The New York herald., 1871-10-30
The Sermons Yesterday.

The clergymen of this city and vicinity
seem yesterday to have greatly extended the
range of topics discussed by themselves and
their congregations. Compared with those
which we gave last week the readers of this
mornings HERALD will perceive the effect OF
the stimulus that we then gave them. Here
in our own midst DR.. Hepworth, in treating
of Pauls magnificent argument for the resur-
rection of the dead, touched gracefully
upon the recent death of that Chris
tian hero, General Robert Anderson.
DR.. Bellows delivered semi-political
discnurse on the value of character, which
be styled the jewel Of time and of eternity,
and to secure which the education of the
masses is greatly needed. Mr.. rockingham
declared that want of simplicity is the greatest.
defect in American character, and to prove
his proposition he took tour through the City
Hall and County Court House, the abortion
dens of the city, the theatres, the yachts in
our harbor, the ashes of Chicago and the pos
sessions of the Monk Of Erfurt, whose sim
plicity developed the Protestant Reformation
One would suppose that the minister would
be able to talk his hour out on such q
range of topics as this. But it seems td
turn men from darkness unto light and from
the power of Satan unto God the result will
hardly be attained this side of the millennium.
Such sermons" may please those who have
itching ears, but they can never comfort sim
sick souls. Dr. Richardson longed to have
such man as old Zaccheus at the head of the
Finance Department of our city government 3
for then we should have money enough to
carry on our business That old publican
was ready to restore fourfold 70 any
man whom he had wronged, even uninten-
tionally, and Christ took salvation to his house.
Dr. Thompson, in the Broadway Taber-
nacle, In few farewell words, very feelingly
acknowledged the gift of $55, 900 by his con-
gregation, SO that he may end his days in
rest and quietness without fear that pinch
ing want will ever reach him. This is in part
the estimate of pastoral worth by one Christian
congregation, and 1t is a noble gift wOrthily
bestowed.
The Rev. Mr.. Guard of South Africa.
preached an eloquent Christian discourse last
the occasion Of the one hundred and third aus
! hiversary OF its founding. 1t was sermon in
striking contrast with some that we have suns
married. above, and it will be found full Of
pure Christian thought and soal food Tho
Lord Bishop of Nassau, N. F., told
the congregation of Trinity church Al
piteous tale of tribulation and distress
which has befallen his diocese in the sweeping
away of three churches, many dwellings and
very much property, and the wrecking Of
vessels on the coast by terrible tidal wave
which recently visited that island. Tha
people here were asked for aid for the suf-
ferers there, and no doubt they will respond
with their accustomed liberality.
In the Catholic churches some very eloquent
discourscs were delivered. The Rev. Dr.
McGlynn, at ST. Stephens, preached on tha
relation of the Church to the State, or Of
Caesar 10 God, and the degree Of obedience to
be rendered by each to each and obligations
imposed upon US by both. DR.. Preston, In
ST. AIMS, preached on the same topic, but
from another standpoint. He did not con-
slider that they could be united so that
one shall eclipse or cancel the other,
or destroy its fnnctions-such a union
would be destruction. A spiritual ruler
may, indeed, fill the Office of a
temporal ruler, but he does not necesl
sarily thereby destroy the existence or
independence of the temporal order. But the
spiritual power cannot say, II am the State"
Much less can the temporal power say to tha
spiritual, 'Come down from your lofty emil
nence and obey me-" In religion, he insisted.
there must be infalbity, because God is in
fallible, and He speaks to the world through the
Church. And as if by concert among the priests
this same subject was also treated Of by Father
Flattery, in st. Teresas church, but from an
other aud different standpoint from that of Drs.
Preston and McGlynn. The C@sarism Of the
Gospel, he said, is comprised under three
heads, namely-our PHYSICAL health, our nat
ural propensities, and our just obligations to
civil society; and these three points
he elaborated in detail. The Rev. Father
Vaisseur, q missionary from China, made an
eloquent appeal in behalf Of the propagation Of
the faith among the millions Of the Celestial
empire. The picture Of spiritual darkness
which the reverend father drew Of that land
was indeed dark enough. Half million ous
of four hundred million souls In that vasa
empire acknowledging the Lord Jesus Chriss
10 any form should stimulate the Christian
Church of America and Europe to greater
efforts for the evangelzation of the millions.
Mr.. Beccher considered some OF the dini-
culties and disadvantages that spring from
men trying by physical processes to build an
inward manhood. Instead of putting their
force into their religion thsy try to kill the
force in themselves, to ignore 1t. Nobody so