The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-18
Passing Thoughts OF the Religious

The Rev. Henry Marley, whose labors here
for the past few weeks the HERALD has COM
mented on, is this week passed around very
pleasantly among the religious papers Of the
city. The Christian InteIigencer, while giving
him praise for his work and labor Of love and
his zeal therein, tells the evangelist that " he
teaches his doctrines, both of faith and
renewal, with a dangerous extravaganza
equally unwarranted by Scripture and by ex-
perience.' And the Inteligencer proceeds to
demonstrate its proposition, and TO give there
in color Of excuse for the evangelical
ministers of the city not giving him such a
cordial reception as Messrs. Moody and
Sankey have received in Great Britain. But
Notwithstanding these drawbacks the Baptist
Weekly thinks Mr.. varley's visit to the
city has been a great blessing to many of the
churches. The Examiner and Chronicle takes the
Rev. DR.. Elders opinions concerning Mr.. Var
ley. The latter preached for him three
times, so that he had on opportunity of study
ing both the matter and the manner of the
evangelist. He says he was struck with Mr.
Varey's manliness and impressed with his
contrasted it'll that of our local pastors by say
ing that while the latter crack the nuts for the
people, Mr. Varley not only cracks, but picks
out the meat and puts it into the mouths of
his hearers and helps them to eat it. But Mr.
Elder fears that this style will lead to an in
tellectunl assent to the truths Of religion,
rather than saving faith in the Lord Jesus
m i. 49, NJ
is not man of large and liberal culture /; but
says he brings to his work great earnestness,
ardent love for Christ and the souls of men,
remarkably simple and strong Saxon English,
auency of words, and voice of unusual
sweetness and compass. The two ideas which
he makes the greatest use of are the lost con-
dition of the unregenerate sinner and the
atonement of Jesus Christ to be accepted
as the condition of salvation. His preaching is
married, the Observer thinks, by his frequent
presentation OF some peculiar religious tenets
which he holds, and which are not acceptable
and laughter-proyoking styls of illustrating
great Gospel truths, and the frequent illus
trations of those truths by reference to him.
self, are, the Observer thinks, Objectionable,
and have turned many away from him. The
Christian Union, speaking of MIR. Varley's
style in the pulpit, says he tells more stories
in the course of a sermon than were ever told
by any of those American divines who have
Mortified some religious people by provoking
smiles during Sabbath services. The Union
thinks the secret of his popularity lies in his
temperament and manner more than in his
doctrine or his logic. He is q master at per-
sistent, good-natured coaxing, and is IN
doubtedly doing great deal of good among
all classes of people who listen to him.
Of our other exchanges the Jewish press
gives more or less space and thought to the
great festival of Passover, which begins to-
morrow among their people; the Freeman's
Journal devotes its editorial space to the Car
dinal and the Papal ENJOYS; the Catholic Re
uie,c thinks it would be an excellent thing if
for this great honor conferred upon American
Catholics they should now organizs pilgrim
age of gratitude to the Pope {; and the Tablet
reviews the past Lenten season, and takes
courage for the future from the general OBJ
servance of this festival this spring. The
Christian Leader filings out the Stars and Stripes
for Lexington and Concord, and expresses the
hope that the people throughout this land may
strive to make the future at least as glorious
as the past has been. The Methodist labors to
show that the itinerancy of the Methodist
Episcopal Church might be modified
without injury to the cause. 1t
gives historical proofs that Wesley's
system Of itinerancy does not now exist in
that Church, and that not all the early Metho-
dists were itineran.s; that considerations Of
utility have already led to notifications of
the itinerancy, and that the people already in
dicate the directions in which they are to 90
into the two forms Of ministerial labor evan
gelsm and the pastorate. The Rev. Alfred
Taylor in the Christian at Work, touches up
trial sermons in bis usual spicy style He
had a recent experience as critic on a couple
OF these productions, and he comes to the con-
clusion that they are very poor tests of a mans
subsequent fitness to preach the Gospel The
Independent is not greatly pleased with the
result OF the Connecticut election, and il labors
hard to drown its sorrow in applause OF the
republicans, who ''are not mere partisans and
offce-seekers, but sober, thinking men," The
Church journal is very much afraid that the
floral decorations Of its churches at Easter
will become a temptation to frivolity and
wandering thoughts, and rectors should care
fully guard against this sequence.
THE PRESENT MANAGERS OF tho Erie Rail-
way are paying special attention to the accom-
mndation of the residenls along the Jersey