The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-26
ALL SOULS CHURCH,
Past and Present-Sermon by tho Rev.
Oscar Clute.

Past and Prcscnt-Sermon by tho Rev.
Oscar CIute.
The sermon at All Souls church, Twentieth street
and Fourth avenue was preached by the Rev. Oscar
Clute, OF Newark He took his text from the
Ecclesiastlcs, l., Q. One OF those meteors, he said
that swept sometimes down on the fields OF art and
literature proclaimed that he celebrated himself.
1t was one OF the presentaims OF men to celebrate
themselves and gloriiy the times In which they
lived. Politicians said this was the only country
In the world worth living In that here were the
noblest men and the purest women; magazines
and newspapers glorined the present age as the
greatest the world ever saw. Was there any
foundation for the lofty opinions OF these men Of
themselves and the times in which they livedP Was
there any good reason why they should sing such
apoem of the present time and forget all that the
past had done Tor thems There never was q
grander time than the present; there never was a
grander time Tor those who had their work to do
in this world. Now was the accepted time for all
who would not be laggards or towards in the great
battle oil life. 1t was true, in some measure, that
there was no new thing under the sun. The
sunshine was no more bright, the winds
whispered not more unsteady than they
had done in the thousands OF years that
had gone by. All the phenomena OF the ma
terial world occurred then just as they did now.
III they could trust human reason, the millions Of
worlds that they could see with the telescope
obeyed the same mighty rule that this world did.
IucIc really Hd0 UGH HO ucN tHiHB uuuUi tHC ouus
AS regards the realm oil thought this was also true
in 4 measure. Mans progress was not so much
marked by absolutely new discoveries as by I'M
provements and new applications OF old things.
Man saw the beauties O nature In ancient times,
and flame ofpOetry leaped up, but the poets OF
the present age could not surpass Homer and
Virgil. They had evidences that tunnels and other
works OF the ancients surpassed anything they
could boast of
But surely men would say that humanity had
reached greater spiritual light Much had been
done to lead the great surglng mass OF humanity
out of darkness into light. There were some
people who talked OF new religious truths that
were unknown TO Job and David, but this assertion
had no real foundation.
God was the same yesterday as to-day and for
ever Remembering that there was no new thing
under the sun, let them look at the changes that
were ever going forward in matter and in man. The
more clearly they could perceive eternal truth the
more would they appreciate the manner in which
they manifested themselves in the past There
always had been in matter and In man an element
through new elements, but through changes in the
elements that were already there There had been
a great many changes, but IL was thought that no
new forces or elements had been introduced. They
had all seen changes in the forms OF already exist
ing elements. One class made the p asst Its tyrant;
the other would not have the thought and the In
spiraion OF the past even as guides OF the present.
What now was to hinder the combination OF these
two elements OF go0dY Because they believed in
yesterday must they reject to-day How deep were
those in error who rejected all the good OF the
Christianity into the unsuitable forms OF the past
The practical question of the hour was:-How shall
the everlasting Gospel be taught in forms that
are suited to the ever-changing times