The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-08
Fine spun and Home spun Theology.

Fine spun and Home Spun Theology.
An eminent pastor of this city few years
ago, in a sermon defining the minister's mis-
sion, made the very trlte remark that it is not
sound but truth that saves men. But there
are too many preachers, we fear, who think
differently, and the people love to have it so.
Every Monday morning in the year the
HERALD publishes Sabbath day sermons
whose chief or only merit is that they con-
tain fine phrases, beautifully rounded para
graphs and polished sentences. but they
do net contain Gospel truth enough to
some such to-day also. But as an offset to
these literary essays we present our readers
with pulpit discourses Of another and widely
different character. Not indeed that they are
devoid of beauty of dction and grandeur Of
sentiment but that the simplicity of truth
which is manifest in every line hides from
the mental vison the howery and "glttering
generalities" in which some sentences may be
clothed. Such was the sermon Of the Rev. w.
M. Taylor, delivered in the Broadway Taber-
nacle yesterday. The responsibility of every
soul to God for neglected opportunities to be
saved was the subject treated, and the story
Of the virgins, half of whom were wise
| and half foolish, was made the basis of the
discourse. In all outward things the virgins
were alike. The difference between them was
internal. The foolish virgins were hollow
hearted, while the wise were sincere; and
|
| for they, too, waited for the bridegroom, that
! they might do him honor. But their light
| fickered, they acted from impulse alone, and
not from heartfelt conviction. Character is
not transferable. 1t must be formed and
manifested by each man for himself The
truth which Mr.. Taylor sought to impress
upon his audience by this narrative is that
they should individually and at once begin to
| lay the foundation for the Saviour's coming,
for in such IN hour as men think not He will
be here.
Mr.. rockingham delivered one Of his entc-
ing lectures, beautiful in composition, brilliant
in its gems and flowers but, we are free to
say, full of insidious infidelity. The difference
between the letter and the spirit of the Cos
pei which he sought to detect and point out
can be readily seen by reading his composition
and contrasting it with the sermon just noticed.
Moses was dreamer compared with Darwin.
Moses was legislating for a rude and vindictive
people and, moreover, for people who feared
death and to whom death was the end-the
last penalty. Our Jewish friends will hardly
feel complimented by this description of their
| ancestors and we are sure they, with us, read
the Old Testament Scriptures differently. The
European Sabbath, with its PROCLAMATION and
dissertation, is the model that this min
lister would have us follow, and were
| the spirit Of the Christian Sunday
| alive among us to-day we should
open all public places for popular amusement,
and do all that we could to lift the masses out
of themselves. &C i've them" (he massey.
said Mr.. rockingham, crest from this ever
lasting theological drumming, but build
four times as many churches as there are,
that all may attend; but" he added to his
fellow preachers, snake your sermons pleas
ing and instructive" To the masses he
declared Sunday is damn alton. ''It should
be made day of recreation"
The Rev. II. D. NJ GORE, of Cincinnati, occu-
pied DR.. Richardson's pulpit yesterday, and
paid an eloquent tribute TO the character and
life and great love Of Chrst-''whose whole
career is one grand battle for truth in be-
| half of His fellow-men. It is to the
lowly Saviour that the poor can look for
sympathy and succor, and 10 Him the per-
secuted can fee for help" Then, speaking or
dead Churches which everywhere abound,
Mr. Moore said we want Christ in our
| Churches. He will give life and power.
Orthodox theology was compared with liberal
Christianity, in the Church of the Messiah, by
Professor Young, of Cambridge, Mass.
Christianity, he thinks, does not keep up
with the day. While the world has moved on
theology has stood still. This is shown in the
underlined or ill-defned ideas concerning God
which prevail The Unitarian and The Trinita-
ran ideas OF God were restated and the former
was established by rIdiculing The supposed
absurdity of the latter. In ST. Thomas
church Mr. Hubbard preached charity SER
mon and demonstrated the great need which
exists in this city for large benefactions for
the poor and fatherless and the unfortunate;
and in the Church of the Disciples, in Mr..
Hepworth's absence, Mr.. Murray, of Boston,
| preached sermon on the justice and
| righteousness of God.
The Catholic churches do not present any
great variety of topics. Since the priests
invariably take their texts from the gospel for
the day the subject is generally the same in
ALL though the treatment Of that subject by
some cergymen may, and sometimes does
greatly differ. In st. Patricks Cathedral
Father Kearney talked about the unbelief Of
Thomas, who, he said, doubted not the resur-
rcction Of Jesus, but that He had appeared in
hodx 4hai had Leen crunilad