The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-19
LYRIC HALL

The Different Schemes OF SaIvation-The
Evangelist and the Rationalist-Ser-
mon by the Rev. 0. II. Rockingham.
The attendance at Lyric Hail. Forty second street,
opposite Reservoir square, yesterday morning, was
largely made up of people belonging to the fashion
able world. The subject OF the discourse was the
"Scheme OF Salvation" The WORD salvation, Mr..
rockingham began, is the great word OF Protest
antsm, and means safety. which means health.
Health consists in the perfect adjustment OF any
creature to its condition. The body is In perfect
health when 1t Is menaced by nothing from
within in the shape OF inherited disease, and
by nothing from without In the shape OF
calamity and disappointment. The healthy mind
is not tormented by doubts it cannot dispcl, nor
by prendices it cannot overcome, and feels itself
at home In the mental world. The health OF the
heart consists In its perfect adjustment to the
world of affection In which 1t lives, when the de-
sires are pure and the object attainable. In what
does the health and safety in the salvation OF the
soul consist In the great world Of Providence
and ina
SIMPLE AND PERFECT TRUST
in the order OF the world. It Is said that the safest
creed is the most desirable. Salvation has always
been associated with the hereafter-the future
soul body, but the healtnlul state OF
existence to come II 1t can be proved that
there is hell, II we can be assured or
there; goodness here evil there, that men eat
with their ears and worship with the soes OF their
feet then we can listen to the proposition or the
Evangelist and run our eyes over his policy. If
hell is place which we know nothing about, how
to get into or how to get out Of we feel sure 1T is
an uneXplOred region, and are perfectly confident
that as to-day IS the result OF yesterday and as to-
morrow will be the result Of to-day, so the future,
be 1t long short, must follow from the present.
SOUL THAT is SAFE
now is safe always: The great Baptist preacher,
In Boston Father Taylor, said touching me iutaae
not go to heaven because he ia not Christian;
but II he goes to he'll they VIII not KIN what TO
do with him." What compOses the safest creed
would Imply universal knowledge, perfect ad-
justment OF man to his surroundings. perfect
only tell in what it does not consist. No creed IS a
safe one that rests insecure foundations. II The
corner stone OF ST. Peters should be loosened the
shrnes would save 1t. Herculaneum was
lovely city, but built at the - loot ot,rs Of
and paintings could not save 1t from destruction
EVERY CREED MUST FALL
II there Is any insecurity In the corner stone. Is
wrong to found a faith on slender column, The
Professionals base their faith on the Bible. II the
Bible were monumental book and an exception
to all human books, something abnormal in the
world that no critic could teach them the position
might hold. But the Bible has all the marks of
HUMAN PRODUCTION.
Scholarship and criticism have been at work, and
have proved that the doctrine, its iniallibty, Is
wildly insane The Church does not rest on the
BlDle. out the BLDG on the CnurCn. Ine CnurCH Is
not so safe refuge after all, and many have left 1t.
The nationalist receives help from primary
source. II his rights are questioned he falls back
upon the prophecy OF the human race, science and
philosophy. RatiOnasm is the
THE SAFEST CREED
II has no questionable dogmas, and 1t feels in
perfect sympathy with the human heart. The doc
trine Is OF to-day, not OF yesterday The whole
scheme Of redemption assumes health. II the doc
trine of hell Is modified the whole scheme of re-
demption Is shortened. Tue human heart cries out
against 1t. II there were no alternative but the
orthodox belief in hereafter 1t were better there
were no hereafter at all. Quiet humiliation would
be better than to have creatures doomed TO ever
lasting agony, and Immortality would be curse
not blessing. Who could bear to 1--we that another
should die 2