New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-20
OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN
Sermon by Rev. DR.. Holland.

Sermon by Rev. DR.. Holland.
The st. Louis Globe, of last Monday, re
ports the following:
Last night Rev DR.. R. A Holland, rector
| of ST. Georges Episcopal Church, corner OF
Locust and Seventh streets, delivered an
! eloquent sermon, founded on the text, "Om
| Father which art in Heaven"
| The sermon was replete with thoughts
which, clothed in beautiful diction and de
| hvtred with an earnestness, commanded
| the profoundest attention Of the large audi
| ence present. Below we give few extracts
| which, by their holiness, of utterance, can
not fail to attract the attention of the gen
eral naRder.
| God is always the same, but human ideas
| of him change with the progress Of human
knowledge. 1t required 1000 years of pro-
vidential training by bondage, and rescue
by migratioDs and wars, to prepare the
Jews for the revelation Of Christ. The
disciples themselves failed at first to under
| stand their Masters mission. They
| still imagined that its privileges were ma
! tiOnal mOnOpoGes, to the privileges of which
Gentiles could be admitted only through
the rite of circumcision. When st. Paul
dared to take the gates of the church of
their hinges and invite the world to enter,
his brethren denounced it as beresy and
high treason. There was something new
under the sun when this grand hero of
catholicity stood on Mars Hill, in the cen
tire of a city given up to idOlatry, and with
numberless images on every side, and spite
OF the prejudices of his own race, and edu-
cation prejudices, proclaimed that they
worshiped God, though they knew it not.
The truth was too big for the church Of that
era.
The silent leaven Of love for mankind has
been steadily at work charging every heart
it permeates Thus, while theology was
narrowing religion was expanding. 1t
could not he stunted by the flower pots of
system il which various schools of theology
planted it, and which one after another,
though bursting its roots for a season, have
one after another been broken in pieces by
its growth. As every age can know only
so much Of God as its thought forms can
hold, there must be development in this as
in other kinds of knowledge. After saying
that the presentation must correspond with
the intelligence OF the recipient, the preacher
said the hereSy of one age is the orthodoxy
of the next. Confessions Of faith logic
woven, become the empty cocoons as soon
as thought puts forth wings and flies into
light.
Some time ago God was represented as
creating mankind with the knowledge that
they would sin and incur everlasting agony,
in order that by arbitrarily excepting a
few and pluugi the rest into a lake of
fire, He might contemplate with proud SAT-
isfacti0n the glorious irresponsibility of this
omnipotence. Then He was painted as less
cruel but more COmmiserate. Having de-
creed a sentence, He can not restrict or fail
to enforce without hurting His veracity.
Yet, plying the offenders and wishing to
pardon them, He finds Himself in painful
dilemma. He would be just and at the
same time nGrcifyIl-merciful and at the
same time just. Justice consents to punish
an innocent person in the place of the guilty,
and mercy promises to remit the penalty
that shall have been slready inflicted In
other words, justice is willing to be unjust,
and mercy to be unmerciful for pay.
Finally third hypothesis was invented.
God was neither cruel nor commercial
Being governor of the universe and well
aware that His laws must be enforced. He
deTises a plan whereby in the same act
both to forgive sin and preserve the appear
ance Of yigor in His administration. His
plan is kind of melodrama in which His
own son undergoes a certain amount of
gratuitGus suffering for the sake of showing
how memorable are the laws which vary
until after such an exhibition of respect for
their sanctity can be set aside in a procla-
nation of amnesty to penitent transgress-
ors.
Tie preacher then spoke of the govern
ments Of society and the family relation,
and the defects therein. Speaking of Gods
watchfulness and tenderness, he said:
He knows every soul-its strength and
weakness, its helps and hindrances, and its
motives; how far circumstances and how
far the will are responsible for course of
conduct to which both contribute. Doubt
less many religions as well as races shall
meet in heaven; and if the conscientious
discharge of duty, as conceived by indi-
viduals, be the test, some Christians shall
see Gods face over heather shoulders, This
remark was illustrated by two cases: one
that of the man who had every opportunity
in life to be good, dying; after death a
tombstone is placed over his grave, inscribed
with the words Here lies child of Cod
The opposite case is that of one born amid
crime and poverty, who lives an impure,
unholy and criminal lite. He dies, and is
buried. The sexton whistles as he throws
the dirt into the grave, only wishing to get
through with his job quickly. Change the
birth places of the two men, and you change
their burial scenes. Shall not write up6n
the head board of the villain of oircum-
stances as well as upon the monument of
the fa7orite, Here lies the child of God 2"
The preacher concluded with number of
eloquent. ornate and ehaste SMILES, illus
trating Gods true love and mercy, showing
that in all things He is Interchangeable, and
that He giveth all who trust Him forgive
ness and rest, SO that all can say "Our
Father which art in Heaven"
A story is told of two prominent minis
tiers of Newport, the faYorite New England
summer resort, which is too good to be lost.
Rev. DR.. T., of the Trinitarian Congrega-
tional Church, and Rev. Mr.. B., of the Uni
tartan, being on the best terms, were one
Id I'D 70 dive ~ ~ oc "a