The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-23
shadowy period of thresscors and ten We
may almost feel that We are contemplating its


close. LII
Our O. Election of sermons to-day embuces
chiefly tonic that have . peculiar reference
either to the ds,- we devote to the honor Of
our great captain-e vashington-or to the SEA-
son in which we CONN 'emorate the tempta-
tons. sorrows and sufSerih % OF our greater
Captain-the Lord Jesus Chris. OF the lat
ter class is that delivered in the O. thedral BY
the Archbishop. who explained fhe>s signia-
canoe of this holy season OF Lent q undl,r.
stood by the Catholic Church, and urged ~
importance in spiritual sense to help tho
soul toward better life and holisr thoughts
and aspirations. OF similar purport is the
sermon preached by DR.. MoGlyun in st.
Stephens church, where also in the evening
the Rev. Mr.. McCreedy took up practical
feature of this season-namely. repentance
and explained its nature, the necessity for it.
the manner and form of its effects. and the
importance of promptly getting into full SYM
pathy with Gods commandments and keeping
them.
OF the other class--national sermons--is that
delivered by DR.. Fulton in Hanson place Bap-
fist church. Brooklyn. on Americanism in
Church and State. Ignoring the old inter
pretations of the Apocalyptic woman fleeing
into the wilderness on the wings of great
eagle, and remaining there for one thousand
two hundred and sixty years. DR.. Fulton
believes that America is the wilderness re-
ferred to, and that here is to be the great bat
tie ground of Professionalism and Romanism-
The Doctor will no doubt hold q high commits
sion in the Protestant ranks when that great
conflict comes, though he believes the power
of Romanism in America Is broken. Why.
then, waste time in discussing tho question
whether America is to be Romanized or Ro-
manism Americanized2 The ignorance. big
otry and superstition of Catholics born hero
is something terrible if DR.. Fulton speaks
correctly. and his battle cry is, "Put none
but Americans on guard" We hope such
cry will never be taken up by any great proper
ton of the people of this land. His fling at the
Roman Catholic press has but the barest shade
of fact in it, and is doubtless but cheap adj
vertisement for his own anti Catholic journal
OF national character. also, is the sermon
delivered by the Rev. Henry Powers in the
Church of the Messiah. He indicated the d.
rection of Washingtons greatness. He was
really great in the bulk and compactness of
his practical powers /; he was great intellect
ually, but the excellency and chief distinction
of Washington's greatness we're, however.
moral He left behind him as a priceless
treasure to his countrymen the example of .
stainless life. This is more than few of his
successors will leave, or have left, and surely
it is more than "the average Congress-
man of to-day" can ever gain.
either by purchase or inheritance. The
name of George Washington is too sacred
and pure to be mentioned in the same breath
Mobilier funds and then addresses Sunday
schools on the importance Of honesty and in
tegrity in life, or who staggers to or from his
home under the influence of liquor one day
and the next shouts ''hurrah" for the woman's
crusade against rum And who. as Mr..
Powers inferentially asks, is responsible
for the average Congressman of to-day
but ourselves2 We, his continents.
make him what he is, and he I'M
doubleday fairly represents the average moral
character of the community that sends him to
Washington. Here, too, is q field tor the exer-
politics toward morality, as it is now evidently
going farther and farther away from it.
Aside from the two general subjects above
named two others have attracted more or less
attention in the pulpits of Brooklyn. The
great feature of the Sabbath in that City Of
Churches was the dedication of DR.. Talmage's
mammoth Tabernacle, house capable of seat
ing 1000 persons-the largest free church ON
this Continent erected at cost of 500, 900,
all of which has been paid or was subscribed
for yesterday. The union sentiment was fully
recognized in the dedicatory services.
Baptist, Methodist Congregational and
Presbyterian ministers met on the same plat
form and gave their words of cheer to pastor
and people, and "the great Methodist Church
beggar' Of this country and this century man.
aged the financial part, SO that the people
allowed him to pick their pockets very cheer
fully.
1t is quite likely that Mr.. Beecher had in
his mind yesterday, while preaching his mis-
sionary sermon, some of those long established
benevolent institutions Of New York which OBJ
ject to charity being administered except by
themselves. Let new almoner appear in the
city. and. like strange OK or q new fowl in the
farmyard, he is gored by all or pecked
by all. Man, says Mr.. Beecher, is worth
more than all science. There is no gift 50
precious as ones self. We have no right
to trust communities other than by the rule
that those who have are debtors 10 those who
have not, the world over
The CELEBRATION OF WASHINGTON BIRTH