The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-24
Tho sermons Yesterday.

Il
Tho Sermons Yesterday.
The great point about the religious dis
courses yesterday was that there was only
one riot sermon, and that solitary one dis
played calmness of temper and o thoughtful
ness Of tone which we cannot too highly
commend. 1t was preached by rising pillar
of the Congregational Church-the Rev.
Henry Powers. Mr.. Powers seems to agreein
every particular with the HERALD; indeed,
he sensibly held us up by name before the
eyes of his congregation as the model indie
pendent newspaper. We need scarcely add,
therefore, that his discourse as whole was
sound and wholesome mental food, even
though pulpit in our judgmsnt-at any rate
on the Sabbath-is scarcely the best place
from which to proclaim political truths. Mr.
Powers, like good logician, draws q dis
tinction between the riot itself and the
principles involved In 1t. He thinks
that the Orangemen had right to parade,
and so, ofcourse. they have; but Mr.. Powers
says further that we all have many rights
which, as sensible men, we do not care to exer-
else. Civil and religious liberty are in this
country too well established to need the noisy
and Fictitious support Of drums and
scarfs and bad music, however necessary
those things may be in Great Britain to sus-
tain the waning enthusiasm for freedom. Mr..
Powers concluded by deserved rebuke to
such among our respectable masses as are too
lazy to 60 to the primaries and the polls and
do their duty to society. Every citizen, he
thinks, 10 conscientiousIy bound to vote and
to take an active interest In public affairs.
To oil which we say hearty amen.
Among the other sermons the absence Of
our usual sensational spiritual guides Is pain
fully apparent. But 1t is, after all, great
blessing that we have this summer breathing
spell. While the great lights are with us we
are, Of course, obliged to give them free adj
indeed sometimes misled, we confess it, to give
them even more than their proper share Of at
tention. II is really treat, therefore, for us
to be able to spread before our
readers, as VIC 10 to-dsy: 80 many
columns of solid, substantial, wholesome
practical Christianity. It is strange though
that these same unpretending, quiet, work. "a
day teachers, 30 largely stay in town while
their more popular brethren are founder
ing in the waves at Long Branch or making
themselves Ill with Incorporate indulgence in
the waters of Saratoga or Sharon. The same
thing, however, holds good In the world Of
theatrical art. 1t Is almost only the stars who
go on expeditions into the provinces.
Father Merritt's sermon on almsgiving is
great deal better timed than might be sup
| posed. Every one thinks of the poor In win
| ter; but men get hungry and need medicine,
and, more than all, they need the greatest and
best charity Of all-the kind word and the plea
SAINT, encouraging smile Of Samaritan visit
| tor-as much in midsummer as at Christmas.
DR.. Heacock, Buffalo divine, also
preached q practical Gospel sermon,
| the abstract of which we have read with
| pleasure. We are sure that our people de-
| light to hear the simple. winning story of the
unspeakable love Of Christ, such as this dis
course gives, far better than anything else,
although our great pulpit lights do not seem to
believe il. Rev. Mr.. Pullman, on ''Heaven, is
worth perusal, though some Of his ideas seem
drawn from q divine who is not an Univer-
salist-Emanuel Swedenborg. The concep-
ton that bliss chiefly consists In
the extinction of evil. and not in place
of abode, is Q good one. Our other reports
are all worthy of study. but we have only
space to notice that BY Mrs. Burleigh on the
ministry Of Evil" Evil in this world is thing
which We are gallant enough to believe is,
directly or indirectly, mainly the work of men.
Mrs. Burleigh, however, true to her theories
Of human equality, seems to place the sexes
In this respect upon an equal footing,
and, perhaps, she il right. We hold,
however, in the matter of women preachers
| the well known doctrine Of st. Paul. But II
all women could talk as much good sense as
| Mrs. Burleigh we might be induced to buy q
pew in the church of lady divine. A man,
however, would have to be very, very free
| from prejudice. to accept the sacrament at the
hands Of female minister. When we carry
this thing Of lady preachers to It's logical
results, therefore, its absurdity becomes plain.
| But we do not wish to discourage Mrs. Celia.
She might do very many worse things than
exhort sinners to repentance.
President Theirs On tho Pssi'ion Of the
| Holy Father.
| In the French Assembly on Saturday there
| was an interesting debate upon the Papal
| question. The petition of the bishops re-
questing the government to interpose in favor
Of the restoration Of the Papai temporalties
came up for discussion. President Theirs, as
was most becoming in the circumstances, was
the chief speaker. The burden Of the Presi-