The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-12
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.

Object Of the Unitarian Belief-Its Duties, Its
ReIntions-sermo ny the REV. Aug. Wood.
bury.
The morning services yesterday at the Church OF
the Messiah, corner OF Park avenue and Thirty
fourth street, were we'll attended. The minis
ter was Rev. Aug. Woodbury., OF Providence.
He preached the second OF the series of dis
courses to be preached here on tho special tenets
OF the Unitarian belief His subject was "what DO
We Stand for as based upon Revelations ILL.,, IL,
12-"Hold fast that which thou hast, that
no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will
make pillar IN the temple OF my God" small
but faithful church; how dow dQsS II stand and
what deesit stand Tor ID this stfugefins life OF
ChristendomS Every church, In order to be. must
nave reason for It's being 1t must not be an acct.
dental appearance, an unaccountable growth. 1t
must be designed to represent some principle. to
have an alma duty to perform. But this prin-
cple must not be iniringcd, this aim abandoned,
this duty abandoned; II they are the church must
die. the Roman and Protestant Churches look
upon each other as being wifuly opposed to Chris
tan truth; 80 orthodoxy views heresy as
DEVOTION TO ERROR.
After illustrating this and showing that tnto
erance springs from deep, earnest convictions. he
proceeded to apply these principles to the charsc-
ter and condition OF the Unitarian Faith. what
reason have they for beings What IS their prov.
dental work In the wordS What do they stand for
and represent In the religion thought and action of
their timer What is their duty to other churches
and TO themselves The Unitarian Church is NOT AN
accident lis principles have exercised vast n6u-
ence upon the thought and lie OF Christendgn II
mas hed an important place In the culture
OF CHRISTIAN society. IL has been a power
IN modern CIVILIZATION The influence Il has
exerted Is 1ar more than Commensurate with ia
numbers. IL has taught the world that Numbers
are not me measure OF strength; that truth Is not
always determined bY rnajorities. Tried by a mn.
merical test Christianity itself failure as aiier
eighteen centuries OF active life, II has scarce CON
yerteo half the human race. But the glory OF
Christianity is that IL leads the world In IhouQHt
and sprit-in all the powers OF genuine life 80 That
there Is not nation under heaven but has felt its
influence and been quickened by II into new life
the Interpretation Of Christianity I'D the funess OF
its generous love- II does not elevate the Founder
OF Christianity TO place In the Godhead, for God
cannot he divided. Their
PRovIDENTfAL WORK
IN the world Is TO breathe into II better spirit in
all Its thoughts and actions-to set the human soul
free from the shackles or suDerstltionto open the
mind TO the entrance or divine truth. After ampli
Tying this part OF his discourse at eloquent length,
he proceeded TO show that honest men OF opposing
creeds must OF necessity admit that The Unitarians
were wrong, and lie respected them the more for
ii. That men must diner seemed TO him Inevitable
Some were born 10 be Romansts, some 10 be Protes-
tants. There Is spiritual law OF gravltat0n which
operates SLOWLY indeed. but nevertheless.