The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-17
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.

Religion the Means, Not the End-ser-
mon by the Rev. James Freeman
Clarke.
There was but q small congregation yesterday
morning at the Church OF the Messiah, in conse-
quence OF the storm. The Rev. James Freeman
Clarke, Of Boston, took his text from st. Mark
Il, %.
In former times, he said, 1t was thought that the
people were made for the kings, but now it was
admitted that the kings were made for the people,
The end ought to govern the means As matter
Of fact, 1t was often sacrificed to the means. The
Greek coOnnade was certainly beautiful, the two
rows OF columns surrounding the Parthenon were
also very beautiful but would they advise any
government to build custom house or q banking
house in that manner 1t would exclude all
light
THE JEWISH SABBATH
having become servant Of man soon became his
politics, when 1t hustled the demagogue and rant
Ing politician then 1t was indeed blessing; but
when it shut up our libraries and turned sunshine
to gloom, then 1t became tyrant '1he Sabbath
was made for man, not man for the Saba til. J."
Hardly anything in the Testament went deeper.
1t taught us to ask OF all human institutions
''What are they here for ?" II this most venera-
BILE institution did after all not derive its sacred
ness from divine authority, but from Its human
every other institution. The good OF man-ths
was the end OF all. Religion was for man, the
church was for man. II Jesus con troled the hu-
man soul it was because he was the best repre-.
sentative OF human nature. Man was the master
OF all human institutions and he had the right to
change them.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
came to preach gospel OF love and peace to a
w0rlo full OF cruel war. II did this and became
mighty power, and Mr.. Buckle tells us for I've
or SIX centuries there were no prosecutions. But
came In and said the Church was made for man.
not man for the Church. That was the meaning
OF tne reformation II took IRON the Church all Its
ofvine authority. The rock on which the Church
was built was not Peter, the infallible master but
Peter feeding the sheep and teaching the children
Inc church came because 1t was needed, it re-
NAMED because 1t was needed, and 1t would remain
rs long as 1t would be needed. The Bible also came
rs the servant OF man. The Koran was the Bible
OF the Arabs, and all other bibles inspiration
Of their own. All the bibles had been adopted
because it was found profitable to accept them
was the Bible of the Jews 80 yen.
orally accepted Because it was comfort in
the hours OF our sorrow; because 1t sounded the
deepest depths OF human experience. Bat the
Bible coming AS a servant also became master.
Balaam and bis ass, must be believed by mathe.
mattcians and astronomers Because Jesus taught
fidelity to HIS law of humanity people snatched at
this word and said that Cod the Divine Father
sent has children into world OF eternal torrents
who declared that the divine light In every soul
was higher than the Scripture. Then came the
criticism OF German scholars showing the fallacy
OF this literal Interpretation OF the Bible. Chris
tianity had too often been made the despot aud
yrant Of the world Christianity came TO ill this
life with happiness, to make men and women sweet
and good and holg, and make them more loyal to
one another. After q while tt was thought that
men must be driven to God by fear. They took
away the word "Fathers and substituted
Lord Sovereign" They made human life grey
ana cold and told them TO pray anlsss they wanted
NSee
NOT man for Christ They as Uuitarfans, were
s bcdy, but they had been lesvenng the whole
, LUMP Let those wbs like the appearance OF
pv"el 20 10 another place The first ray OF the
shn,. nat weak, but Il awakes all creation The
saSd =. . mao nothing but the truth but they
@au ~ thirty years, aud finally everything gave
way 20 y handful OF men. The Unitarian chllrebes
wele All Oh The side Of freedom while other
churches were divided '' """" ~''
Cn,st said, Come to Me and wily rive van
.Me biple came TO them wnep the " w anfed
ahd was not to be found on those WI, s,id NOT
uesnc ~. 40 pray Tor the sake of getting gordv
,suou was ny prayer Prayer was for the sonl II |
Vac 70 give tnem rest. Prayer was made for man
not man Ior prayer. The great object oS nrave, 1
va 10 pray Tor power TO resist temptat(on 10 /
pray for sweetness and good tempcr Tnns , 20
went and built IL. ~ ~ 'pey
But there were some things which were ate, |
naI-iove and truth, right and justice Trust in |
Sou trust IN the good IN man. These were not |
pnsulutiOns that were TO be changed; these were |
everlasting realities, Whatever was divine m !