, 1873-11-17

thing Of tho kind was rrgolltly demanded. now |
That there was no Episcopal Church ;, north 81
Graoo.. a meeting OF tho Church Guild will bo |
bold thiB evening at No. IL South Olask asroot,
to CONSIDER the subject.
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.
OF the Now n1ousc Of vyor-
ship Yesterday Forclaoon-Sor1non by
lkey.'Dr Bellows, OF Now York.
Tho dodicatory exercises Of tho Church Of
tho Messiah occurred at tho new ediace, cosnor
Of Michigan avenue and Twonty-third street,
yesterday forenoon. Tho dedicatory prayer 'Tas
offered by Robert Oollyer. The sor-
mon was delivered by tho Rov, DR.. Bo1-
lows, who chose his text from Hobrews 8,
Verses 10 and II. The text, ho said, prodiotoda
time when God would cease to refer mankind to
the tables of the law; when it would DO 30 nim-
p1e that 10 interpreter would be needed aavc tho
individual hoart and conscience. AB Unitarians,
his hearers had in part verified this prophecy.
They accepted no positive scheme Of salvation i
recognized no priesthood ind Ind no written
creed. And yet they built churches. "God Is
q spirit, and they TINT worship Him must wor-
ship Him IN spirit and in truth" mon said, and
yet they build costly churches. Ills ondeavor
would bo to explain this. Tho church had boon
built as an asylum to which its congregation
and their children could come for shelter
from tho troubles Of the world. It
was necessary to their feelings il not to
Ills, that they should approRch God with somo
Hymbol Of q royorence, h common language
mud o common place OF meeting wero requisite
il NO would unite in common prayer and praise.
God was not to be propitiatod or fattored by
offerings. II VIC thought God could be fattored
by our prniso We should co0ae to worship him.
We make our worship stately and costly, because
We know our God cannot bo moved by sacrinccs
or prayers. It ig to teach this TINT We mako our
public places Of prayer 30 beautiful, hut Gods
only temple is in eaeh heart. Unitarians pay
generous Httpends to preaohers, In order to havo
them toll them they layo no priesthood. Provo
that Christ saved human soul by Bprinhling tho
face with water, aud that ceremony would de-
generate into vulgar, shocking thing It was
because Baptism md hcrcoramonies wore only
symbols, that wo woro 30 blost iu using
them. Gods spirit was 80 pure that
mon wero compelled to aymbo}izo it.
Unitarians do the vory things which their re-
ligion did not value, therefore, ovory one OF tho
features Of a robed priest and q Taulted roof dis
lutcd the eHsonco Of prayer; but prayer must bc
diluted that it's taato may bo appreciated by our
follows. Either error, that which confounda tho
Church With ita forms, and that which thought
it could exist for good without thom, was to be
Stunned. These forms were no moro tho Co.
aeuce Of religion than tho locomotive tile ca-
sonco OF ateanl. Christs followers had to dog
matizo in order to perpotuate what in Him Tas
80 evauescent In its beauty aud glory. No oh.
ject in nature ever cast Il true shadow. and Ills
shadow WAS mora or lesa distorted. The scien-
tifio world will next year DO watching the tranBit
OF Venus crossing tho aun,- by Its shadow, and
by that only, can wo measure tho distance Of tho
oarth from theaun. Now when jesus ivodin direct
conjunction with God and nlan, as the planet
wll bo between the sun and earth whom Christ
malo his wonderful trnusit across tie disc of tho
Divinity, no wonder that this exquisite spiritual
phenomenon attracted tile attention of tho whole
world, in order TO measure tho, distance Of man
from God. II tho carly astronomers erred in
measuring tho physical distance, o hundred years
ago, why should no wonder that tho unparalleled
phenomenon OF Christ's transit across Gods
faco had been as orronoouBly regarded. 4 rei;
| giop Which nature loved, roason endowed, aud
upon 1t by D hard and dominooring force, was
| ono which the Unitarians had adopted. Tho
creed Of nine-tenths Of all Christians declares
| the human race In d Btate of revolt against its
misery. This religion offered only oeltain
OhriBt is tho ooequal with God, and oxocutod
tho bond BY taking tho sins Of the world upon
him. Believe this, and thus be saved, tho life
Of purity you may lire serving only as an inaca-
ton Of your boliof. This was tho orthodox
faith. The speaker did not wish to treat tho
religion which had been lived by many holy men
wit6 diarespect. 1loligion Was 80 necessary OIL
intoroat Of humanity that It will rear itself upon
anything that wlll support IT.. However crude
its kind 1t tends to produce sano OF it's whole.
somo fruit. Indeed, 1t is thiH wholo5omonoHse
which gives rise to tho monstrona theoros OF
itp roots. Ths fact is, fow think but oil m!lst
have opinions, md, doubtloss, tho successive
thsooRE ssoS PIX eeen sho bes besq
IN the beauty OF Christ's example,
and anything Tint kept this before ths
world was wholesome. Tho forna which thsat
then,ea Ind taken On we're not wholly accidental
With tho change in military armH, military DO
fensos had been royo1utionizea, aud 1t was fo!int
thpt the Rofteat earth wlas =. suror armor thar
tho stoutost stone. 30, In old days, tho Ohurol
eucAacd horgolf IN scholastic arfnor to dcfend lc
from destruction. Ho worry much doubtad whotho
Jesus would hold the place no did IN our heart
tng q I'd a2 M ID p ~u E tas rasoxniae nsndis
bo ! catpo Of weaknosa, rls Christian theory
with al ita poouliaritlee, Ind Its, uso, and th
speaker would sdasF to hs wo1a Stpns naa
tl,as those theorics .wcro incredible. the.
lad oeasol Ito yield their. hearts M
to any goyorna,iua but roaaon. They MqTQ n
longer to be. impo!ndotl lllts aheoE; or dive
like Children. for thelr oWn goo .t,a nnoy Mrn
Ohrist's submissive nature. But t1oy could no
believe God was lealous Of their retionalits
Thoy could not continue 10 reeogntzo AM, oppu
sitiap betweon time and eternity thts world m ans