The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-10

Sermons, Sensible and Sensational.
The Sensational enters little more into
the sermons which we present to-day than was
the case asweek ago. Two topics are now be-
fore the community demanding attention.
One, the religious amendment TO the constitt1.
ton, by which sin is to be legislated out and
holiness legislated into our land. To this
topic Rev. Henry Powers devoted some time
and thought yesterday. He gave brief,
sketch of the association which purposes
to accomplish this great work by suita. .
BILE enactments of Congress and Of
the several States. It appears that the
association has been nine years in existence {;
and, though originally started by Scotch and
Irish Presbyterians, it now embraces eminent
representatives of every denomination, BUSH
ness and professional calling Its authors
and supporters openly declare their object to-
be to enforce: the sacredness of the Christian.
Sabbath, marriage and the reading of the
Bible in the public schools, the suppression OF
blasphemy and RIGHTEOUSNESS the closing Of
public libraries on Sunday, and the setting,
aside of State legislation when it shall not be:
in harmony with their ideas. In short.
as Mr. Powers showed from the quo.
tations of the leaders of this party, it is
second "Know Nothing" or ''Native Ameri-
cam party. And if it carries its point it will
place under the ban every Israelite. liberal
Christian, atheist, Free Religionist, Secularist
and Positivist among US, and will, furthermore.
abrogate the third section of article Of the
constitution, which forever prohibits religious
tests as qualifications for Office or trust under
the United States. While Mr.. Powers, adj
mitted that this proposed amendment might
give us Credit Mobilier Christians or subsidy
Christians, instead of some of those who are
now in Office he opposed it because it is anti
Christian, un-American and revolutionary.
The other topic which so greatly agitatea
the public mind at this time is the execution
of the death penalty on murderers and as
directed especially toward Foster To this
subject Mr. s. J. Stewart gave little time
and thought. He insisted on the Scripture
requirement that ''whoso sheddeth mans blood
by man shall his blood be she'd and sternly
rebuked that morbid, wishy-washy, luke
warm sentiment of society dribbling out its
whimpering prayer, crammed with sena-
mental nonsense, for the life of the man who
RECENTLY robbed it of one of its members" One
week society cries out for vengeance and blood.
and another il vents q poetic prayer In ex-
tenuation of crime. ''The ruffian, said MIR.
Stewart, s'puts his hand into his pockets takes
out his pistol and shoots citizen, and when
he is convicted society puts its hand into its
pocket. takes out its handkerchief and weeps.
Poor creature! Its tenderness will cause its
death" From his premise Mr.. Stewart cer-
tainly drew q logical conclusion. namely
that eif an example is not !aaade of some OF
these men the generation of 4hc twentieth cen.
fury will be an elegant gang of cutthroats
and murderers.
On this topic, also, Mr.. rockingham dis
coursed, especially intoxicating the idea thai
the sentiment Of revenge should be put away
from punishment. The prejudice against the
death penalty, he said, Is so strong and stub
born that it can be inflicted only against a
yaeabond who has no money TO pay counsel
and no relatives TO intercede for him. Mr.
rockingham thinks that eff Foster is released
from his fate there is no need of bringing fel
low creature to the gallows." But he is opposed
to the death penalty for the reason, among
others, that statistics prove that 'whers dealt
ia deefeed crime is greater, and where dealt
is rf6t the penalty crime is less"
} DR.. McGlynn defined what prayer ID
J low we should pray and what "
y should pray for. Prayer In its brosde'
> Christian sense Is "a conversation Wit
God" It prepares the soul to receive ID
o divine grace. 70 which we have no right 81