Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-11-17
NEW YORK LETTER.

NEw YoRK, Nov. 5, 1881.

letter for the columns Of your interest
ing paper. | will write concerning
that which is to me the most interest
ing.
The great advantage in coming to
Union Theological Seminary Is to hear
the great preachers. This is more val
liable to student than any lectures on
preaching. Since came to the insti
tuition have made it special point to
hear as many ministers as possible. As
soon as one Sabbath is spent | long
for the next.
Last Sabbath in the morning heard
Rev. Robert Collyer, he was formerly
in Chicago. He is now preaching in
the church of the Messiah corner 34th
street and Lexington Avenue. His
church is elegantly fitted up. The
seats and gallerys are made of black.
walnut The walls and ceiling are fres-
coed in light colors. The general i'm
preston is very fine. The text was
taken from Christ's sermon on the
mount, Math. 5, l6. "Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in Heaven" j"
He brought out that it is the duty of
every living being to let the light of
God within him shine forth. God, he
said, dwells in every human heart.
Sometimes the light may be dim but
1t is the duty of the individual to man
ifest it to the world as much as posi-
bic. He said that along the coast of
England there are numerous light
houses to keep the mariners off the
reefs and guide them on their course.
These lights represent not the keep
ers of them who attend to the lights,
but the heart of England. So the
Christian soul should represent to men
in sin and iniquity the glorious light
of God. He said great many people
are all the time talking about this light,
but they omit the more important mat.
ter of letting it shine. 1t is not neces-
sary to occupy prominent position in
life to let your light shine, it may ne
revealed just as truly by one in the
humblest circumstances. He said that
in his ministry he had generally found
the most faithful workers among those
who had little of this worlds goods
He wound up his discourse by say
ing, let us make our lives luminous
witch goodness, let our hearts be gentle
and our hands be open. And then
when we all get together, we will meet
some who will say, would not have
been here to-day if you had not let
that light shine.
When Mr.. Collyer got through |
said to myself, by profession you are a
Unitarian, but from that sermon and
the impressive way in which you de-
llvered 1t, | believe that the light of
the gospel has shone in your soul.
He is interested in number of benev-
oleut enterprises here and is doing
great amount of good. He dismissed
the audience by pronouncing the usual
benediction. This surprised me lit
tie as it is one of the proof texts for
the Trinity.
In the entire service | noticed moth
ing that an orthodox person could OBJ
iect to. If Mr.. Collyer frequently
breaches as he did last Sabbath l would
say God speed thee in thy glorious
work
In the afternoon attendad a meet
ing at the Broadway Tabernacle, con-
vened for the purpose of considering
the cause of French, Protestant missions
IN New England. 1t appears that
there are now over 100000 Canadian
French in Massachusetts. These are
mostly Roman Catholic. About four
years ago French Protestant church
was started in Lowell, Mass. 1t has
now 100 communicates and s. 0,00C
chapel. Rev. T. G. A. Cote, the Pastor
is desirous of spreading the evangelis'
tic work into all the manufacturing
towns in New England He made ar
interesting and enthusiastic speech
He said he was twenty years a Roman
Catholic and finally lost all faith in his
religion. By faith in Jesus Christ as
the Saviour of men he has been leo
back to Christianity and to devoted
Christian life. Dr. Prune, of the New
York Observer, followed him, and EN-
phasized the Importance of the work
He said that the Yankees were ceasine
to do the drudgery work and these
foreigners were taking their places. He
thought there would be great dangerlr
leaving them unevangelized. Mex,
came DR.. Hitchcock, Presidentof Union
Theo Seminary. He made speech thai
Heartily agreed with, the jest of which
was Roman Catholicism as Christian
religion. 1t is the religion of the mid
die ages. But it has been surpassed
by Professionalism. Nothing is to be
gained by abusing Roman Catholics
we should give to them their due
w udG VIZ suoulu uo 10 w Wy aho
show our Roman Catholic brethren the
surprising excellence of Professionalism
His way of otf.settlng Roman Catholi
cism would be by preaching to all mer
the gospel of Jesus Christ. He woulc
not force others to accept of what be
considered true Christianity so much
by argument as he would win them by
the power of love- I noticed a press
reporter sitting in the seat before mt