New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-13
RELIGIOUS.

st.os convention Of Universaliss last year. the
ing service at Beeckers Church yesterday was de
voted 10 the children. The church was profusey deco
rated with beautiful flowers the display of roses being
| particularly fine aud the children who nearly
| hlled the galleries, participated in the exer-
cises and furnished The music IN, Mr. sweetseT
waxed strong spirit filed with wisdom. and the grace
of God upon him" directing his remarks 10 tho eh
his missions After the sermon, about 20 children were
1 c1emony of the Universast church-he minister
bapzng each and presenting them all with bouquets OF
In the evening Mr. sweetser reached from the text,
Romans v "For to be carnay minded is DEATH but TO
be spiritually minded is life and peace This saying,
said Mr. sweetser is hinge upon which the meaning Of
great part of the New Testament turns Life and DEATH
what are they7 What the meaning of those terms
used by Christ and his Apostles That is question Of
primary Importance 10 understandings much of their
most vital teaching. In trying to interpret any passage
i'm which one of these words occurs, must bear in
mind that they capable of different Specifications,
from the connection in which they stand They may
fer either to the physical or to the spiritual nature OF
temned. The only debatable point then left Is what Is
spiritual NE or spiritual deaih ior' GonceIlng pnysa
life and death we have no religious disputes those dls
putes belong rather To the realm of natural science than
Of religion. But II it be decided in any that spr
ual life or death what the Bible means to teach then
there is for controversy for 10 the nature of
spiritual life and death the CHRISTIAN world Is not agreed
This the real point at issue between the Orthodox and
the Liberal denominations, not properly the duration OF
spiritual life and death so much as the nature OF
such life and death. Their duration is properly a
subsequent consideration and depends upon their nature
OF spiritual life ana death, the real question 10 De
answered is, Does eternity inhere in them by virtue Of
their very nature does nOtl To answer IT, we must
know what their nature is To begin at the other end
and 10 to determine their relations before their
nature known is like trying TO read before knowing
the alphabet and endless unsatisfactory disputes
like that Of philosophers who disputed for years as to
course could never settle the point, since, is
known, there is no fluid about it, Mr. Sweeser thought
that If the logical principle which he declared had been
always recognized in the past the Christian world would
be more agreed AS it is there two general theories
rived by this inverted and perverted method of reason
ing and the other derived from direct examination and
theoOgans, the other the theory Of Universais1n
and the plain statement Of the Bible; the first making
mankind consisting total inability to do any good
thing state of infinite sin meriting infinite punish,
ment; state into which the individual did
not bring himself and from which he
cannot free himself but only be freed by miraculous
nerpOstOn, while spiritual life consists in such deliver
ance and is OF being in which the individual once
for all has been redeemed from the dangers of his former
state. Neither life nOdeath, according 10 this theory IS
strictly voluntary state Of being neither depends upon
the action of the individual, beyond certain point
consistently with the rest of the scheme but spiritually
dead man Is like FISH upon dry land not placed there b
hasdred away from IT, and eftit beating helpossy about
TO meet with everlasting death unless some Kind hand
seizes It and throws il into the water and the spiritually
alive is like that fish after being tossed INTO the
OCEAN And as the fish when the land could not work
its own deiveTance by any well directed Efforts now
shly sins il may commit will take its liberty away
ii may swallow all the smaller fish within its reach and
no Divine law will punish tit has only tOregariis own
stomach and 10 look ont for the nets of men, So Luther
taught that no multitude magnitude OF sins could
damn a man who had assurances of grace aSd who
believed in the vicarous atonement. Though such "a
spend six days Of the week IN gOrglng himself on
his neghbOrs property, he still swims free III the exhaust
less of Gods love- while he who has received no
such especial assurance and does not believe IL Nlcar
Gus aonement though he spend seven days Of the
deeds Of charity to all mankind, is beyond the reach
of the refreshing pillows of Gods love- and Is To be Lett
to writhe in agony forever So saws the first theory
The other theory makes both lie and death 10 be vol
untary states OF mind ana soul when come upon us ana
continue with us we accept OF REJECT the spiritual con
dtons upon which they DEPEND, according az We obey
disobey certain natural s1tual laws "rudlheu lor our
ultimate good; il regards spiritual lie ana death as
things merely Of the futme hut of the present; II
says that spiritual life 10 be sought al once on lis own
account, and spiritual death Is to be summed at once on
its own account il that to be- carndy minded is
death, but 10 De spiritually minded is life and peace We
may liken with his tAreetOd nature 10 house h&N
minded man who lives continually in the basement of ms
nature, su6Srdinang his hlgReT GaR@sues M htSaT,
dead TO all the enjoyments which he has VINO occupies al
the departments OF his nature as they should be
occupied The spiritually -Innded man does not entirely
discard the of his lower nature any more man WISE
housekeeper entirely dscards the basement bat he does
not live there he lives above, where he can nave an out
look heaven, and where he can be htreng lhened 10y
the thousand messengers of Gods benehcence which
come in at the open windows Of his mind and soul con-
tnualy The truly spiritual man IS neither my sic nor
epicure but while he lives in this world ana uses d.
he lives also in the higher world and uses IT, y uniting
the two he gets the benefits OF each as ne could n9
WIS., for this world and the other Wod are itdttu 10
each other like the two poles OF an electro battery we
must grasp them both to get the real force and sgnh
canoe OF either None but the spiritually minded Gnow
the real thrill Of eternal life.
FROM NATURE TO NATURES GOD.
Trinity Sunday was duly observed at ST.
Paul's Church, Fftyninthst and Ninth-aye The altar
was decorated in strict conformity with the festival
The candeabra with three lights the bouquets Of flow
ers OF only three cOlOrs and the golden draperies
and vestments were all symboLca OF the Trune God
High Mass was said by the Rev j. p BOd>h, and after
an announcement of the expected return from Rome 81
the Rev Father Heeker the sermon was gNI py ttv
of thought and beauty OF language peculiar 70 s g.ed
ill., verse 81 1.-THE earth is fun of His praise When we
try said the preacher TO form definite ldea OF the
Creator we find ourselves bafied, and can only repeat
the prophets words, Truly He is hidden God" And
yet we all wish TO know something OF nm, he seems
this bright Sunday morning we could learn secret
which would draw us nearer to Cod Ihere ls such q
this world shall find II wonderful revelation OF COO
for "The earth is full Of His praise Aga we are toId
holy Scripture that the Heavens sh9W iert he ZOE
Of God and that all His works MAKE MN hloMn ~ ,ic
sons of men" Indeed, to thoughtful Ind the DOCKS
CO. Sate thenselyes AS in the bright sunlight
discern the separate trees and ciags when cover tne
distant mountains, and even the little l running down
a. sde and vet in the shade they appear one smooth
mrne mass SO the thought of God-tha sunlight Of the
sou-reveals new beauties IN me natural T4 T Ta
Garth Is Gods studio. These beautiful scenes OF
Nature are Gods Pctures tf mem are mas"rpece
All the wise and good and thouShtfu men 81 o4r rae
heabcn philosopher and Catholic saint speak the same
thoughts in almost the same language .oy % m
8nwers along his path and say ~ them, ION, be sehl
o slant, Won rel me God has made you for love OF me-
and yet do not love Him gndeFSaRG n yGS Tero' am
Xbeist was called by some duty 20 the western part OF
o5r continent Standing one Summer evening among
the highest crags Of the Rocky Moua5' hnu fI1
Ocean ~ flowers and verdure-and contemplating ne eH
traordinary beauty of the scene tieie cam - m ~
ward mind an irresistible eOnvlGll9h oI Ie - i %
Creator Yet these persons only did what ~, ta say
every one can dO-thcy learned "the NsiDIe lnts VI
God from the things that are seem Ley us tleH
strive to think that whatever is bcanuiu III NatuIg
teis Of Natures God Our days are wasted III tihIhs
over natsers which can give the soul n0 ldShg hdppi
mes cod il set aside and forgotten we ethl te h.
tves Of mons actonsi we cOsei " u I p.ilI. "