The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-15
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.
Gods Attributes-Tho Worship OF His
Image IdOlatry-SermOn by Rev. DR.. +.
Hedge. of BOSTON.

Gods Attributes-The Worship OF His
Image Idolatry-sermon by Rev. DIR. F..
II. Hedge, of Boston.
The Church Of the Messiah, corner OF Park avenue
and Thirty fourth street, was yesterday well filed
The smiling aspect Of the weather entced the ladies
forth In all their gay attire The church was lite
rally dazzling with their bright eyes. The sermon
was by Rev. DR.. +. H. Hedge, OF Boston. and was one
of the series being given here the tcnets OF the
Unitarian belief. His subject was "The Idoatry OF
the Anclents and the Moderns," ana was based
upon part OF Psalms cl, 21-'Thou thoughtest that
altogether such an one as myself" The idea OF
God he began is the beginning and end OF all crea-
ton. When we read In the Bible that He
the reflex that man made everything like himself.
Everything we is but sensation on the nerves.
Let an accident happen to the brain--the central
izaion OF nerves-and we are living in new
world The world OF other men is incompatible
with ours. 1t H. them clear that If we were differ
entity constituted objects would appear different.
For example, he explained, the GOODNESS OF ice is
merely difference between its temperature and
ours. Were ours low enough 1t would seem warm.
After eloquently illustrating this at length he pro-
ceeded to show that the material world takes its
form from the nerves. the immaterial from the
intellect. Az this expands man is forced
to seek his God In the invisible He must consider
Him in his own image for 1T is the noblest type he
knows. or course He is superhuman. We suppose
His powers are Infinitely extended. A god IN our
own image is kind OF IDOL and ln worsfpping 1T
we may
a god to answer religious purposes must be per-
son. 1t Is useless to talk OF god without person.
ality. Pure intelligence Is not a god one would
care TO worship, to be the god of our devotion. But
what is meant by persons II means moral COVER
nor aud creator. In this sense God must be per-
SON. He must be conscious and have intellect But
and the human FORM The form becomes an idol. II it
helps our conception 1t dispaces the Godhead and
places man instead What il the personality of a
man2 1t Is his mind, his soul; and though this
dwels In his body il liz entirely distinct. The images
In the Psalms, OF His habtation and court tend to
make the imagination conjqre up form as one OF
His attributes. But 1t must be recOllected that
these are mere figures. The early Christians were
led by them TO construct images and pictures to
assist their conceptions OF God. And as an newt
able consequence, when this Is dOne the image
takes the place OF God. What wonder that Christ
IL taken for GOdthe representative for the repre-
sented. One who worshipped God is taken for God.
COP Il roo VAST.
They need God they CAN comprehend and more
confidently approach. This feeling Is much ex-
tended but 1t is idolatry. The Oden idol was scup-
tured-the modern one is mental st. John referred
more to this than the one of stone. 1t is natural
that Christians should worship the founder OF their
religion as Cod How inadequate all conceptions Of
known to the crudest minds-not known, but felt.
lie fills their hearts with belief in Him.
The operations of the intellect cannot fathOm Him
Father, and have the highest authority for doing.
What can be more endearlng and encouraging than
thats The love Of God must be considered pater-
nal He feels our eceSSitieS-admnis-
tiers to them. But the term .'Our Father'
Is figure OF speech and may be carried too far 1t
Is carried too far when we see in him parent who
Will spare his children all pain and saturate them
with enJoylnents The atiicted call him Father,
and yet misery abOunds. Would an earthly father
do thisY When we look for explanation to God He
Is yelled in mystery He is u father but not an
earthly one. We also call Him Judge All religions
inculcate the belief that He judges by their &C
ions, giving good for good evil for evil. But here
again we must recolect that Judge, and Moral Gov
ernor &c, are figures OF speech. For, the diff
ference between Gods judgments and mans. God
judges before the deed, before the perpetrators
birth; man after the act. Every moral act that
man does is a seed. Human impatience is often
disappointed at the siowness OF Gods Judgments
Why are a band OF conspiratOrs SO long
ALLOWED TO RIFLE THE TREAsURY9
But God says, my ways are not your ways. Imake
my sun shine on the good and bad alike; my clouds
water the lands OF the just aud unjust; my lightning
snites the sinner or snned against the same.n The
proceedings concluded the speaker Illustrations
OF what is true and what is false III mems of capa-
city for making n God in His own image. His God
must be human, but infinitely human, have His
form without personality, be a father without the
dotage OF an earthly one. When science and art
have confessed their impotence the heart, with in
vincible faith, VIII stall rejoice in Him in whom we
1--we and have being.