The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-11

A Rabbits Tribute To tho Late Professor
Agassiz-TrWe Science Leads 60 True
ReIiEfon-Discourse by Rev. DIR. Gott-
he'll.
There was large congregation in the Temple
Emanuel yesterday, including many Genttles, Chris
tian ministers and others. to whom DR.. Gottheil
disc0ursed on the relation oil science to reigton,
paying therein due homage to the late Professor
Agassiz. The Doctor read several verses from
the eighty eighth Psalm, beginning, 30 Lord
God OF my salvation, let my cry
come before thee. Shall the dead
praise thee" DC. The particular words
which occupied the Doctors attention were.
"ShaS thy wonders be known in the darkness and
thy righteousness in the land OF forgetiulness :"
1t sounds strange to US. the Doctor said,
that God should be loser II lie should
fail to answer His servants who cry day
and night unto Him. And he asked. Is
such a conception compatible with just and
proper regard for the character of the Divine
Beingf Neither the offerings OF our hearts nor our
hands can enrich Him. But we must remember
that the Psalmist speaks here, not as an tndivld-
ua, but as q representative OF the whole nation,
and that the extinction to which he refers reached
to the whole house OF Israel. Gods wonders in
the deep must be understood to refer to the Gnowl
edge and worship OF the true God as opposed to
heathenism In all its FORMS II Israel, the warrior
OF the true faith, shall iai then d0atry must tri
umph. No protest Will be heard from any other
praise be stined here where shall 1t be heardS In
that sense, and In none other, could the patriot
enunciated that God can take care or His own
cause. Shall the potsherd say 20 the potter, Why
hast thou made me thusy
SPIRIT OF PRAYER
has logic OF its own which is understood only by
those who try 1t. do not fear said che Doctor,
that offend when when pray not only for my
self but Tor my nation and for the world nor that
I perform acts of superer0gation therein. But
the Doctor applied the text more especially to the
and as memento to the late Professor Agassiz.
lie knew it was rather late to do this, but he felt
great man. We mourn in his loss, said the
Doctor the leading mind in science. We are not
may do that What we may say can add very little
lustre to his great name. lie was an explorer in
the varied and interesting fields OF nature. We
lay our wreaths on his grave, remembering that
he has laid her richest treasures at the feet OF re-
hgion. Nature pointed HIM unerrlngly to the self.
conscious, uncrea ted Power who rules all things
While some OF the parrots OF science deny this
Power he one OF its greatest students, declared
his supreme belief In the great God Fortunately
IOr rs he was not minister OF religion, SO that he
could not be accused OF superstition on the one
hand nor be ciassed as hypocnte preaching what
he did not believe ON the other. But the God
whom he worshipped was
NOT THE GOD OF THE CREEDs
or the sectS-nOt the God OF the priest who pre-
tends to hold the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven
in his hands nor OF the dogmatist who pretends
to define the mode OF entrance to heaven. He
w ON AgasslZ wolshlpped Is the God OF the uni
verse who despises not the homage OF the least
and lowliest OF his creatures. HIS faith saOuld
strengthen our purpose to wrest religion from the
hands oil the dogmatistS and scientists. Free
dom must characterize the religion OF the
future Had Agassiz been different we should
not have hOnored him the less for his
at5ainments IN science. We must not stine
the voice OF any one lest the cause Of religion
be injured Every new thought given to the world
helps the cause OF religion. Darkness bespeaks
the distrust In the Divine power TO make Himself
felt. Are there any places where God cannot be
be founds Can He be known IN the land OF
oblivion 2 We don't wish to be fearful OF every
new light We desire to have faith in our aith,
and not to be frightened at every new phase OF
thought. Not in the darkness can Gods ways be
known, nor His dealings IL the land OF oblivion.
Mankind can't be gwen over to matertallsm, and
the honor shown to Agassiz proves that we yet
honor genius The homage paid to his memory Is
q Reinforcement OF the belief Of mankind in the
sovereignty OF the mind. When ali the
EPHEMERAL HEROES OF THE DAY
thinker will be gratefully remembered, through
them the Spirit OF God speaks to US. But let the
homage that we pay TO the departed scholar con-
slst not in words alone, but In deeds. And the OPP
portnnlty given to US ia to instruct our children
thoroughly. Let not be content with giving
them mercantile education merely, but let US
LOOK higher. What noble duty Is mere set before
mothers to watch over the tender plants they
begin TO bud forth into lite, and TO save them from
she storms that surround them. Who can tell but
one day millions may say, BLESSED Is she who gave
to the world q Redeemer from darkness, who by
his great thoughts being lifted up the Saviour.
has brought near the day OF redemption, with which
God, our heavenly Father, has cheered usi''