The New York herald., 1870-05-09
CHURCH OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

Sermon by the Rev. Pere Ronay-"The Banc
Of Flattery and tho knowledge Of Ones
Self's-A Fow Lessons That Every body Can
Learn.
There was large congregation present at the SER
vices held at st. Vincent de Pauls (French) church,
In Twenty-third street, yesterday forenoon. The
pastor, the Rev. Pere La Font celebrated the mass
and the sermon was delivered by the Rev. Pere Ro-
nay. It was one OF those instructive disc0urses for
which, since his connection with this church, the
reverend gentleman has achieved quite an enviable
reputation. and the great feature Of which is that
Instead Of being as the majority Of sermons are
nowadays, stereotyped f0lios OF stale platltudes,
they abound In religious thoughts Of the most ele-
waited character, and strike home directly TO the
hearts Of the listeners. After
READING THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY
he began by referring to what dangers soul
allowed itself to be assailed by when 1t gave will
ing ear to the voice OF nattery. 1t had become the
common custom In every day labor, and in all places
and almost with all kinds OF persons, that when one
wished 10 obtain some great favor OF another the
avSaea one opened .ne work St peapesIn9 ne an
enough were the custom confined to nat,ering only
what was good In a person-for even then nattery
might pervert by turning the person nattered tC
thoughts OF sef-esteem ana vanity-but 1t was moi
Those who made hattery one OF their strongest
weapons OF assault when they wished for emolumen
or Onice, or aught that another could give
scrupled not about what they praised In the
one whose good viii they sought to gain.
the talk OF the town. the natterer always found
way TO lavish praise even upon thesenot directly,
vicious man believe that his % Vices and foes were.
after all, not such terrible things as old fogies
imagined and that il sensible men," like the 1at-
terer, only looked at them In liberal spirit, they
would be sure to change their opinion as to the real
character Of his little peccadill0es. Fattery, the
reverend preacher remarked, was nothing more or
lpSa than a lie dlgrulspd attractive dress.
II was lie for ali that. All men were more or less
open to it's insidous wiles, ana but few could with
The speaker, after diatnS at considerable length
on this special part or his subject then referred to
the exclamation to God, made by st. Augustine
''N0vERIM TIE, NOvERIM Me-"
This, he SAID, should be the motto OF every good
Christian, and II 1t were always kept in mind riat-
terers would have to change their voices or be silent
altogether. How many persons were there not he
asked. who had the strength Of soul to hear from a
friend reprOachful word-not merely word of
blame for neglect encountered but o word that
pointed out to the one reproached some vice that
ought TO be uprooted out OF the soil, some passion
to others. All men as a general thing pretend to
love truth and to hear it spoken but they fear to
have 1t spoken to themselves Indeed, nowadays
It often happened that II the minister or God in the
pulpit did not hedge in his exhortations and his
denuncat0ns OF vice with words that half hid their
real meaning he was looked upon as something to
be frowned at, man whom it was the duty OF
liberal minded congregation to crush. Would the
minister OF the period De successful ne must leave
touch them lightly and in q way tnat could not 60
directly home to
THE HEARTS OF HIS LISTENERS
in such way that the pious sinners could leave the
church feeling great PLY for those bad people
whom the minister Of God had alluded to, but among
whom they could not OF course, be numbered. When
q minister OF God could bow down to such sentI-
ment to ste his sense Of duty and for fear Of CIV
ing any offence content himself with predicating In
q meaningless way, without striking home to the
hearts OF his listeners, 1t was high time the question
was asked
WHITTIER ARE WE DRIFTrNG2
It was the duty OF the priest TO exhort men to do
good ana avoid evil, and II ne did not the congrega-
ton could reprove him and recall him to sense OF
his responsibilities; for the priest, n he lacked In
energy and lost sight Of the motto sNOrerf Detsn,
noue'1n me-, should be called to account as quickly
as anybody else. The Saviour, when on earth, gave
us q good example, which ministers Of God and
everybody else should follow. He did Not use fiat
terry and aduation but He pointed out the sins and
sorrows OF men. He tore from OF the hypocrite's
face the veil which hld his crimes from men. In
like manner true friend should reprove friend
and the minister his fellow men for their faults; for
1t was, indeed, the true friend who pointed out 70
his fellow the wounds In his soul to be cured and
which, If not attended to, might mortify and cause