The New York herald., 1874-11-23
Closing Sermons or tho Christian
Year.

The sermons, as is usual on Monday of
each week, are feature in this mornings
HERALD Yesterday being the closing Sunday
Of the ecclesiastical year tho completion of
the annual circle of Christian teachings was
made the subject of plain and practical dis
course by the Rev. DR.. Conrad ut the Church
OF the Heavenly Rest. in which he recounted
the evidences of progress in the work OF
those who would lure to brighter worlds
and lead the way. AS ii in opposition
to the old Church calendar, Mr.. Froth-
ingham chose tor his subject the day
Of annual thanksgiving, which is an
outgrowth Of New England Puritanism, this
erratic divine even protesting against it as
something absurd and grotesque. The dis
course is full OF striking thoughts-just such
thoughts as we might expect to be uttered by
q clergyman who seems to regard the Chris
tian, the Mohammedan and the Hindoo Scrip
lures rs of equal authority-and our readers
will not be surprised to learn that, with
anarchy in Louisiana, famine in Nebraska and
the money making power paralyzed in New
York, Mr.. rockingham thinks everybody has
not reason to be thankful, in spite Of the
Presidents proclamation.
Though this idea Of celebrating the closing
Sabbath of the church year did not enter
directly into all the discourses and services Of
the day, it was indirectly part of them all.
In this sense we may regard the beginning OF
an important mission at st. Patrick's Cathe-
dral, Father Damen's sermon on the mercy
and goodness of God being powerful appeal
to sinners to hear the sweet story of suffering
and victory which Is taught at the altar
throughout the Christian year. And in the
same sense we may regard the discourse Of
Rev. Mr. Hepworth on the duties of confess
sion. AS Mr.. Frothingham's sermon was o
protest against oil forms, even to the naming
II day of annual thanksgiving, so Mr..
Hepworth's was o plea for something
which he felt to be missed in his
public service. It was not, however, for the
confessional of the Catholic Church for which
this eminent divine pleaded, but the bearing
of ones burdens to God, the duty he incul-
Gated being introspection rather than confess
sion. From this it will be seen that his SER
mon was practical rather than doctrinal, and
appropriate to the day in this, that it besought
the Christian man to begin anew the Chris
tian life. Not less appropriate to the day was
the talk about newspaper reports of sermons
with which Mr.. Beecher prafaced his dis
course. It was formal recognition Of rew
aid to the pulpit at the same time that it is
protest against the intallibiiity Of reporters
and editors. It is true, as Mr. Bsecher
says, that it requires o certain kind of
genius to report sermon well, but if we
gather his full meaning correctly he is better
satisfied with the skill displayed in this deli
cate task than in the delicacy of those who
attack him for what another person says he
said in his Sunday sermon. In this he is un-
questionably right A newspaper report Of q
sermon is intended to give it's pth and spirit,
but in no case ought it be made o peg on
which to hang an argument upon nice points
of theological doctrine. The daily news
papers are not the vehicles of theological dis
cussion in their reports Of sermons, and these
rapid sketches of Sunday discourses ought
not to be SO employed, elsa they will lose
much of their usefulness in circulating the
teachings of the pulpit, week after week,
throughout the Christian year.