The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-16

Two. at least, of our city pastors gave at
tention in their discourses yesterday to the
temperance question. Their views differ very
widely as may be perceived by the reading of
so much OF them as we publish this morning.
The Rev. W. @. Steel took what may be called
the women's side of this reform movement,
while MIR. rockingham took the opposite. 1t
has been left to American women, says Mr..
Steel, to crush the head of an exotic
hydra-lager beer. This figure implies knock
ing in the head of a key. ''Would to God"
he exclaims, 'that its keepers had never come
to our shores to pollute our morals and de-
bauch our youth !" He thinks that while the
women of Ohio are at work in their cities and
towns the women of New York should or
ganize to break down the drug store liquor
traffic. He thinks the movement will soon
spread over this State and become national.
Mr.. rockingham is not quite so sanguine
as his Methodist neighbor that this movement
will succeed in Ohio or anywhere else. In
temperance is q vice, and as such it cannot
be put down by violent means. This vice,
Like Others has it's root in human nature. 1t
is not like garment that can be put on and
off at will. A deep-seated hereditary pro-
pensity is not to be eunningly oonjured away
on the spot and any attempt to suppress vice
is followed by q reaction. ''Vice, says Mr..
rockingham. "has many guises. Suppress in
temperance and alcohol and it comes out in
opium. These great vices cannot be put
down by suppression, but by discipline, which
means thought consideration and devotion to
noble purposes.
The poor and the fatherless were not wholly
overlooked by the pulpit Mr. Ferguson
based an appeal for the Muhlenburg
Orphanage at St Johnsland upon the abun-
dance of Gods bounty to US here. ''There is
no believer, however poor or despicable his
worldly estate" he remarked, ''who cannot
the Bible and say, These are mine-my legal
inheritance; mine by virtue of my interest in
the atonement of Christi
Other sermons published to-day are of the
ordinary religious turn. The divinity of
Christ, Mr.. Newton thinks, is proved by His
works and by His teachings. His was not
negative but positive character. His decla-
rations were delivered in calm consciousness
that He Himself was the truth and the
light. Christ is to the believing soul
more than can be traced or pictured
by human hand or comprised by words.
The great fact of His resurrection from
ths'dead puzzles the mind and sets philosophy
at naught If His works prove Him to be more
than man, then, Mr.. Newton argues, He is God.
And if God, then how dare any man stand out
side His church, There can be no consist
ency in admitting His divinity and rejecting
His teachings.
Dr. Bottome, Analysing the elements gov
erning the women of Ohio in their war on the
rumsellers finds them just the elements
needed in every successful religious revival.
They are fourfold-namely, awakened
sympathy. which is the golden key to unlock
reforms; conservation to a purpose, un-
divided effort and entire trust in God. The
Doctor thinks it very sad thing that the
Church has to go outside her own pale so often
to see her principles most successfully carried
out
Instead of being wearied with his last
weeks out-of-town labors Mr.. Beecher seems
to have had more than ordinary inspiration
and vigor in his pulpit discourses yesterday.
Taking the experience of Paul as of one man
at least he reasoned that infrmities, trials,
'disappointments, poverty and the like-what-
ever puts man to the necessity OF endeavor for
hope, for heroism, for patience, for faith, de-
velops true manhood. This manhood does not
consist in what o man puts on, his externals,
but in his disposition character. Mr.. Beecher
thinks this same Paul was superlatively ego
tistcai, aid that at first he feared rather than
faced these things. But he rose to true man
hood in Christ, where Mr.. Beecher invited his
hearers to seek it. Mr.. Beecher's evening dis
course was exceedingly felicitous, as may be
Judged from the sketch we give to-day
DR.. McGlynn delivered an appropriate dis
course on the season of Lent. Fasting, he
~ ,yre, 'utained, has peculiar power to olsen
Gao. y IT hearts from earthly things, from our
;no,d;na,.> attachments and passions. The
Doctor c;te,.' several examples of long
fasting and of the benefits aris-
inc tberefrom. Prayer and religious
reading, including, of co.. Use. sucn as we pre-
sent from time to time in IT, ahhAhD' tne
Doctor also recommended as help " oe'o'
ton during this penitential season. -
The Rev. DR.. Clark, of Brooklyn called
upon his Presbyterian congregation to offer
themselves upon Gods altar, and to bind
themselves even with the cords of duty to the
horns of the altar. Until this is done they
will not have met the exigencies of their need.
The WAR ON WH1sKEYMoNGERs AND I'M
pmERs.-In Ohio and Indiana the war on
the sellers of spirituous and malt beverages
continues to be most zealously waged by the