The New York herald., 1874-11-16
LYRIC HALL.

Chsrscter-Gts Friends and It's Foes.
Mr.. Frothingham's large congregation began to
show signs OF impatience yesterday morning, as
he was even later than usual II being nearly eleven
O'Clock before ne took his accustomed seat. The
service was opened by the reading OF selec-
tions from the Hebrew Bible, Arabic Koran,
and the Hindoo Scriptures. Mr.. rockingham
announced his theme as character: Its friends
and Foes" Said he. by character mean what is
commonly meant by strength OF individuals, force
OF being power to stand alone. l don't mean
goodness: mean no combination OF moral quail
ties. This thing mean by character Ia quite inde
pendent OF what men call virtue or vice 1t Is what
may be properly defined disciplined wiIl drilled
purpose, one whose impulses and desires are his
own; one whose impulses and desires are not hts
own, are not expressions OF his own will, but
are borrowed, has no character. When we
speak OF PERSONS strength Of character we have
no reference to his goodness his badness we
mean simply persons who stand by themselves
Some times It may be nothing more than eccen-
tricity; but still, so far as IL departs nom the
beaten way, It is character. Character may belong
TO pnanthropist or pirate; 1t is altogether In.
dependent OF moral qualities. In human a1airs this
thing character plays very conspicuous part; We
are inclined to think sometimes that it is the
only thing that does play conspicuous part No
mere combination OF qualities however excellent
has power; on the other hand person may be un-
Just, cruel and oppressive, ana still have charac.
ter the independent will. And all these things be-
come fascinating. There is no parsonage In the
FASCINATING AS THE DEVIL.
simply because 1t was by his force OF mind that
Luclfer had the courage to rebel against Jehovah,
and was thus enabled to carry Oh half the
host OF heaven SO high stands this thing
tcharacter) that all people feel little insulted
II not supposed to possess 1t. took up an adj
dress Of strong Western man. in wnlch he says
every person should weigh as much as unit,
every soul should repel dlctation, whether from
bad or good whether from men or gods. These
are very brave words. but y Is dream, vision.
we are born into world already made. Every
thing around Us Is the growth OF time. Every
been formed by the constant attrttlon OF thought
in the centuries gone by. custom meets US at the
not ns tn we draw last and
We know nothing oft tin IL s 500 late to do any
thing aboutit. There is nothing arbitrary in this
order of things; nobody made the world, It made
ITSELF and yet although custom Is law, and tradi
ton is law, and law IS law, there is an infinite
variety OF people. Take the Roman Catholic
AN ABSOLUTE poNr1FF At THE HEAD,
who orders w exac5 s4 nGr nsy sh @
thing on the whole, the best possible thing, that
Individuality should be so girded about and
sneu be IS " eaa
pity OF past prosecutions; how men whose thoughts
-. had to confront power in its
to US that men face death in oraeT
to secure the power OF free utterance or their
convictions. A generation before Luther there
did afterward, but not having character they
passed away, leaving no trace. Martin Luther
fore him he spoke his word. and having spoken it
was frightened, and hastened to make peace with
ned, the man within him woke from Its lethargy,
BE BECAME THE GIGANTIC COLOSSUS.
and Professionalism leaped full armed into exist.
ence. Now, suppose the Roman Church had said,
.On, we'll it is OF no consequence, let him alone;
IT," II the Roman Church had pursued that policy,
there would have been no Martin Luther, no Prot
estant tism. no new new religion: Ihe modern Church
cuted. They have nothing to fight, consequently
they cease to be lighters. Indivlduallsm is very
thing. Is it any TOO costlys Suppose 1t were easy
for men to venttate any ideas that come upper.
society would be full OF loose and lazy people OF
no account whatever. Some people speak OF
ana fashioned, ready to come out as soon as it
has permission; but it has to be worked ior and
earned. These are the friends Of character,
WHAT ARE ITS FOES
when these are lts friends who beat and bufet
1t abouts Its toes are inertia sluRgishness, love
sponsibility. We live In the most independent
spot on the planet. The conditions OF life in New
are 50 easy a
1ssi'Hs wand cannot ~ pierce. Touch il Win Your your
s NJ necessity an@ Ur men Of ee sn s
pewter or lead VIII answer the purpose OF break.
Ing through any convention alities we have. so
In politics, men speak Of the despotism OF party.
There Is no such thing. There is no tyranny there
are no dungeons no fires, men may belong to
any party they choose. In desporic form of gov
ernment characters are created by the score. but
here 1t is hard to fnd anybody who has a mind
thoroughly his own. This awful thing we read
about as
THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL
has gone there Is no such thing as the world that
we are obliged TO assert ourselves against. Even
religion, which used to be the despot Of despots,
ts despotic no longer. 1t used to be as much as
your lie was worth to assert your own opinions.
nothing. We wonder that men ever thought
1t worth while to oattle for an opinion.
1t used to be that apostaoy was the sin OF sins;
now we scarcely know what II means. This field
OF battle 10 q Geld Of battle no more, but pleas
ure ground; and yet though there may be ad-
vantages on the score OF Kindness and peace,
there Is q great disadvantage. Wnat would the
world be without character and II We are to
have It
it is not forced on us. 1t should be stimulated in
every way. Study that the child may be man or
woman when 1t grows up. not mere parasite. 1t
IL hard work, and requires thought, attention and
patience. II were conventional person should
say it requires prayer; Individuality is gIt II Is
to rescue even the small grains OF cnarac-
ter from ODhteration. Let each man and
set 9y IN sw tine fact that
portunlies. aspirations, that must not be allowed
10 drag In the dust BY doing this, the thing we
Sa wSsn slowly Sic
word duty, we shall not say it is the idle trum-
petting OF FOOLS but 1t Is the call OF God calling US
to something ike achievement to be faithful
servants in good cause.
ST. PHILIPS CHURCH.