0ut but nobody takes it
and simple iath The common definition is that It
Includes every uncbrstian an unbeliever. 1t Is
cecdIngly popular among Christians, but II never
met much favor that heard OF among Jews aud
M0h0mmedans Others say superstition is 'exces-
siye religion as II there was standard by which
the exact quantity OF religion eau be tested. Some
say 1t is ''the beginning OF religion" No. the two
Things are antagonistc, are al war with one an.
ton 10 erring religions; but who shall tell which
the talseY Some say 1t is devil worship, but they
crngIng spirit in the sight Of heaven.
Plutarcn dwels with exceeding force this vice OF
superstition; but the German philosopher, Kant, hit
IL hablt OF regarding natural powers and influences
as being subject to caprice and II Is disregard Of
the world Of mind and spirit II the substitution OF
fancy for Thought and imagnatiOns for wisdom; il
arbitrary, authority aud looking to something pre-
thrnatnral and supernatural for the help that only
can come by natural MEANS"
ILLUSTRATION.
"A HupersutOuS man Is alarmed by some natural
phenomenon He cries out, Il have sinned--it Is Il
Judgment" and he falls his knees and he brings
offerings to disarm the wrath OF the malignant being
whom he cannot otherwise prOpitiate. 1t was only
snc other day that Catholic priest IN Europe n-
weighed against insurances az devices to bauk God,
and tricks TO elude the judgments of the Eternal,
who sends mlsfortunes and death tnat men may be
duly punished lor their sins.
AN Bx-PREsIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES DIES
sUPERsTITIOUs DEATH.
An exPrcsident Of the United States lying on his
death bed, good man. Of trreproachabc life called
for minister OF the Gospel and expressed his desire
60 6e sprinkled with the water OF baptism and his
hope that II was not yet too late, being sprinked
ward. 1his intelligent, excellent man had no faith in
his virtue truth, honor and integrity. the fidelity
with which he tried to discharge great national
trust; int he hoped to obtain from some miraculous
efficacy q few drops OF water what all the toll OF
long and well spent life would not procure. The
Of Catholics and EpiscOpalians with respect to the
Eucharist as superstitiOus, quoting In proof the
catechsm and prayers OF the Episcopal church, and
went on to say that even some Unitarian ministers
who teach that mystic effect inheres In the ele-
ments Of the communion by which those who OBJ
the rite are III some peculiar and 1ndescriba
be way sancttfed. This, lie said, is the very es-
sence Of supersttion there is no better illustration
OF 1t than the rite Of communion depending the
perishable elements OF bread and wine instead Of
virtue The spirit OF superstition has taken posses
sion OF the sweet person Of Jesus, represents
that the sacrifice Of His life dispenses with ours,
that He stands In place Of US, and something
He did or suffered entities US to enter
into glory Of which Of ourselves we should not be
deserving. The next illustration was the belief OF
Catholics on the indulgences at the Franciscan
churches, which the reverend gentleman described
obtaining pardon for all sins past, present and
70 come In other words free pass to heaven.
HORRORS OF SUPERSTITION.
He concluded by saying superstition Is worse than
war, pestilence, poverty, evil government, unjust
laws or despOtism. All these may be overcome or
put aside. but superstition Is disease OF the mind
and the soul; q disorder ineradlcabe IN the heart,
that demoraiZes all our Ideas Of the universe Of
God