Smyrna times., 1873-10-29
A Contrast.

Every week the New York Herald gives a
criticisms of the sermons of prominent minis
ters of that city, AS matter of curiosity we
produce the following from the review of last
Sunday week:
Review of Rev. o. B. Frothingham's IRA
tlonallst) sermon or lecture: If the religion
OF humanity" be what Mr.. FrOthingham rem
resented 1t yesterday how absurd it would be
Tor the Evangelical Alliance, which professes a
religion for humanity not of humanity, to ad,
init to its ranks and its deliberations leaders
and representatives of the former! 1t consists
In patriotism, love of family, love of forefatb
ers, and is so simple thing that it requires
no creed, no theology, no church, no PRAYERS -
ana hence the conference of its representatives
In Cooper Institute last week began and ended
every session without prayer and without the
least evidence whatever that it was religions
gathering at ALL Every special religion, Dir,
rockingham thinks, is an idolatry-a worship
OF tools, the honor paid to ropes and pulleys.
D1t amid all his theoIizing Mr. rockingham
dld not lose sight of his practical point which
he puts in the form of uuery-t What is
Professionalism doing for New York p Let
Frotestantlsm answer, if it can.
:, heVleW OF Father McGlynn's, (Catholic) !:
Sabbath week it was Mr.. Beechers turn To ac
cuse Catholics with robbng God of his attrib-
utes and giving some to the Virgin and others
to the Pontiff. Yesterday it was Dr. Nc
Glynn's turn to denounce Mr.. Beecher's Ian
guage as horrld calumny against the fair
spouse OF Christ. The Doctor thinks Catho
lies simply follow God aud honor her whom
lie has honored. But the imputation that
they give Jehovah's prerogative to the Pope
the Doctor characterlZes as a monstrous cal
umny, and he is very strongly of opinion that
i" God Is in more danger of being robbed of
Ills attributes by preacher and a congrega
ton not many miles distant from Plymouth
church than tie is of being robbed by Catho-
llcs. 1he millennium must be a great way off
yet, else those eminent marshals of the Church
OF God would hardly be clutching each others
throats in this way
Review of Mr.. Beecher's (Presbyterian) ::
Mr. Beecher contented himself with an ESSAY
on prayer, telling US what it is not as well as
what 1t is, and using his two-e edged sword
against regulation prayers" and the men who
pray them. Prayer is not the evidence of
want or beggary it is rather an unfolding OF
the noblest part of the soul in its noblest duty
that OF communion with God. "It is our
best thought, our best sentiment, our best
growth, our best aspirations, our best ever.
thing and all answers to prayer are by di.
rect action upon the soul of the person prav.
ing" MIR. Beecher gave several reasons why
men look at prayer from low and sordid
cbduupOlnt.
Review of DR.. Bellows tUniversalist): DR..
Bellows spent his time apparently arguing
away the personality of the Holy Ghost and
bellttling His converting power on the hearts
Review of DR.. Wild's, (Methodist) He
asks the question: so ably answered last week
by DIR; John Hall, What good has the All
ance done2 And be finds that the good il has
produced is in the better understanding of its
members, the increased charity among those
who came together is counterbalanced by the
narrowing OF its door of entrance, by which
many were excluded who were as good as thosC
admitted: Law, not love, was the door. and
u would have been a much happier conference
had they more faith and less bigotry." But
1T may be pertinent to ask, Would the admis.
sion OF the excluded sects and individuals have
increased the faith and lessene1 the bigotry of
the Alliance And, besides, the weight of
historic evidence as well as of experience is in
favor of creed organizations and against creed.
less ones So that, ignoring the fact that the
outsiders made no demand for admission or re.
cognition, which they ought to have done ere
they took up stones to stone the Alliance. the
logic OF their reasoning is at fault.