The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-18
ELM PLACE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The European War-Sermon by Rev. Henry
Powers.


The European War-Sermon by Rev. Henry
Powers.
The congregation was not very large at the Elm
place Congregational church yesterday morning,
owing TO the fact that the majority are away In tho
country. Tie pastor, Rev. Henry Powers, preached
a very interesting sermon Oh the reconciliation OF
self-love and bcnehcence, and III the course OF his
remarks male al appropriate aiusion to the war
between France aud Prussia. lie selected for his
text st. Matthew xix, 19-"Thou shalt love thy
nelghbor as myself"
AT first thought there seemed to be great gulf
fixed between se!oye and love to fellow man.
SELF LOVE
was, OF course, inevitable, ana no one need to be
eXhorted TO rs exercise: but benenccbce. on the
other land, was constantly incuicael as duty for
the reason apparently, thai tie feeling which
prompted it-that OF nc.ghbory lovc-was not, as Is
said a spontaneous development of the heart IL
we love ourselves men say, how could we rob our
selves OF tine. ease, money, reputation OF any
earthly good thing for the purpose OF con-
ferIing 1t upon others? II were be-
ne1cent how could we be otherwise than false
to tue extent that we were so, 60 that law OF our
very natures which urges US to a primary regard for
our own advantage. This was apparently irrecon-
cllable antagonsin between seifloYe and duty. The
problem in moral ,ience had not, in his Judgment
been solved before the Time OF Christ. 1t was true
1t was principal OF religion and right. Was 1t not
always in the form OF
SELF-REMUNERATIOT
Tor sacrifice In the common and degraded meaning
OF the WOrd on the ground that soncthn g In itself
good muse be parted with as the price OF
understood that virtue was It's own reward
Christ prescribed the utmost measures OF toll and
sacrifice Tor Humanity and his precepts were full or
the most LIBERAL philanthropy. His disciples were
G?Gstranaa 10 call nothing their own what others
really needed.
Alter some further observations upon the subject
he said:-TaAing the broadcast view let look at
the relations OF nations and Kingdoms Of the world
to each oiher From time imiuemorlal it has been
as far as you are aware o dictate OF unenightcned
national sell love 10
RESORT TO WAR
on the most trivial preteXts. QUICK resentment FOR
injuries; prompt reveage for wrongs; bold, ag.
gressive policy, on the ground that might makes
are bound to respect These and such ike consider.
atoms have shaped the purposes OF nations. But II
the history OF The past las taught rs amy lesson 1t
has shown the Jolly OF war, except IL be undertaken
as last resort and principally IN the defence OF the
rights OF man. Peace a. any sacrifice Is the policy
which time haS stamped with an enduring success.
1t has been In spite of wars, even when
successful, that nations have achieved q lasting
greatness. And this lesson of history by all the so.
called Christian nations Is gradually becoming ap
preciated and acted upon more and more. We
have numerous instances OF late years IN which
controversies that q half century ago could have
TUE TEST OF BATTLE
have been adjusted by peaceful negotiation.
W
the war between France and Prussia? He con.
Cured with article which he read IN one OF the
evening papers, which compared IL to light between
two parties 10 the street; we oelng interested, ought
to have the police called to Interfere and put stop
to it. In the case Of France and Prussia our interest
more closely Slied FOR the deStinies of eighty
millions OF people, the lives of many OF whom would
be sacrificed, were concerned, because Napoleon
and Bismarck were ambitious men. The Christian
nations should, like the police in the street tight in.
terfere. There would yet be
GRAND CONGRESS OF NATIONS
20 han mol mr.
Bismarck say they must fight and the inquiry
would then be made, TEL us wlas Is your quarrtl;
would hasten the time When the swold would be
bealen into the ploughshare.
THE EyENIGG sERvICE-PAPAL fEFALLIBLIrY
In The evening Nj. Powers preached on Papal
inialiiDidy taxing for his text che words OF Christ
TO reteg, recorded in Luke xii, a2-"But | have
prayed Tor tlce that thy faith fai! MOI, and when
thou art converted strengthen thy brethren"
After describing the pomp and ceremony with
VIII ch I'll decaraton OF the new dogma Is TO be cec-
brated Ia Rome next Sunday, the preacher spoke OF
the profound significance Of this transaction, not
alone to the Ncmish Church. but to the whole Chris
tan GRID well, and then proceeded TO discourse
upon the consequences that might be expected to
follow, predicting mat I'm no very distant day the
sword would be drawn In this land TO establish abso
Iutsm In the Church, as 1t had been to defend and
TO propagate absolutism In the State.
The terois Of the new dogma were then examined
and its meaning explained In accordance with the
utterances of the Syllabus OF 1866, the Cipid Cat
tolica and the Cduohc World for July the preacher
maintaining that the grand object OF THIS whole
movement on the part OF the utramCntansts Is 70
give TO the whole Romish Church, by means Of its
magnificent Capitalization, an aggressive power like
that which has made rhe Company OF Jesus SO in
vlncible In the days that past aud thus TO crush
OUT one by one, or all together, the damnable here
Sic OF the nineteenth century"
MI. Powers also paid some attention to the argu-
ments which are usually adduced from Scripture.
from reason and from expediency in support OF the
supposed necessity OF having somewhere an tnfallt-
BILE human criterion In matters OF religion, and as
serted that what Was needed was authority instead
OF inlaib litythe individual conscience instead Of
the Pope OF Rome, or any other Pope, and Christian,
Intelligent, free cooperation among the disciples OF
Christ, instead OF the blind dead level OF ROmish
and constrained uniformity OF faith and life.
In conclusion the congregation were eXh0rtcd to
appreciate properly the gravity OF this declaration
on the part OF the Romish Church-tO discard in
their faith and practice every remnant OF merely
Popish conormty-and to be true in all the rela-
tons OF lie 10 the advanced ideas OF the times IN
which we live, thus valuing rightly the liberty
wherewith Christ makes hts people free and so In.
scrbng on their banners, not ''nfailibility," but
'the right OF private dgment'-liberty under God
to decide for themselves what Is true and what Is
right.