The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-26
Baccalaureate Sermons Delivered
Yesterday.
vassar. Union. Hamilton, Princeton, Yale,
Trinity. Lafayette. Dartmouth,
Wesleyan and Amherst
Last Words Of Advice from
Anxious Presidents.
ADMONITIONO NOT SOON TO Be FORGOTTEN.
vASSAR COLLEGE.
PRESIDENT RAYMoNDs BAccALAURKArE SER
xoS-THE YOUNG LADIES WARNED AGAINST
PREJUDICE.


PRESIDENT HAYMosD's BAccALAUREArE SER
AoN-THE YOUNG LADIES WARNED AGAINST
PRxJuDIcE.
PoUGHKgKrsIx, June rs, 1876.
The city is fast dng up with the parents and friends
OF pupils Of the various schools The commencement
at vassar begin next week. Tuesday class
day and Wednesday commencement proper. The
baccalaureate sermon preached this afternoon by
President Raymond in the chapel OF the college
His text found in /. Thessaonians, ", IL
''Prove all things; hold fast that which is good"
Or. Raymond commenced by saying that the words
OF the text with what goes before
after The stood by ITSELF and will be found upon
examination to contain principles Of Importance and
The widest application. He knew of moro prudent
and all-embracing law of sound thinking
Notions have in plenty-dcas, impressions,
lances caught up by the accident OF education
sociaons strong prejudices, decided productions
fosered by press pulpit, by personal sympathies
interests leading intense and passionate
lsseveraton and often upheld with persistent zeal.
Opinions they may be called, but they are not worthy
of the name because they do not rest Intelligent
basis they not the product Of thinking, not the
rcau OF careful and deliberate search after truth.
But whenever such a person is found, a man q
OF real convictions, OF clear intelligent settled
belief, then VIC hnd power in tho earth--not merely
sefpoiscd centre of resisting force sustaining itself
against pressure without refusing to DO tossed 10 and
fro and carried away with every wind OF doctrine,
but q source OF positive indurpre well,
going forth and making u fe'. and seen.
Nothing is palmer than this lection between
opinion and character. Settled o9lnons make the
Sleadiast man positive opinions make the positive
man: earnest convictions stimulate to earnest en-
beavers and produce active pcrscverns and fruitful
lives. las man thinkcth so Is he.' so will he
speak, SO will he do. such Will 10 the measure and
aha pnfh iQ nHnA klnAn tktt-
he will make 10 the common veal or ~ may bel
the common woc BY as much, then, rs We are
bou nd TO make the most and the best OF ourselves
yhould il. first that we have opinions, and,
Iccondly what those opinions We not 10
iemn without examining In the great held Of human
ppnion every thought entitled to fair trial and
shal not be convicted and cast out without hearing
Tho most mean and cruel OF the foes OF truth IS preju-
dice, which vice; Tor what can be meaner than
strike the dcienceess what more cruel than to
. criminal HIM Who for aught We know, may be our
best bcnefactor The world has been slow 10 recognize
Its beneAcors in the rcam oil thought; but II prcju
dice that blinded eyes. IL bigotry that kinded
The fires OF martyrdom It bgotry that crucifod
our Lord No wonder that Paul. who remembered the
hour when he himself did Its wicked bdding and
now that he had become a minister OF the truth and
found prejudice the bar to progress should
rnjon upon its friends the broadcast cathocity Prciu
dice not always malicious. though II is always un
lust; not always insncere, but H. is always cowardly
II was the truth, but 1t is by unworthy
II does not leave truth TO defend itself in
open field, and strikes ITS supposed enemy dastardy
blow It shuts out the day from Itself others
through fear that darkness may come 10 at the win
uow II you are ioVer ana seeker OF tluth men, says
the apostle begin by banishing this false ally Prove
all things cultivate broad and brave cathocity; fear
to be Just at least to those who dcr with you
with men generally. In opinion.
In the formation OF your opinions shut yourself
range Of preconceived IDEAS but open
all the windows OF your soul that you may sweep the
horizon round. Keep them open all the time and well
come light from every quarter And in the community
demand that the advocate OF the most unpopular
shall have least hearing and shalt ned and
stgmatized by those only who give for their
The text seems 10 raise n double warning,
ardt ne the mo n N gurb
will the and the good because he can
speak shibboleh and "foloweth with u.s.
and the other against such breadth admits and
faternzcs with evil and untruth. Catholic to gcncr-
psity toward the opinions Of all we should build
ing belief DO loyal in devotion truth
to him who is tho TRUTH whose life presents the
noblest ideal OF such loyalty whose word affords tho
tests OF the truth seek Test everything
accept and hold that only which abidcs the proof