The Portland daily press., 1872-01-29

FIRST PARISH CHURCH.-Rev. B. FL. Bailey
the pastor of the First Parish Church, yester-
day morning preached an able and impressive
extemporaneous discourse upon "Christ the
chief corner stone.'' Text, Ephesians, I'd
chapter, Goth verse, "And are built upon the
foundation OF the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone"
The discourse was complete and, as before
remarked, an able affirmation of Unitarianism.
its satisfying consultations its glorious truths
and its beneffcent promises to every soul. The
recent departure of Rev. G. H. Hepworth from
the Unitarian ranks and the consequent repeat
ed criticisms concerning the Unitarian body
were the immediate considerations that sug-
gested this sermon
The preacher at first defined the text, as
showing God to be the foundation and Christ
the chief corner stone of religion, which idea
it was claimed, exalts Christ as Saviour far
above those Of the popular church. All men
being mortal, and receiving the inspiration of
Gods religion through the understanding, it is
only necessary to acknowledge God as the low
ing Father, the Author of us all, the mereiful
Judge OF the universe, and desiring the saliva
ton of every soul, and Christ as the Son of
God, sent by God to show us the way to the
Father through belief in His mission and faith,
love, mercy, charity and good works. No sect
or body of believers composed as they are of
human individuals, have any right to stigma
tise others as not Christians who disagree with
them as to the peculiar character OF the corner
stone. The Unitarians believe in Christ as the
Saviour, who came to live and die to save us
e.,
faith and works The essence of God is love
and not vengeance, and the human heart an
swers that in the PRONUNCIATION of this belief
and its application to the practical wants of the
pleading soul, Unitarianism offers the fullest
consolation. The cry against Unitarians by the
sO-called evangelical churches as not being
Christians is assumption and the result of bigo-
try and intolerance.
Such men as Claiming Peabody, Norton,
Greenwood, and our own sainted Nichols and
thousands of others less famed, men and women,
are noble attestations that .Unitarians, if
they believe in Christ as Saviour and,1ive good
and worthy lives, are as truly Christians as any
of the other denominations. The ancient
church made no such unrighteous distinctions
as have been made since. Unitarianism, how
ever. has lberalized the other denominations as
the progress from the fearful doctrines of
Jonathan Edwards of century ago to the
more progressive and Christ-like and loving be-
liefs of the present prove. Although much
bigotry remains, the progress of liberality and
Christian charity among denominations is quite
marked. Christ does not glory in the sufferings
of the sinful and solely rejoice in the salvation
of the elect He loves every man, woman and
child, and would bring them all to God, the
Father.
Mr.. Bailey alluded to several instances of the
Christian works of Unitarians here and else
where and the consolation of their faith to
many under his personal observation in the
hour of death, and closed urging the largest de-
velopment of trusting faith as the accompany
ing requisite with good works, and eulogised
Unitarianism, which he truly believed was
growing stronger every day and proving by its
doctrine of Gods love and Christ's mediation
its faith, liberalism, charity, love, consolation
and glorious works and influence as best salts
flying the warnings of the Christian soul and
the requirements of all the children of God