The New York herald., 1873-06-30
Yesterdays Sermons.

The sermons which we publish to-day are
very much like the country physician's bread
pills-there is no more chance that they will
kill than that they will cure. They have very
little Christ in them; but then they have less
devil. They are Of the mild type, as becomes
Summer Christians and palpitating sinners
When the thermometer sinks from the nineties
to the thirties we may expect something more
forcible and convincing than that which we
present to our readers to-day. Dr.. Bellows,
anticipating our national anniversary,
discoursed upon "American Institutions
civil, political, religious, educational
and found many things to applaud, while he
also saw some things to condemn in them.
God and nature have done much for America,
and yet, in the Doctors opinion, we have dis
appointed the world of those who in older
countries have watched our experiment be-
cause they have not understood our trials and
temptations. We have no respect for old
traditions; there is more open vice here than
in Paris; but there is also more virtue, more
charity, more humanity. The best qualities
of New York are hidden beneath the surfaces
here our own opinion Of some of the pulpit
sensations is fully confirmed by one eminently
qualified to judge DR.. Bellows declares that
some Of the announcements of subjects for
Sunday discourses in the Saturday papers are
scandalous And yet there is hope for us so
advanced among the people.
Every rational and thinking man must at
some time of his life realize that one Of the
most foolish things we can do is to heap up
riches and not know who shall gather them
And yet we keep on, generation after genera
ton, doing this very foolish thing until the
pale horse and his rider stop at our doors
and the solemn and awful words are sounded
in our ears, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee" This was the
lesson that Bishop James sought to impress
upon the people at the Alanson Methodist
Episcopal church yesterday.
If Mr.. Beecher's sermon shall add one more
to the number of prayerful students of the
Bible it will have accomplished q good work.
His theme yesterday morning was the mercies
Of the Bible-it is an armory Of kindness, o
great institution Of mercitulness And look
ing at the Bible and at Calvinism from
this standpoiM Mr.. Beecher could
hardly pass over the opportunity here
afforded Of striking blow at this
falling faith. Indeed, he seems of late
to have imbibed very much of the spirit of the
Donnybrook Irishman, and wherever he sees
q Calvinistic head he hits it If Gabriel should
read Edwards on the Affections Mr..
Beecher thinks that even that archangel could
hardly have right to hope But Calvinism
as it was and Calvinism as it is are two diff
ferent things, and we fear that if Mr.. Beecher
hammers away ut the modern thing in this
style he will arouse the old spirit and lessen
his own chances Of entering heaven at least by
ono Of the twelve gates. And as he is himself
inclined evidently to veer and change there is
bare possibility that he may be found knock
ing some day at the gate of the predestinated
elect. We would not give much for his chance
then
Rev. Chauncey Giles considers that every
man is a heathen who lives for the attainment
of natural ends merely. He is o worshipper
of idols, and if he would escape the fate of the
idQlater he must sauctity the Loxd God in the