The New York herald., 1870-03-14
CHURCH OF TIE FREE LOVERS.
Inside aud Outside Edco-serinon by the Rev.
%. II. Frolhingha,n.


q. Il. Frothineham.
Lyric Hail. on Sixth avenue, between Fortieth and
Forty-sXth streets, which resoGnds with sacred
music and ireeove preaching on sunday, and Is pos
sessed by merry dancing devils every other night in
the week, was thinly attended yesterday. The Rev. o.
e. rockingham, tue shepherd or the nock, preached
from the fourth fifth and twenty see ond verses OF
the third cnapter or Genesis: And the serpent said
unto the woman: Ye shall not surely DIE: For Coo
doth know that in the day ye eat thereof shall
your eyes be oqened and ye snail be as gods know.
ing good ami evil And the Lord God
SAID. Behold the man has become as one OF us, 10
know good and evil - Theological fact, said the
preacher, dates from Eden. The orthodox idea OF
Adam Is that he was man pure without
temptation, good without discipline; In fact,
perfect creature and that the fall from this state
was into despair and deso.atiop. The heterolox
view OF the question Ia that Adam was man IN
embryo the raw material, having no knowledge Of
good or evil. There Is norhng in the book OF
Genesis to counienancc the first idea. Adam could
not have been perfect or he would not have yielded
to temptation. In fact he had q genius for tum-
bling into temptation. IL would not do however, TO
dens These views, therefore, do not give the Key
10 Genesis The account here Is that Adam was in
sea sea eanS % m 70 te The
came conscious that he was man and that the
problem OF llie lay outside the gate or Eden.
A man must accommodate himself to circum.
stances aud make his own garden IN the world. Eve
rythng that civilization stands for is uslde OF
Eden and the question is pertinent therefore, Are
we inside or outsider The patrlarchal SYSTEM OF
government was inside Eden: to 1--we, to labor, to
is different; we are all thinkers and workers and
kings and princes. Every one OF MS Is engaged in
perpetual strife and do our duty to the State aud our
neighbor We are outside Eden. At the
other side OF the Atlantic in England,
young girls are closely guarded; a strict sur.
Gated IN Ignorance Of the world. Perfect innocence
IS the object sought to be obtained for them by their
parents and guardians The saturday ReDfeD some
time sincs in criticislng "Formosa" an excessively
stupid piece, abused 1t r0undly because OF ts sup
posed effect upon the minds OF young girls, whom,
the critic stated, .snould be kept In the darkn and
OF course deprived OF all knowledge Of good and
evil. This s inside Of Eden. In this country
Things are exactly the reverse. Women read every
thing, lecture. CLAIM political privileges go and see
'Genevieve de Brabant,n LA Belle Helenen and
what they please to see and are none the worse or
It. They are outside OF Eden. 1t is the same way In
religion The Catholic idea L. that the soul or man
Is like that OF child. The Church tells him what to
submit. They arc inside OF Eden. IL is exactly the
reverse with Us. We are ali answerable ourselves
sy @ er payar ns pe1pe aae e ga as
answer in heir own hearts We are outside OF Eden.
1t was not for nni 10 say which Is bestto be inside
or outside Of Eden. Perhaps there Is good in 10th.
II inside Of Eden there Is too much government
there may be anarchy outside, and II there Is too
much restriction On young grls In England we may
have here TOO many v0luDe, loud moutned coarse
females forcing themSevess nd their theories every
where. regardless OF AL proprev. Bus 1t is impos-
s.Dle Tor an American TO be Inside OF Eden.
Mr.. rockingham next addressed himself TO the
consideration OF the aoor question. Labor he sad,
ID noble to talk about, but men nate work; de-
str0ys mems lives and leaves homes desolate. The
beautiful buildings IN the city are monuments our
cviizaion but II we seek out the men who do IL
all we find them in wretchedness and misery. 1t
is a question whether all We have accomplished by
our civilization is worth the cost. Property Ia out
side OF Eden as IL STRIFE division and care. Care is
the dark speck IN the heart tnat spreads veil over
life Temptation Is also outside OF Eden and Ns
tlie shores or the river Of life with wrecks. The
text or Scripture quoted IL extraordinary as show.
ing unanimity OF thought between God ana the
Devil There Is something in tho idea OF Adams at
tine Devil liked aud God approved. The moral
effort attain the knowledge OF good and
evil Is the Godike quality. God only knows
all the difference between what IL good aud
evil: we but speculate. knowledge Is
accumulated thought, and thought comes by think
lng. There is no conscience inside OF Eden and no
merit. II q man knows not the difference between
good and evil aud does not know what sin is he
deserves no credit He Is good because ne can't
help himself Religion comes Of the distance be-
tween man a. he II and man as he ought TO be.
Alteration comes Of want and IS born OF tears and
gr0ans. Religion exists only outside or Eden, and
It Is effort which lifts us up and makes sons and
daughters OF Heaven. THIS ~ the Lenten season,
and the streets are nlled with people hurrylng to
church with prayer books In their hands, Festivity
tue cannot be separated In an hour, nor can holt
ness be attained by giving up meat anu taking TO
FISH, The hattie for perfection 10 not TO be gained BY
spurts OF religious fervor but BY continued effort
Mr.. rockingham concluded MIS- discourse with q
cDarActerIatlCally eloquent DerOrdtlOu,