The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-01
CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION.
THE COMING CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC

SERMON BY THE REV. DIR. COTTON SMITH.
DR.. John Cotton Smith yesterday delivered In this
church what would have been his closing lecture In
tho series on 'The Republic, Past and Present" but
for the tact that he able only TO treat with any
degree OF detail three elements that enter into the
stability and future prosperity OF the Republic
namely, education, religion and the homogeneity OF
tho different that are now here. Temperance,
politics and other clements he was able TO name
merely and these he Will treat OF In extra lecture
next Sabbath. He showed in former lectures that
there is divine mission for this Republic deduced
largely from the influences that are over her and tho
poss bililies before her. The uncertainty OF the
future Is always greatest when we apply u
IT to the community or the nation II We would
gain assurances for tho future must look at the
assurances OF tho past The Doctor then referred TO
the ancient civilizations of the East which have been
gradually transferred to the West aud remarked that
the mission OF the East was culture 80 that OF the
West religion. And the progress OF civilization
has been along line ana toward one end. II has
always tended westward, ana II finds its completion
here among The stream OF history belongs to our
race and should It be thought strange that the devc
opment Gods great work should now be committed
to our hands? We are living in tho end Of this civil
zatlon. There is nothing beyond for rs or for tho
world and IL will be well for us and for the world " wo
find the golden gates and on the shores Of
that ocean which is peace Referring to the migra
tons OF men westward, Dr. Smith remarked that tho
mgrations from shores now are toward the shores
from whence the migrations came. The time Of
preparation with US has ceased. The mixture
OF the races here, he said. is healthiul
and only healthful Tho blacks will gravitate more
and more toward the Gull States; the poor Indians
will hardly have remnant lett at the end OF the next
century, so that for them the problem will then be
solved. But II IL for us to say whether We shall pur
the policy Of fraud, oppression and extermI-
nation toward them that we have pursued In the past
Tho presence Of Interior and superior race In tho
same territory II always injurious 10 BOTH but cspcc
ally to the inferior But shall have here in
this land what has never been known-a new and
homogeneous race-a race tending toward one destiny
PAPACY.
mr.. Smith then enlarged on the elements OF educa-
tion aud religion which are to accomplish this, and In
the discussion he took the ground that the basis
which our public schools were originally organized
would have led into trouble some day had not the
Papacy to our shores But now, he
said, our chief danger Is from this power.
lie maintained that religion and secular life cannot
be divorced aud that religion should constitute one OF
the chief Of the civil magistrate. II concessions
must be made 10 the Papacy he would make them
slowly. But he believed the entertainments Of the
Roman Church would tend to unite Proestants Of all
denominations IN resistance. The claims oil that
Church To be the educator OF the young oil the land
he considered to be false and foreign un.American
and unbiblical and to DO submitted to under any
guisc or pretence. We should hold on to our public
schools as they are until We shall have the power TO
make them religious institutions. The Doctor closed
with Tennyson's beautiful lines to tho Old aud New
Year.
.la halle