The New York herald., 1870-05-03


Conspicuous amidst the ten columns of
church reports published in the HERALD Of
yesterday were the sermons devoted TO con-
sideration of the recent calamity in Richmond.
1t is weakness of clergymen to attribute to
provldential agency, as either directly or indi-
rectly manifested. the most horrible of deeds.
In this particular case we find the Rev. Mr..
Hepworth gravely asserting that "there was
God in it, 1t was no blind accident Rev.
MIR. Smyth, disooursing on the same subject,
held that homes were made desolate and hearts
cruelty wrung because of political injustice,
which was true enough but he followed up
these ideas by indirectly expressing the con-
victiOn that the accident was due to special
visitation of Providence In Washington the
Rev. Mr.. Barry, after declaring that "God
moved in mysterious way applied this
quotation from the hymn to the disaster, by
saying that ''the Richmond catastrophe and
similar calamities only illustrate the fact OF
Gods providence. Such things are not the
work of chance" We could quote from
several other sermons to show that all the
preachers were Of one mind; but these will
suffice for our purpose.
Now, with all due respect to the clergymen,
we must differ with them in their conclusions.
The Richmond accident was due to purely
natural causes, or, rather, to the disobedience
OF laws laid down by nature. We cannot see
wherein the Lord had anything to do with the
giving way of the floor. Ignorant architects,
and not Providence, are responsible for the
killing and manning Of nearly two hundred
persons. There was not, and is not, the
slightest evidence of the supernatural hav
ing been concerned in the disaster.
Certain pillars which had supported the floor
had been injudicously removed, thereby weak
ening the power of the beam to support
heavy weight. For the first time probably
since the alterations were made the court
room was densely crowded. AS a natural
consequence the laws of gravitation asserted
themselves; the girder gave way, and the mass
Of human beings was preciptated to the floor
beneath to meet death or wounds. Here we
have u clear, simple explanation of the affair.
Nowhere in it can we see the hand of Provi-
dence. Nothing occurred which cannot be
accounted for on purely natural grounds.
II we are to agree with the preachers that
the Almighty deliberately cut of from earth
some sixty persons, mangled the bodies of
more than one hundred others, brought misery
and penury to many domestic circles and
plunged an entire community in mourning,
why shall we not hold Him responsible for the
commission of every frightful actp Shall we
hand Of Providence is apparent in the deed !?
Are all the horrible and nameless crimes
almost daily committed the work of GOd2 If
they are, then nothing is left for Satan to do.
Certainly, when we reflect that the victims of
the Richmond disaster were not more sinful
than the majority of men, it seems very much
as if the King of Evil had more to do with it
than the God Of mercy and righteousness
Ones faith in the divine truths of Christianity
would be much shaken if the belief could find
Judgement in the mind that to the direct agency
of Providence is due all, or great part, Of
human woe and misery. No; mysterious as
are Gods ways they do not manifest them
selves in such horrors as that which occurred
at Richmond last week. The Infinite mind
seeks not thus to impress its power upon sinful
humanity, and We must, therefore, dissent
from the views of those clergymen who argue
that it does. And more; in leaving this sub
ject we must give expression to the profound
conviction that one of tho great reasons fol
tho ru;dounraad acnnticiam Of the ACE ia In hf
found in clergymen preaching from the pulpit
the doctrine of providential agency in the
most repu!sive occurrences. BY this teaching
Christianity is divested Of Its most beautiful
features, and God himself is represented as th'
very incarnation of cruelty and revenge