The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-21
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY.

Public Piety Cooled Down--ComiDg to Make
Love md Forgetting to Pray-A Railroad
Nuisance-Nh0 Was Jesus Christ s-Serm0n
by the Rev. l1r. Tracy.
Yesterday could hardly be regarded as o good day
for religion in and around Fifth and Madison ave-
nues; for the cody Of that brown stone region have
not yet secured their fashionable supply Of winter
clothing, and to encounter the biting blast OF yes
terday in su inner costume would be piece O. fun
and folly only fit for some
OvERHEATED ST. ANTHONY
OF the period. 1t would be out OF the question alto
gether 10 think OF putting on last winters old
fashioned apparel, and the only alternative
was to keep within doors and leave the
churches empty. This must account for the
absence OF q congregation at tde Church OF
the Holy Trinity, corner OF Madison avenue and
Forty second street. at hafpast three O'Clock yes
terday afternoon, where and when the Episcopal
services were conducted and good sermon
preached by the Rev. u. T. Tracy. The subject Of
the discourse the identity Of Jesus Christ as the
son Of God. The preacher said that the art OF
criticism is being cultivated TO perfection. Men
who formerly accepted every truth advanced with
out question are now gro wn suspicious, and must
have proofs of every stateme before they believe
This il true regarding every subj ect OF human In
terest and Is particularly with respect TO religion
Men questioning not only the religious iath OF
DEMANDING PROOFS,
and II they not those proofs at the hands
Of the preacher. whose task anu duty IL u TO
believing all trey had formerly received
with implicit faltn. The. time has long
gone by when received religious teaching
as from authority, aud tue more intelligent mud of
to-day insists on thinking for Itself on religious as
the way down to the foundation People are indis-
posed TO accept ANYTHING Just now on the mere as
ttla lfn
they do not now keep tie results OF their researches
all TO themselves. lacy have contracted the custom
of transatng their thoughts and opinions into pop
ular language and printing them IN pamphlets ane
newspapers. And TINS thinking and reading ana
People say, ar we have peen cnershinR dcuslon
let us cherish 1t no longer.n THIS does away with
ali prizes craft and renders it wholly powerless Tor
good or evil. AT such peculiar time as this what
Il the duty OF the religious teacherr Is 1t 10 crush
the questioning spirit and -
SMOTHER THE VOICE or INQUIRY
by the force Of au,houty2 That was the old method
OF silencing the doubt; but that method would not
WORK to-day. Men cannot now trampe Oh their
doubts SO easily bv mere effort OF the Will. We
cannot nowadays regard the honest doubts and sus-
Tor. Doubts are not necessarily wicked. they can
not be helped and are no more the result OF VOll0n
than the circulation OF the blood inc ansy OF tne
doubts. Wisdom and justice call upon them to let
In the light. IA their place to bear the burdens oil
the weak and solve the doubts OF the troubled in
spirit. There is proportion OF Intelligent listeners
In every church who think for themselves aud
silenty demand proofs OF every statement uttered,
and n the preacher does not furnish them SO much
the worse Tor tie preacher. There Is an unlimited
supply OF them In
THE COMFORTABLE GOSPEL
of Jesus Christ. Religious proofs are very peculiar
in their nature. Supernatural facts must be estab-
lished only by Supernatural evidence Inc fOunda-
tons OF our b1licf tho proofs We can bring TO
show that Jesus Christ was really the Son oil God.
| and not mythical parsonage. The blographers Of
Christ have given us only very imperfect notion Of
| what He was. There IS DO positive proof OF His
DIVINITY to be found In HIS miracles; bnt the charac