The New York herald., 1874-09-28
CHRIST CHURCH.

Rev. DIR. ThOmPsOn on tho Human
Will-Danger of Following the Opin-
ions Of Others.
The Rev. DR.. Hugh Miller Thompson preached
yesterday morning and took his text from Ro-
mans xiv l2-"So that every one Of US shall give
account OF himself to Cod"
The preacher said that Christianity was q pecu-
liar religion IN this, that 1t moved men personally
and individually, and appealed to each one as q
separate entity Christians stood alone and God
stood alone. Each one is an individual for him
self and forms one OF those who work all together
Tor the many. Thus societies exist not for each
person separately, but for all the Others. The
State is the same and Is governed sngly, but lor
the whole people, and the same principle holds
good with the Churcn. The text is an announce
ment OF personality, and that every man must
answer for himself. The father and mother who
break down the Will OF their child are doing
the work OF the devil. Guide the WILL but do not
attempt to break IL. When 1t comes to breaking
down q will a personality, and imposing upon
man another sense OF what Is right for his will,
you are doing what God never did. Beyond this
limit God uoes not go. He guards thus the per-
sonality oil the Church he has made. We are re-
sponsble for our opinions. We usually suppose
we are not, because we have what is known as
public opinion to TALL back upon. But those who
say all this do perhaps think that public opin
ion is nonsense and bosh.
We Americans are towards. We can do nothing
here unless everybody shrieks it and the trumpet
blares 1t forth and everybody cries 1t on every
housetop. We can do nothing quietly. The
temperance movement was going to sweep every
thing last winter. II at the time anybody had
dared to say that 1t would come to an END very
soon, men and women would have torn him TO
pieces, and would excaim, "What right has he 10
have an OpinlOnr so with our pubic man Who
rides top ol the tide. He must go with 1t or SINK
We used to have strong men who would rise up
in moments of national insanity and oppose their
powerful voice and stem the popular torrent;
but nowadays none. Tney content themselves
with going with the popular clamor, watching 1t
closely; aud, just moment before everybody else,
step m and say the word that Is on everybody's
to que to say. Men don't lake the trouole TO have
the last man he spoke to or the last paper he read
and everybody knows 1t. Instead OF this he ought
to have an opinion, and, when he has IT, stick to 1t
and stand ~ lor it, God viii hold MIN responsible
Tor his own judgment. he IS responsible lor his
ialth.. A great many take what comes Tor them
religious ialth Is very precious thing. II Is
something to he fought for and worked for and to
be prIzed. You can't make an excuse for want OF
it while you have brains and o heart and the
power oil thinking 1t won't do to say, This man
changed my benel," or. TINS book. You must an.
that we are made by circumstances. Yes as the
oak Is made by the storm; otherwise he ls made
as soap bubble which the arst wind may M bao blow
ing circumstance and keeping it back and
contending. SO aith is not matter Of chance,
fought and contended and have my iaith, 1t is my
own; no drifting on the tide lor me.n We live in
q tempting world. The tendency is to have
friends and to yield to their requests. 1t is hard
thing tor good man to say motto put himself
IN the attitude OF refusing. We like TO be accom-
modatlng. And yet IL ID the road TO sin. Unless Q
man put his foot down and be able to say 'NO,"
mot sne moss ta0 or ,an s
the kindest accents. There is no special harm
in this, you say; but the end is ruin. The whole
tendency OF the world Is downward, ana you are
bound to reach the bottom. Nobody will contend,
but that the tendency OF every big city Is down.
luxury, irivolity, fashion. 1t Is within thousand
miles OF the Christian law as laid down by
Christ Who can march through 1t with hands
unsuIlted and garments unstainedY The standard
some would have Is impossible. Then the tempta-
tlon is to say, "a don't want to be one OF hundred
at q thousand and who has the right to judge me
lou have no right to condemn US, Journalists
preachers, poets, authors; but you are doing itn
And yet q man must remain at this high stand.
ard II he would remain man instead OF those
who have become mere ciphers aud dare not DO
anything that the world isin0tldoing-instead OF q
mere bubble on the stream, ike ten thousand other
bubbles. Thousands expect TO escape he'll be-
cause so many are going there, and yet we
initiate, and the question is, then, who to
| fight the battle as he fought It
The choir at this church has recently been re-
| organized, and, while the choir boys have been
retained to sing the responses, the quartet Is
more excellent than ever. 1t now comprises Miss
Annie Mackenzie, soprano; Miss kemloY con-
trayO; Messrs. Humphreys and Wood. tenors, and
Mr.. MetcalL bass0. Miss Mackenze's singing yes
terday morning during the onertory and anthem
was exquisite. Her voice Is tender, and yet pow
| eriul, and in the higher register OF exceptional
| brllliancy. The boy choir unuertook too much In
| the s'i0ly Holy" MIR. Pearce Ia the organlst and
was happy In his selections and dexterOus in his
! manipulation Of his instrument