The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-03

II was ope ming day yesterday at the new
Church of the Strangers, the edifice recently
purchased by Commodore Vanderbilt for tho
congregation of which he is q member. Az with
most other fashionable openings" the place
OF worship was filed with elegantly dressed
ladies aud pious millionnaires, who
listened to the exercises and heard
hymn sung which was written expressly
for the occasion" The event was decidedly
interesting one, although it lacked the excite
ment impaired to the congregations Of tho
Second Advent church, and the Church of
the Coming Woe Gas the reporter facetiousIy
dubs it,, by the terrible sermons which were
there delivered. Elder Bishop was the
preacher at the one and Bishop Snow at the
other. Both clergymen seemed determined to
deliver discourses which would "smash things
generally" How well they succeeded we
leave the reader to ascertain. The Dragon, the
Beast the False Prophet, the Pope, the
Scarlet Woman and various other persons and
things were handled in style which displayed
perfect acquaintance with adjectives, if not
a very clear understanding Of Revelation. At
the Abyssinian Baptist church, too, there was
a small sensation. Sambo and Dinah told
their Experiences" Wailing and grooming
flied the place of worship, broken by
ordinations such as ''Amen, Lord I" 'sIord
save him from the Hon!" ssI.ord for
bid ~ as the sable brothers unfolded to the
congregation their tales Of sin and snfferings,
of the triumph of righteousness and of that
happy future day when all the colored people
will sit in paradise singing hymns and having
no work to do. Closing up this array of extra
ordinary church services, we had at Lyric
Hall an eloquent sermon by Rev. Mr.. Froth-
ingham, who explained what heaven is and
where it is-to the entire satisfaction of his
congregation, we trust for really we confess
to have received no very clear idea of tho
divine abode from the reverend gentleman's
profoundly incomprehensible' sentences.
Perhaps TO some good, old-fashioned people,
whose faith in Christianity does not relish the
sensational in religion, the sermons to which
we refer above may be rather too highly sea-
| soned with the spice Of latter day piety to
| suit their tastes. If so we can direct them to
the reports of sermons delivered at the other
churches Brother Beecher, for instance, was
unusually pathetic and eloquent in his dis
| course on the love of God. He was earnest in
his language, and preached the gospel OF the
| Saviour in its trucst sense. Then there was
the sermon Of Vicar General STAIRS, at
| ST. Patrick's cathedral, something eminently
ediiying and religious. Indeed. it we had the
space we could name several other churches
at which the creed OF Christ was taught, not
with view TO creating a sensation, but for
the purpose Of saving sinners. In this city,
in Washington, Brooklyn and elsewhere our
reports show that if ever there was much
said and done in places of Christian worship
which cannot fail to injure the cause of reli-
gion, there was also much which gives hope
that the activity and earnestness OF good,
pious men will suffice to counteract injurious
Influences.