The New York herald., 1870-05-09
Tho Churches Yesterday.


So intimately connected with religion are
the opposing theories and practices which have
resulted In the great criminal case now on
trial in this city that 1t Is appropriate at this
time for the preachers to discuss the subject Of
the marriage relation. Yesterday there
were two sermons delivered on this subject
one in New York and the other in Jersey
City, which gave the Protestant and Catholic
view Although the arguments of the Methe-
dist preacher, Rev. w. G. Steel, differed from
those of the Catholic priest, Father Grahame,
both reached the same conclusion. The two
clergymen eloquently described marriage as a
sacred obligation entered into by man and wo-
man, and condemned the loose notions which
obtain With certain class. Mr. Steel de-
nounced the divorce laws of Indiana, while
Father Grahsme inclined to the opinion
that the heresy of free love, with it's
sympathy" and 'afinity" denominations,
was the proper result of the teachings of
Luther To what extent Indiana legislators
and Luther are responsible for free love we
leave the preachers to decide. At present we
believe that Satan is at the bottom Of the
whole doctrine. If we are wrong then the
argument that man is naturally depraved must
be right. and we would rather not entertain
this belief just now.
Referring the reader to the two sermons
mentioned as embodying the true principles
Of social morality we direct our attention to
the other churches. Rev. Mr.. Pullman at the
Church of our Saviour dscoursed ably in sup
port of the views taken by the HERALD few
days ago on the subject of s'Providential
Interference in Human Events, which, he
wisely held, were regulated solely by
natural laws. At Oriental Hall Rev. Mr.
Lee comforted his congregation with the
assurance that "man was not only not
degenerating, but was advancing, physically,
Intellectually and morally. Rev. Mr.. Jones,
at Trinity church, preached on the ''Voyage
of Life," described the ''grand river flowing
onward to the ocean of eternity" and deplored
the fact that some of the voyagers on 1t were
asleep Of course by these somnolent trav-
ellers he referred to the sinners. Now,
we rather incline to the opinion that
sinners who travel down the stream
of life are everything but asleep.
They are wide awake and actively employed
stirring up the mud at the bottom Of the river.
They know well enough that they are doing
wrong, and can even tell who and what the
Father is in heaven, if not so ably as Rev.
Mr.. Hepworth told at the Church of the
Messiah yesterday, yet sufficiently well to
make their sins all the more heinous. How
ever, there is hope for them.
| At the Catholic churches the dogma of Papal
| infallibility was defined and supported, the
effect Of fattery upon weak humanity was de-
scribed and many other subjects were consid-
cred well and ably. In Brooklyn and Washing
ton the sermons were interesting. All the
churches in this city and at other points from
which we have reports were well attended, the
Lord was faithfully served by all, without
| distinction of race or color, and, with sins
forgiven, as we trust they were, people looked
forward to the coming of the next Sabbath,
hopeful of being able to pass through the pre-
sent week with fewer transgressions of
the divine law than they did that which had
just passed.