The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-29
"Dolly Warden" Theology.

Our budget of sermons is not very extensive
to-day, but yet sufficiently so to entitle it to
the claim of dolly Warden" gathering It
embraces politics and religion in about equal
parts, and not very well mixed, so that our
readers will not have much difficulty in sepa-
rating the political campaign ''buncombe' from
the theological truth or trash, whichever it
may be. For instance DR.. Newman, Chaplain
of the Senate" in Eighteenth street Methodist
Episcopal church. while ostensibly expound-
ing one of Solomon proverbs, in which by i'm
plication there is the faintest allusion to civil
or political life, deemed it important to endorse
President Grant and his administration of the
government and to denounce the newspaper
press Of the country for its bitter asperities in
the pending campaign. He was ready e con-
cede the great power of the press, but he
would have it run in his rut. 1t should be con-
ductsd on higher and purer motives than it has
yet been, for only thus shall it come even within
sight of it's graas iaission. W. are not informed
of the steps by which tie Doctor descended
from his political fight to the humble levelofa
theological discourse but presume that after
he had scared above social afinities and the
millennium, and dissected the characters of
Marc Antony, Julius Caesar, voltafre and
Hume, he wss able TO come more gracefully
than he otherwise could to tie doctrine Of self
denial and self-governance taught in his text.
And in practical illustration of this doctrine
the theatre and the round dance, the ball room
and the drama and wine drinking received
due share of pulpit denunciation. Lawyer
Stone q converted infdel, related his Christian
experience for the Greene street Methodist
church yesterday, and told them how, when
Jesus converted him during o revival in that
church under Doctor (now Bishop Peck, in
1853 his love of tobacco and bitters was
quickly overcome and he has had no desire to
touch either since that time.
Democracy and aristocracy were placed side
by side yesterday by Mr. G. E. Grinneu and
held up before All Souls church, so that his
hearers might readily understand the strength
of the one and the weakness of the other,
and the sources of strength or weakness to
each. The strength of democracy lies, accord
ing to this gentleman, in mutual sympa-
thy and charity for every citizen and
every nation, and its weakness consists
in the development of the very opposites Of
these virtues. The strength of aristocracy is
knowledge, history, development and wisdom
in its leaders Its weakness consists in allow
ing cunning to take the place of wisdom and
expediency that of policy DR.. Vaudeville, of
Harlem, explained and illustrated the doctrine
of the unity of Christ and the Father hv
scenes and incidents in the life of the Saviour.
and urged upon his hearers the duty of per-
sonally seeking salvation through faith in
Jesus. 1t is relgously refreshing to pass
from political speech to a simple exhorta-
ton like this or like that OF Rev. Father
Kane, in st. Patrick's Cathedral on the Scrip
ture characters Of tbe Pharisar aud the pub.