The New York herald., 1870-05-16
Rock OF ages. cleft for me,
Let me hide myself In thee.
Let the water and the b.ood,
CHURCH OF THE PHaa,sEEs.

Farewell Sermon by the Rev. G. u. Smytl,-
Applause i'm the Church-Scenes and Inci-
dents Among the Pnriinnicni Brethren-The
Church Crowded Beyond the Doors-I:ro-
tesque Views Upon Gin and Milk.
by the united votes OF the pebs and presby ers OF
this church the Rev. Mr.. Smyth was week ago d.
vorced from his congregation. No greater act OF
bigotry, intolerance ana fanaticsm has occurred in
this city outside Bedam for years past People have
fondly hoped that thumbscrews. iackboots and
scavengers' daughters and all the kindred vulgar
instruments Of torture for conscience sake were
Gently laid away IN the public museums 10 instruct
us quietly in the humb!ing lesson that a few CEN
turtles back our common forefathers were,
If judged by ecclesiastical history nothing
less than barbarians. 1t cannot be pretended
that it was religion that III the fires in Smithdeld
and at Geneva. 1t was savagery, pure and unmt
gated. Yet the same principle which burned Serve
rus because his philosophy Oh the Holy Trinity did
not agree in all particulars with that Of Mr.. joan
Calvin has deprived, in New YOrk-hIherto
garded as the centre OF freedom OF thought and
religious liberty-the Rev. c. B. smyth OF his pulpit
and his living Nothing more absurd than the per-
secution to which the Rev. Mr. Smyth has been SUBJ
jected has yet occurred in the church annals OF
New York. His "sin" was that he "broKe breadn
to two literary brothers, and, to use the vul-
gar jargon OF the san newspaper, had "four fin
gers OF gin and mllkr himself upon a Sabbath on
which ne was worked very hard For this he was
tried. He was acquitted; yet ne was censnred. In
other words, IN the parlance OF certain Irish
magistrate, he told ''You are not guilty; but
don't do 1t any more.n Then The fury
of few fanatics, hot and helpless as molten Lead
went in Tor ''unrOcking Mnl, and this was done on
the Napoleonic idea OF ple6iscituDs. Mr.. smyihs
friends did not come up to the fight when the black
balls being used against him; 80 the majority
said eyes, and the pastor was severed lrom his
people ,. e,,,, ,o,,,
FAREWELL SERMON.
Long before the hour of service the Welsh Con-
gregauonal chapel was full. Every seat beng occu-
pied, people began 10 fill up the passages; and,
these being choked, they Jammed at the doors and
dlstended their ears III the yestbUles, that they
might catch the words Of the preacher. There was
no ventilation IN the church. the sermon was
heard while the listeners wep from every pore and
the lans OF the ladies' Vi with The cambrics Of the
gentlemen.
lie took his text from the Acts Of the Apostles,
Xi 7:-"Paui preached unto ;hen, ready to depart
on the morrow:r and said "Beholdu saws the wise
man, 'how great ire small spark KIudetl.u
AS the sturdy OAK that braves The storms OF oentu
res drives roots deeper, stretches out It's branches
urious foliage the more it is combated springs from
an acorn as rivers rise from playial little mountain
rlvuets which, uniting form a majestic volume,
flowing on in stately pride to the ocean, the pre-.
sent excitement rose from a small ana compara-
lively insignificant beginning. II was not necss.
sary for him 10 60 over the ground again. All these
thngs--the trial, the article. the later proceedings
have all been fully ana accurately reported IN the
cerned, nothing, he thought, could be desired for
the purposes OF truth. And as TO editorial COM
ments they were, whether favorable or unlavorable
TO him. nothing more than the free discussion of a
public matter and were justified by freedom OF
speech and the customs of a free country Besides
this
A POINT OF HONOR
restrained him. TEey all knew the fact. The future
they would learn from advertisements la the public
papers. The large assemblage present testified 20
The interest taken IN this matter. The crowded
audience not alone respectable but intellectual.
He could not but notice that
TIE UNFAIR SEX
was largely represented, and that they had such
cheering sprnkling Of the fair sex.
Paul was ut Troas when he spoke the words OF the
text. lie was about going 20 Jerusalem to attend a
church congress, and meanwhile was evangezlng
all the more vigorously. Who was IL that was speak
ing Paul Paul, the Saul who is first mentioned Ia
Scripture as having held the clothes OF those VINO
stoned Stephen the Evangelist. Like those win
whom he thus associated he was blindly Jealous,
stubborn and mad He thought he was right, and
was even the road TO Damascus To put gives on
the feet Of the Christians when he was struck by
light from Heaven thrown upon the ground, num-
bled, enlightened and flied with the Spirit, and then
saw the lo.ly OF his fury.
The subjecJ OF his sermon at TroaS was not given,
but the contest pointed IL out. 1t was on the neces
sity OF repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. These
truths he boldly proclaimed to the Jews. They might
harry him. lie in wait Tor hini, yet he kept back
not hing from them. HIS religion was not merely in
tellcctual or emotional; the whole range ol IL was
comprehended In the principles above laid down
VIZ, repentance and faith
The preacher here lucidiy described what repent
ance and faith meant; repentance being q saving
grace spontaneously given 10y Goa and accompanied
py special resolves TO walk IN the way OF righteous
ness. Faith he described as such an entire
BELIEF IN THE Coi4oE SENSE
meaning OF the word aS q passenger In one of the
mail boats puts In the ship, Ofic.ls and crew when
he trusts himself to The stormy Atlantic billows,
being fully conscious that every difficulty was pro
vded for, and thar therefore ne might he perfectly
NJ ese. ChIlst was the ARK OF safety amid all che