The New York herald., 1873-11-03
CHURCH OF THE DIVINE PATERNITY.
The Rev. DIR. ChapIn Upon the Rig ghteous
ness Required by Christ.

The Rev. DIR. ChapIn Upon the Rig hteous-
ness Required by Christ.
Dr. Chaplin. pastor OF the Universalist church, at
the corner OF Fifth avenue and Forty-1fth street,
yesterday morning administered the sacrament OF
communion, after sermon on the kind OF righteous
ness required by the Divine Master OF his disciples
and OF his followers to the end OF time. Having
opened the services by prayer for all MANKIND and
especially for President Grant. and invoked divine
guidance to the people In the political struggle OF
the coming week, he announced his text in the
NTH chapter OF Matthew, at the twentieth verse
II say unto you that except your righteous
ness shall exceed the righteousness OF the
scribes and Pnarisees ye shall in no case enter
into the kingdom Of heaven" Every great truth
or system, said the reverend teacher, which is
adapted to enlarge and extend the sphere OF hu-
man understanding and benefit our race
Will be both comprehensive and instruct
ing. II win include all truth before
taught. No truths are antagonistic to each
other or subversiye OF one another. Truth is but
one, and what seem separate truths are bat
fragments or sections OF harmonious whole.
Many problems OF this hour will hereafter be re-
solved, so that we shall see that what seemed con-
Trajectory but supplement and complement each
other in one luminous flood OF truth. We are often
told that truth hes between extremes; but this
and outside OF the widest extremes that the truth
is ultimately found. Every thinker has probably
experienced this. He is first attracted TO this side
OF seeming truth. then his opinion swerves to the
opposite view and at length increasing light set
ties his conviction in belief quite aside from
either, though oil OF the positions may have had
that all religious sects have had their origin in
SOME GLIMPsEs OF TRUTH
than to conclude those we do not agree with are
fAtr nAad nan hcn IN MT
All useful truth Is constructive. IL may batter
down some error and correct some false reasoning,
but IL Is shallow and Of little real value IL IL con-
fine itself to criticism; IL 1t does not present us
some substantial foundations for structure OF
better life and enlarged usefulness That 10 poor
system or sect which simply finds naws in others
and exposes their fallacy or evil tendency. No
sect which does not give us some aid In the devel
opment OF humanity and advance our knowledge
OF God will stand the tcst OF time. Ii VIII soon dry
up and wither unless It has better foundation
than criticism OF others The Gospel did not pro-
fess to pull down and destroy the law; IL came to
fuld IT. Christianity WAS not new system Of re-
ligon. II so. We must conclude that all the teach
lngs OF the Old Testament were false. Christis
system enlarges and improves that OF the prophets
carrying IL forward to the full development OF man
inmates the Old not contradicts or subverts It.
IL enlarges and eniorces the old revelations OF the
Divine character and It's requirements OF humanity.
EXTREMISTS AND CONSERVATIVES
both resist the PRONUNCIATION OF a new and better
doctrine. some consider what we term for want
OF a better phrase, "hberal Christianity" which
Unitarianism, dangerous heresy-a declaration
oil doctrine which we do not really believes others
deem IL but another name for license 10 believe
anything or nothing The truth suffers from both
theories. hardshell conservatives and softsbeIl
extremists are both satisfied with their own right
eousness, but they al short OF what Is required by
the Divine Master In the text. lie calls for an ex-
ceeding righteousness, true religion OF the heart.
Scribes and Pharisees have passed away but men
remain. "Cruciiy Him. is as often heard in New
York or London as 1T Jerusalem The righteous
ness OF the Scribes represents that OF mere know
ledge. a thorough acquaintance with the Bible and
ability In theological discussion and statement OF
doctrine, y righteousness OF the head alone. IL
plays with questions high as God, deep as hu-
manity, as player with men on chess board.
Christ requires
A BETTER RELIGION THAN THIS.
Ritualism, like the rigteonsness of the Phsrisec,
is formal external superficial. There are sweet
tempered, amiable, generous men, who lack the
religion OF principle which win stand the test A
nesh and blood sinner IL better than cast iron
Christian whose religion has no heart In It, The
religion OF impulsive generosity will not suflce,
nor that OF policy respectabiIity, or one which per-
forms duty as we pay taxes, because they cannot
be evadcd. Christs religion is one OF faith-of the
heart 1t colors and coptrols tpe whole I'VE. Good