The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-28
Religious Movements Personal
and General.

morning ana evening ~ tne new i oTk UnlVeTSity.
memorial sermon OF the late DR.. N. W. Seat
wlll be delivered this morning by Rev. DR.. Deems
at the Church of the Strangers.
Rev. Dr.. Abel Stevens will preach in the Central
Methodist Ep scopal church. Seventh avenue. this
morning and Rev. DR.. Joseph Holdich in the even
ing.
Rev. DR.. Krotel breaches morning and evening in
the Evangelical Lutheran Church OF the Holy
Trinity, West Twenty.nrst street.
Rev. Thomas Street will preach this morning and
evening In the North Presbyterian church, West
Thirty first street, on Scripture characters
Free Episcopal Church OF st. Mary the Virgin,
West Forty NTH street. near Broadway. This even
ing at tho Scripture service at haif-past seven
the Rev. DR.. Stewart OF ST. Clements church. Phia-
Aelphia, win preach.
Rev, Dr. Thompson will deliver an address this
evening in tho Broadway Tabernacle church on
ssMoral Lessons and Illustrations Of Bible Truths
from the Fate Of Paris"
Rev. ]. Hyatt Smith will deliver HIS 'Snowban
Sermon" this afternoon before the Sunday school
children's meeting at Open Communion Baptist
church, Seventeenth street.
Rev. Charles Lee Will preach In Plimpton Building
Fifth Universahst church, to-day, on srhe Father
hood Of God"
Rev. J. M. Pullman VIII give the third Of a course
Of lectures young ct the Church Of Our Saviour
Subject, 1.-THE Two Starting Points-Choosing Bust
ness and Choosing Wife,"
Rev. Isaac Weseott will preach in Plymouth Bap-
fist church. Fifty first street. this morning, "Gods
Great Love-" aud In the evening on Jacobs Night
Vision at Bethel"
Rev. Merrill Richardson, pastor OF the New Eng
land Congregational church. will preach this morn
ing and evening.
Rev. John E Goodman, pastor OF Trinity Metho-
dist Episcopal church, in West Thirty fourth street.
Will preach morning and evening.
Rev. DR.. Cheever will preach In the Lexington
avenue church, corner OF Forty sixth street. this
evening. and Rev. DR.. sanderson in the morning.
Rev. E. G. Sweetser VIII preach morning ana even
ing In the Blocker street Unversalst church. corner
OF Downing. HIS subject in the evening will be
''Christan Watchfuness."
Rev. G. G. FOote will preach morning and evening
IN the Christian church, West Twenty eighth street.
"New Ia Christi will be the subject OF his morning
discourse, and In the evening he win lecture on
Acts"
AT Christ Church. Rev. DR.. Ever, rector, services
will be held this morning at and half-past ten
O'Clock. and in the evening halfpast seven. "The
Evils OF the Day and Their Remedy" viii be the
subjectof the evening discourse.
Rev. w. II. Pendleton win preach morning and
evening in the Filty-third street Baptist church.
subject OF Rev. George Hepworth's discourse this
morning in the Church Of the Messiah. Services
also in the evening.
Rev. Dr.. j. II. Rylance will preach this morning in
St Marks church. Second avenue. s1.d in the
,eveuing he will deliver his second lecture on
s'Christianity IN the Human Heart
Kew. DR.. Oagood will preach in ST. James CD urch,
East Seventy second street. this morning.
Rev, G. g. Narrower win preach in st Luke's
Methodist Episcopal church, West Forty -rst strees,
this morning and evening.
1.-THE Garden OF Eden: where 1t Was What it Was,
and How to Regain It," Will be the subject Of Rev.
Cbauncey Giles lecture this evening in the New Je
rusalcm (Swedenborgian, church, East Thirty nftn
street. Morning service at eleven O'Clock.
The opening services OF st Paul's Protestant Eps-
copal church, Jersey City Heights VIII be held this
morning at half past ten O'Clock. Rev. william
wardlsw, the rector, win preach.
Mr.. A. A. WhselOck will speak before the Society
of Progressive Spiritualiss, in Trenor's Lyric Hail.
sixth avenue this morning and evening"
The Great Speciality Of Christianity.
70 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The only great distinguishing feature Of Chris
tanity from other systems OF religion that were
taught by Moses. Confucus, Pythagoras Socrates,
Plato and other great minds Of antiquity, is the
idea that God viii hold man accountable for his
belief, and thai Its eternal destiny In the next
world depends on what he believes In this world.
This is the corner stone Of popular christianity.
either Catholic or Protestant. Remove this idea
and the whole superstructure fans, and, like base
less fabric OF vision, leaves not wreck behind.
Faith or belief-whicn are ono and the same thing
is simply the want OF positive knowledge, or,
according to Webster, belief is ito think or sup.
belief about anything we know to be true. II this
system Of christianity Is true, then mans
IN some ihoSlogicai dogmas tina. he has
no possibility of ascertalning whether they
be true or NOS Faith depends 10 great measure
ciety from which nc receives his education. 1t de-
ponds upon circumstances over which man has no
control il w0uid be as unjust to hold man account
able for his belief TO hold him accountable for the
color Of his eyes the length OF his nose for he mas
no more control over one than the other. No idea
that was ever promulgated among mankind nas
been attended by such dlreful consequences as this
A review OF the career OF this doctrine IL traced
dred years Is enough to make the lover Of his race
weep tears Of blood few items only wil be gwen.
During the period OF the first 200 years after the
date of Christianity many different sects arose and
kept steadily quarreing about the divinity OF Jesus,
conception, HIS death and resurrection some con-
tending thar lie always existed, others that He was
q man, born or woman, and had q beginning. This
strife continued into the third century unti more
than 100000 men had been slaughtered. In the year
e o aTes eoIs
'ent divines In the churches. This ocraaoned
Christian war, In which $4,000 combatants lost their
lives In the eleventh century series OF Crusades
took place. III order to take and hold possession OF
the so-called Holy Land, in which It Is estimated
00o 900 lives we're sacrificed Near the end Of the
twelfth century Peter Waldo founded q new sect.
The consequences were turmoil, persecution, torture
and bloodshed, continued for 800 years, ana many
Thousand lives were lost. In the fifteenth century
500 were burned In Geneva in three months. During
tins period 100000 suffered execution in Germany
alone, and 10000 in England, emitting Scotland,
France and SPAN. THESE are but part or the acts
that have been caused either directly or indirectly
by the doctrine thA God viii hold man accountable
for his belief. Men never persecuie eacn other
about their moral duties. Men persecute each otner
only for their lath The suffering ana despair that
this doctrine has caused the human race leading
thousands and probably millions TO insanity or sui
clde cannot be estimated.
We would say 10 those theologlans who are labor.
ing to prcmugate THIS doctrine among mankind
that these are the Legitimate fruits OF their labors.
The history OF Christianity for the last eighteen nun.
dred years Will fully subsantate this statement. IL
needs no prophets ken to that the "signs OF the
times" strongly indicate another era OF persecution