The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-10
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH,

s'Tho Liberal Church"-Sermon by the
Rev. Henry Powers.
The Church OF the Messiah, Park avenue and
Thrty-fourth street, Notwithstanding the disagree.
ably cold and raw atmoshere, was quite well filed
yesterday morning with an intelligent congrega-
ton. The subject selected by the pastor for con-
sideration was 1.-THE Liberal Church." and the
text Matthew xiv, 10-"But Jesus said unto them,
They need not depart; give ye them to eat" 1t Is
my friends Mr.. Powers began, no part Of my
present purpose to enter into critical examna-
ton OF the terms in which this miracle, so-caed,
OF feeding i've thousand and more with but I've
loaves and two fishes is given by the four Evan.
gelists. So far as the objects OF this discourse
are concerned, II is immaterial whether
the story from which the text IL taken
be understood by us as matter OF fact and literal
account Of transaction which took place just as 1t
is told us in every respect, or whether II is mar
rative "founded on fact" the relation Of remark
able incident In the life Of Jesus Christ, which at
tracted the wondering attention Of His disciples
and companions all, that 1t was recounted by them
again and again. but always as 1t Is natural In such
circumstances, with some unconscious changes
and additions in detail and cooring, until,
AFTER SOME FORTY YEARS
or more had elapsed from the time Of its occur
renee, it was written out and so fixed forever and
saved from all further transformation, and handed
down to us in the shape in which we now have It,
For, admit If you please, that that story is IN form
NEUROLOGICAL Its substance is genuine neverthe-
less and what OF it, therefore. remains after its
drapery has been wholly removed, is worthy our
profoundest attention. Doubtless 1t is true, just
as 1t Is here asserted, that Jesus, when he came
out OF the boat, saw the multitude and was
moved with compassion towards them, be.
cause they were as sheep without a shepherd |;
that In the greatness OF His compassion, unnind-
full OF His own exhaustion and that OF His disciples
1tarA nnrAi m 4 hn Ash and h1u
which had drawn these people together, going up
into mountain, He sat down with His disciples
of God and healed such as had need OF healing;
and that finally, in order that His ministry unto
them might be entire-that it might reach and sat-
after He had thus fed them with
THE BREAD OF LIFE,
and when In that desert place the day was far
spent and there was nothing to eat, He directed His
disciples to distribute among them OF their little
store of foed as much as they desired And 10 to
performed. They did eat and were "a tstied, and
some ofthe food remained And the multitude, when
they saw this miracle, said :This Is Of truth the
prophet who was TO come unto the world.n This
mirace-what was 1t and how was 1t performed9
A miracle Is an unusual, an exceptional and 80 an
astonishing occurrence in one or more respects.
The CIRCUMSTANCE that made This transaction
miraculous was the extraordinary effect that was
produced by apparently so little cause.-the feeding
OF SO many persons with so little material food
But are We sure that 1t was the five loaves and two
fishes simply that satisfied the hunger of these
souls9 "Man llveth not by bread Alone" we are
told and we think tnat we believe il. The condi.
tion q the MIND and heart, We ought to remember,
has very much to do With the wants OF the body at
any given moment. The fact Is that On tic occa.
sion we are considering there -
WAS MORE SPIRITUAL Food
and less physical to be had than Is usual for the
feeding or SO many; more Of the manifested power
OF God and less need. therefore, for the use Of
ordinary means for the accomplishment Of the de-
sired result. And, underlying this TACT, Is the
truth that nature and spirit are not opposing prin-
epIes bnt rather differing manifestations the
Hodge. ''s spiritual in its assent and cause; al
that Is spiritual Is natural In It's descent and
is nature in action" and, together, matter and
spirit make up the universe OF God.
But the disciples were not acquainted with this
truth. And with the remark that the measure OF
duty In this world is not the inherent or apparent
ABILITY that man may think he possesses Tor the
ri his s T OF , gSa IN sny
mahded, accompanied with the trust that the
seeaed strength for It's performance VIII be i'm
70 the application or rather the Improvement Of
Ise me Oh Thought submitted. In the spirit and
nGht VI tnis exposition, he continued, wish to
Jake isok, nrst, at modern society; next
AT THE LIBERAL CHURCH
as Ieia.eo 70 modern society, and finally at the
Special Word winch ~ given TO this church here and
now to accomplish This American life of ours
taken In its religious aspectswe shall discover I'M
mediately, II we look carefully enough that it is
distinguished by certain characteristics which are
very marked; and also which are very like the
tine referred TO in the text There Inc
OF vast multitude OF people fifty described low the
phrase "as-sheep without shepherd Mr.. Powers
then alluded ~ the millions IN the United States
that are without allegiance to any Church, and ex.
planned the reasons for IT, They have no privileges
sssm 70 psrs suen
them and the Church because OF this. There Is no
one to help these people, he said, unless we do.
its excusiveness. The Protestant, Evangelical OF
orthodox Churches SO called, cannot aid them
and here was instanced In the matter Of the work