The New York herald., 1871-05-28

Services To-day.
At the American Free Church anniversary to-day
Rev. Charles b. Smy.h Will conduct the services
morning and evening at the New York University.
memorial sermon OF the late DR.. N. W. Seat
sw1n be delivered this morning BY Rev. DR.. Deems
at the Church of the Strangers.
Rev. DR.. Abel Stevens viii preach In the Central
Methodist Ep scopa church. Seventh avenue. this
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 ith street. near Broadway. This even
ing at the Scripture service at half-past seven
tho Rev. Dr. Stewart OF st. Clements church, Phia
Aeiphia, win preach.
evening in tho Broadway Tabernacle church on
s.MOral Lessons and Illustrations Of Bible Truths
from the Fate Of Paris"
Rev. J. Hyatt Smith will deliver HIS 'Snowbau
Sermon" this afternoon before the Sunday school
chidren's meeting at Open Communion Baptist
church, Seventeenth street.
Rev. Charles Lee viii preach in Plimpton Building
Fifth Universahst church), To-Day, 'srhe Father
hood Of God"
Rev. J. M. Pullman VIII give the third OF course
Of lectures 70 young men ut the Church Of Our Saviour
Sixth Universalisn Thrtynfth street. this evening.
Subject, 1.-THE Two Starting Points-Choosing Bust
ness and Choosing Wife,"
Rev. Isaac weseott will preach In Plymouth Bap-
tst church, Fifty first street. this morning, "God's
Great Love-" aud In the evening on Jacobs Night
Vision at Bethel"
Rev. Merrill Richardson, pastor or the New Eng
iand Congregational church, viii preach this morn.
ing and evening.
Rev. John E Cookman, 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. q. Sweetser viii preach morning ana even.
ing In the Bleecker street Unversast church.
OF Downing. HIS subject In the evening will be
'sChristian Watchfulness.n
Rev. c. c. Foote Will preach morning aud evening
IN the Christian church, West Twenty eighth street.
"New IN Christ" will be the subject OF his morning
discourse, and In the evening he will 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 at hafpast 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 Fity-third street Baptist church.
"God With Us and God Against Us' win be the
subject Of Rev. George Hepworth's discourse this
morning In the Church Of the Messiah. Services
also in the evening.
Rev. Dr. J. H. Rylance will preach this morning in
81. Marks church. Second avenue and in the
eveping he will deliver his second lecture on
"Christianity IN the Human Heart.'
Rev. Dr. Oagood will preach In st. James church,
East Seventy second street. this morning.
Rev, G. g. Narrower will preach in st Luke's
Methodist Episcopal church. West Forty street.,
this morning and evening.
1.-THE Garden OF Eden: where 1t Was, What 1t 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 NTH
street. Morning service At eleven O'Clock.
The opening services OF st Paul's Protestant Epis-
copal church. Jersey City Heights, will be held this
morning ct half past ten O'Clock. Rev. William
~Wardaw, the rector, viii preach.
Mr.. A. A. WhselOck will speak before the Society
of Progressive Spirituasts, In Trenor's Lyric Hail.
sixth avenue, tAis morning and evening.
The Great Speciality Of Christianity.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The only great distinguishing feature of Chris
tanlty from other systems Of religion that were
taught by Moses. C0nfucius, 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 IL the corner stone Of popular Christianity.
either Catholic or Protestant Remove this idea
and the whole superstructure fans, and like base
less fabric OF q vision, leaves not wreck behind.
Rcif nj n m
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 theological dogmas, that he has
no possibility of ascertalning whether they
be true or nok Faith depends in great measure
upon the pface where person is born and the SO
cicty from which nc receives his education IL de-
control. IL woud as unjust TO hold man account
able for his belief rs TO hold him accountable for the
color of his eyes the length OF his for he has
that was ever promulgated among mankind Eas
been attended by such drefu consequences as this.
"A review OF the OF this doctrine as IL ID traced
with blood and fire through the last eighteen hun
dred years Ii enough to make the lover of his race
weep Of blood. few items only Will be gwen.
During the period OF the first 200 years arer the
date OF Christianity many different sects arose and
kept steadily qnarreling about the divinity OF Jesus,
about the consistency and truth OF His miraculous
conception, HIS death and resurrection some con-
tending thas lie always existed others that He was
strife continued into the third century until more
than 900 men had been slaughtered In the year
zS7 there arose among the Christian sects dispute
about the proprlety or setting images OF the diner
'ent divines IN the churches. This occasoned n
Christian war; In which $4,000 combatanJs lost
lives In the eleventh century series OF crusades
took place. III order To take and hold possession OF
ahe so-caled Holy Land, In which 1t Is estimated
40 O0o 900 lives sacrfhccd. Near the end OF the
twelfth century Peter Waldo founded new sect.
The consequences were turmoil pcrsecufion torture
and bloodshej, continued for 300 years, and 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 I'm England, emitting Scotland,
France and spain. 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 persecuic each other
about their moral duties. Men persecute edch oDer
only for their faith. The suffering ana despair tnat
this doctrine has caused the human race, leauinR
thousands aud probably millions TO insanity or sui
eide cannot be estimated.
We would say 10 those the0logians who are lapor.
ing TO prnmnlQale iAls lnciIlne among mankind