The New York herald., 1873-11-03
Pish or Yesterday. Sermons.

are numerous and varied, and are treated as.
differently as the mental peculiarities and
trimming OF the several preachers would allow
Goodness, sorrow and suffering, the achieve
ments of the Gospel, the righteousness re-
quired by Christ and His vicarious atonement,
devotion to saints and angels, faith and scep-
hcism and the resurrection are among the
topics discussed in the pulpits of this city and
Brooklyn yesterday. ''The Soul of Goodness -
that is, the motive which lies back Of the
good act-was Mr.. Frothinghams theme It
seems to have been string Of half truths or
contradictions, and displays for an assumed
minister Of the Gospel wonderful lack of
comprehension of Gospel truth. ''There is
no evidence" says Mr.. Frothingham, ''that
Jesus ever assumed to be a perfect being
Nor is there any that He assumed to be other
wise He did say, however that He came to
destroy the works of the devil, and that "the
prince of this world cometh and hath nothing
in me-" He did claim equality with the
Father, and one of the accusations upon which
He was finally condemned was that He had
called Himself the Son Of God, thereby making
Himself equal with GGd And yet because on
one occasion He bade His disciples be per-
feet even as their Father in heaven is
perfect, and because, on another occasion,
He said there was none good but one-that is,
there never has been and there is not now
perfect man. God, says this commentator, is
but conception Of ours and the thought Of
copying being absolutely perfect in will,
justice, compassion and love is impossible.
But this, he tells us again. was the soul of
Jesus goodness imitation of God But of
what avail to initiate if perfection never comes
by copying? OF what use is our sowing if we
are assured beforehand that we cannot reap?
why" as Mr.. rockingham himself asks,
''why do we try to get at the heart of good
ness ?" And if Christ be the ideal man. but
yet an imperfect one, why should we
try to attain to the stature Of men
in Christ Jesus There is certainly
higher, better, purer and more godlike
measure than that Let us aim for it. But we
have not so learned Christ, and therefore we
accept Him, not merely as an ideal man, but
nation of "a conception of ours" but .the
express image" Of the person of God. And
because He was perfect man His example
and life become valuable and worthy of imi-
tation by US; and because He was also God
His death and resurrection bring to every
soul who seek it the power to live as He lived
and to triumph as He triumphed.
The power of the Gospel is not seen SO
much in its conflicts with Grecian or Mosem
or Hindoo idolatry as in its steady onward
course over lands not heather and its sway
over hearts that are not simply idolatrous.
The achievements of the Gospel, of which Mr..
Hoyt spoke, cannot be reckoned up and
estimated by the number Of converts to
Christianity, as some of the Free Religion
delegates lately attempted to do. Nor can
the value of the Gospel to the world be es-
timated in dollars and cents. 1t has power
that is never seen by men. It's achievements
can only be darkly seen or guessed at here,
and eternity alone will reveal their extent and
importance.
Dr. Cook INDUCED in series Of ritualistic
pleadings, to show his congregation that 'the
body and blood Of Christ are actually and
literally ''present in the elements Of the altar
We can safely commend to our readers
to-day the sketch OF DR.. Chapin's mastery
discourse on the righteousness Of Christ, as
distinguished from that of the Scribes and
Pharisees. The oneness Of truth, its extent
and universally, are presented clearly and
distinctly. We agree with the Doctor
that ut is better to believe that
all religious sects have had their origin
in some glimpses of truth than to conclude
those we do not agree with are founded
upon absolute and utter error" OF course, as
reasonable and fallible men, we must know
that no man and no sect has, or can possibly
have, the whole of truth; and since we can
have only partial truths here it is certainly
safer to leave to Him who is the Truth the
judgment Of the truth or error in other sys-
TENS of religion besides our own. That is a
poor system or sect which simply finds flaws
in others AND exposes their fallacy or evil
tendency. 1t is shallow and of little
real value If it confines itself to criticism; if it
does not present us some substantial founda-
tions for structure Of better life and en-
larged usefulness. These are sound princi-
pies, and judged by them of what value to
mankind is the creed or the carping Of the
late Free Religious gathering in this city ?
True religion is spirit seen not by the eye Of
man, but Of God.
Yesterday was the twenty anniversary
cf the cettle,nent of rr Armitaoa ao tba ,oa
tor Of the Fifth Avenue Baptist church, and as
such it was duly observed by that church and
congregation,
Father McNamee gave rather a strange
reason for the veneration Of saints by Catho-
lics-namely, to heighten the honor given to
LII L. ll4l.a