The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-20

vacation; at any rate, don't need IL now wnen
do I'll take it. Until do you have got to stake
IL every Sunday. SO, then. you may anticipate
regular preaching through the month OF May and
probably through the month OF June, when prob
ably shall seek recreation among the mountains
to get rad Of my summer infection or hay fever.
After that shall hope to return to you early In
the autumn, ready TO take up the work again and
90 on with 1t TO the END.
THE SERMON.
The robust preacher then chose for his text the
ffth chapter OF Galatians, the twentysecond
70 the twenty sixth verses inclusive-"But
1ss rut su iss spirit i vs s6Sa S
ness, faith. meekness, temperance; against such
there Is no law. AND they that are Christs nave
We live in the spirit let also walk in the spirit
Let us NOT be DESTROYS OF vainglory, provox,an!gs
passage mean to ask ana Co answer the question
this morning, Why It is that christianity mas
made 80 little progress in this wSTa
WHAT was the power that Jesus Himself
manifesred-what was the secret He was a
he never separated Himself from the manners
ana customs oI HIS people. lie worshipped III tneir
lie never wrote a line nor word Of theology or
philosophy He never was ordained and never
took upon Himself any oiticial relation to mankind
any more than TO His own people. There Is not =
single thing in all His speeches. as recorded by
HIS disciples, that looks like organizing men.
There be nothing that has its origin III the con-
ceptiOns OF men possibly absurd as the contrast
between the teaching Of Christ, in respect to tue
Christian life, and the enormous and BabeIous or
ganlsm OF Christian churches which profess to nave
derived their authority and their forms from Him.
the question is one OF profound Importance. What
Is the secret OF the power OF this parsonage, VINO
appeared SO many hundred years age, who was
nor man OF the state, who did not organize
powers 1t was the simple power OF higher type
oi manhood than any tnat had been known In the
the deduction that there is more power in the
simple disclosure Of divine life than In any otner
source whatsoever. 1t was the manifestation
a Iovableness and lovingness, with
character above all that ever lived on tue lace OF
The earth; and the simple exhibition In HIS life and
simple Exhibition OF the Character Of the Lord
Jesus Christians been the secret OF His moral
power IN the world from that day to this-a new
type and higher type OF possible manhood.
HUMANITY THE INTERPRETER OF GODS NATURE.
Tnat Is not all From that higher conception OF
derived and derlyable all higher conceptions
OF Gods character since the only reyeia-
saas Of Goa IS one higher apy
experience, and outside OF possible human
experience there Is no knowing God in His moral
FORE exalts any single member OF the human race
above the altitude IL had occupied before makes
lens through which new revelations OF divinity
come to US. Ana where the highest qualities that
belong to human nature are exalted In this way
and wnere they are comolned IN symmetry ana
~
OF truth, the inner nature OF God.
MORAL EXCELLENCE THE SOURCE OF POWER.
in the Lord Jesus Christ 1t was the goodness Of
God manifested in Jesus Christ, in HIS personal
up that moral influence which has existed and
does exist in subjects OF revelation which
has been stronger tnan the sword. more powerful
than the allurcments OF pleasure, which has eX.
alted the race and IS still exalting 1t. And 1t all
lies IN that outworkthe personal attributes OF the
Lord Jesus Christ here. to-day, Is the real force
OF Christianity In the world 1t Is In the living
force OF those men who have exhibited this view
OF Christ's Lie aud who are living as He lived.
The force OF Christianity IS not in the cathedrals,
the temples the synagOgues, the churches or in
any organization or denomination, but 1t lies in
those who are Christ's; individuals VINO have
the same essential traits and qualities as existed
there be any power in Christianity worth preserv-
ing in the world 1T is the unOrganlzed, ever living
force OF human nature, sanctlned, inspired and
tor1caliy, has been the same IL you look back
along the line OF ecclesiastical history you will
see that church organizations have exerted q
great power in the world but do not think
you will find that they have exerted power
e aar an or you Ok
Cnristendom, the great councils Of the Church,
back to the very earliest period. you shall find tnat
organized Christianity has been The poorest guide.
II there has been no other power in the world
than that which has been exerted by organized
churches, religion would have sunk long ago. 1t
has not been the Church tnat has preserved reli.
gion Il has been religion tnat has preserved the
nnureh It tn has not been the that has
ample Christian lives Of obscure persons In the
n ialty that nave saved the priesthood: As i, In
play OF organization or systematic presenta-
ton OF doctrine but the power OF holy nature, so
the force IN historical Christianity Is the de.
velopment OF his sweet qualities in so many
individual persons and not In their organization;
for churches nave been ike caves. You 60 into
those vast caves where every Is quiet, as peo-
pie want them 10 be III church, where tue tempera-
ture never varies much from forty (Which you
thing IS formal, as people want them to be in
church. From the roof there hangs down the quiet
saasme grownS upwards rom 1Se BOTTOM ae but
all cold and precise the darkness OF the cave. Then
comes one man with a torch who walks through,
and all that Is in TINS cave becomes brilliant and
beautlul--ln what In itselit No; In the light Of
one mans candle or torch. Here are churches
with their archDish ops and cardinals and different
orders oil priesthood and with tneir holy men and
SalriS-great cavern0us bodies flied with men all
hard and white and cold like the limestone stalac-
ltes. Now ana then some holy woman casts Q
holy light over AL, and whatever is true and beau
tiul is made 80 in the single light OF individ
sition OF Christ.
CHALLENGE TO CHURCH AUTHORITY
why has Christianity made 80 little progress In
the wOrld9 For If you look over the Condition of
Africa, OF Asia, OF the continents OF North and
SouGh America, and some parts OF Europe, you will
see that although much has been done compared
with what was to be done very little Is as yet
com pllshed. Wen, lrst they tnat have stood for
Christianity IN this world have assumed authority
over men, in Gods name attempting in
religion what was attempted in politics
namely, TO govern men Without their consent.
Now freedom, we have learned, Is the
lie OF tue state; that despotlsm however
handy it may be, makes poor men; 1t may make
easy government, but makes poor citizens.
Liberty however many struggles 1t may have, or
however, many storms 1t may brave, III the long
run makes stronger citizens ana more resources
OF strength III Tue state. Liberty is just as essen
tial IN the Church AS in the State ana no man
ordained to preach has any authority over any
body, and the Church that usurps authority in the
name OF God Is Just as monstrous and just as de-
II religion Is TO be anything 1t Is to be
spontaneous, and no Church should 90
iortn and hold up its tenets as the
light for other mems consciences-saying, .sbeeve
this and IN this way or be damnedpf Ii should be
very grave offence when an individual man In re-
spect TO his own af1airs says, ..you be damned"
but let an o1cer OF the Church put on the great
rODe O his ONCE, split cap on his head and q long