The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-29
RELIGIOUS NTELLIGENCE.
YO-DAYy PROGRAMME OF SERVICES
Another Letter from Athe0S on the Bible
and the Public Schools.
Infidelity a Matter Of Physi-
cal Constitution.
MOVEMENTS IN THE CHURCHES.

Services To-day.
The Rev. Henry Powers will deliver, at the
Church OF the Messiah, discourse in the morning
on sThe New Year." and in the evening the third
of his or lectures to young people, his spe-
cial subject being "The Choice of Career and How
10 Pursue tn
AT the Prcsbyteria Memorial church the Rev. @.
:. Robinson win preach 'The Rich and the Poor
Meet Together"
DR.. Cheever breaches in the Chapel OF the Uni
versty In the evening" at quarter TO eight O'Clock,
on "Enochs Translation"
ssThe Detachable Mountains" viii be the Rev. L.
c. Sweetser's subject this evening at the Blocker
street Unversast church.
[ Thomas Gates Forster lectures at Apollo Hall to-
day on "Generic Progressn and ''rhe Fool Has
Said in His Heart There Is No God"
The Rev. Dewitt Talmage breaches 10 his burned
out congregation morning and evening At the
Academy OF Music, Brooklyn.
Bishop Snow holds forth In the University at
three p. NJ on " The Parable OF the Ten Virgins"
The Rev. DR.. Flagg breaches morning ana even
Ing in the Church OF the Resurrection.
Services will be held at the Berean Baptist church
morning and evening. The Rev. Philip L. Davies
will be the preacher.
/ Rev. william N. Dunnen will conduct Divine SER
vice in All Saints church.
I Rev. James Balm Laval breaches in the Blocker
street Mission, Carmine street.
[ Rev. stephen Il. Tying will preach in the evening
In TIE Church or the Holy Trinity.
At Unity chapel Harlem, Rev. Robert Collier, Of
Chicago. in the evening.
Laight street Baptist Mission, services by Rev.
Halsey Knapp.
Preaching in the Old Forsyth street Methodist
Episcopal church.
Rev. George H. Hepworth will preach In Stein
way Hall in the forenoon.
Russian Greek chapel-Services free TO ALL
In st. Ignatius church services morning and
evening, and continuation of Rev. +. G. Ewer's
lectures.
At the Rose Hill Methodist Episcopal church the
Rev. J. H. Vincent will preach In the morning and
the Rev. John Dickinson In the evening.
The burned-out congregation ofGrace chapel have
morning and evening service at Irving Hall, the
Rev. Mr.. Kramer officiating.
The Rev. william H. Pendleton breaches at the
Fifty-thrd street Baptist church morning and
evening.
| At the Thirty fourth street Reformed church the
Rev. Isaac Riley breaches this morning and even
ing. s
Rev. c. s. Narrower will deliver discourses morn
ing and evening at ST. Luke's Methodist Episcopal
church.
Rev. G. A. Brigham, at the Catholic Apostolic
church, delivers an address; subject "The New
Creation Not Development OF the Old"
Rev. 8. II. Smyth breaches at the Sixth avenue
Reformed church morning and evening.
The Bible in the Public Schools
Another Letter from ssAtheos.'
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
A cOntroversialist under the name Of .Presby.
terrain" tells us that theGate decision OF the State
superintendent is unfair and opposed to the best
interests and to the wishes OF majority OF our
people, and that in excluding the Bible from the
schools he has been In so far guilty OF dissent
mating atheism sin and crime. We were greatly
Rstonished at the assumptions OF the Rev. Mr.,
McAnster. Presbyterian however has, If pos
sible, surpassed him. He assumes that because
the majority of the American people believe In
revelation, that, therefore, this same majority must
desire that revelation shall be taught in the public
schools Secondly, he assumes that the majority
have the right to force their belief In revelation
upon the minority; all Of which are without proof
we deduct great number OF liberals
or OF unbelevers vast number OF liberal
minded Protestants of all denominations, the ma
iority Of both the Epscopalian and the Unitarian
sects; If we deduct all the Jews, the whole Romish
Church, Mormons, Buddhists, Mohammedans and
idolators OF this country who are bitterly opposed
totally Indifferent to the teaching OF the Bible in
the public schools, and who may be, nevertheless,
recognized citizens OF the United States, who sup
port this government and obey its laws, and who
could justly claim its protection against the secta-
rian citizenship OF Rev. Mr.. McAlster, and OF
''Presbyteriann-when we deduct all these, think
s.Presbyterianr would ind his majority, like his
desire OF revelation In the schools, assumed
1t is. again, assumed by Presbyterian that be-
cause the government OF this country is based
upon the win OF the people. majority OF the
people can do as they please Let US sup
pose, friend "Presbyterian," that majority
In al Tres
byterianism to be false, and thar they desire other
religious views in its stead suppose, then that this
majority, which IS now against YOU should by legis
lative enactment, or by clause IN the constitu-
ton, declare Presbyterianism 10 be false would you
the right OF the GRITTY over the minority in that
case DO you not believe that the people, even In
the minority would have the right OF revolution,
had they only the power or could they procure it
We have in this country bill OF rights and pow.
ers, social compact a fundamental, an organic
law called the constitution II, therefore matters
little what the majority may be that would insert
recognition OF God and His Bible, so long as lib
erty OF conscience is secured by that law to every
individual; so long as the sacred domain and tenn
pie OF conscience Is preserved sacred and involatc
to the Individual no majority have right TO die
tate TO the religious conscience OF any citizen to
force upon him the recognition OF any particular
God or OF any particular revelation made by Him.
presbyterian holds, with the Rev.Mr. McAister
that secular instruction leads 10 ATHEISM. He says
that .rhe absence OF heat, the want OF heat the
negati0n OF heat are all expressed by the term
cold" and In like manner 'the absence Of God, the
want OF God, the negation of God are expressed
10y the term atheism and that secular in
struction Is In so far instruction without good, and
therefore atheistic. This argument Is based upon
the ambiguity OF terms. Atheism is some thing
more than the want OF God or the absence OF God |;
1t Is the denial OF God; and this is the definition
given by our best dictionaries. Tne absence OF
God or the ignorance OF God Is not the same the
negaton OF God or the denial of God. Our friend
'Presbyterann pleases himself by confounding
BOTH and hence his faacy. But IL is not true speak.
ing believer-it is not true TO say that secular
instruction is athestic. PRESBYTERIAN" as be.
lever must hold that God is TRUTH that He Is all
truth that there is no truth outside OF Him. and
that all truth Is II ne does hold these he
Is not believer in divine, INFINITE and personal
God.
Now let me ask my friend presbyterian" when
child is taught that two and two make four; that
the whole Is greater than any OF its parts: that
things that are equal to common third are equal
10 each other; that cold contracts and that neat
expands; that straight line is the shortest dis