New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-21
TIE PROGRESS or NATIONS.
me RE- y. n clark, at Uafty chapel Unuarfan,.

At Unity Chapel, in dred-and-twenty-
cighth-st near Fulrtayc yesterday morning the Rev.
W. r. Clarke the pastor, preached upon the subject
"Talling the Kingdom. Mr.. Clarke took no text
One OF the errors Of Young and saneunc people, ne
said is that all things are predesnated TO improve
There is an Inherent and sclf-enactnS law OF social
progress that develops good out OF the bad, rights all
wrongs and unfols the highest graccs from The lowest
origin "a the lily blossoms out of the mud Prosperous
people especially believe that prosperity is the normal
condition Of society and outcome Of the constitution OF
things. Apeope have genius for getting on, ana hence
are believers IN Misunderstanding. The magniicence OF our
improvements in machinery, arts; sciences ne csion
and costumes Of lie, houses auI cucs, ana luuslI's
have created impression that the wnrld moves ny w
Irresistible impulse progress behind the individual
viii and independent OF personal eif0ft, as tie tr
the everlasting mountain spring. II Is not morals bt
mechanism that is remiking the world 1t is not virtue
race forward and upward to higher civilization.
Jesus said the Kingdom suffered violence and tHe
violent took by force Nele hc living III Our day, IN
the midst Of these magnificent Victories OF science ana
arr, in tile glitter OF our wealth and the gltter 81 our
fashion, where people press forward on Inc lnes o
material activity triumpaal march, sure the gol
is but t!e way ahead he.would have expressed nii,
sell In 81 III stronger The predominant sentiment
of the time Is That material forces are equal 10
achieve the millennium some Otner Invention VIII III no
other country mas Tie iae taken such hrI holu Oh ene
are cxhaustloss ii has room enough for hail ne Amer
lean and can pull TIE globe Liberty Is rs Dr,i-
right Political and social equality are It's
accomplishments It HIS realized the be, half oi Pluto
dr.nIs The U'opias of the Oil WOrl organized in
its crnmunwcalfs, and the cXOtiCs OF other nihuns
bloom in lis Naturally enough people Graded ~
conditions have an instructive iaith IN aD iIIe3oiD9
rrorc.sy that j. achieved by some impulse behind
humanity bat arts commerce. refinement, culture, anu
even virtue are provided III tie constitution 81 things
without human cfoi The culture oil me Ia.e
Is provided by "a w0rd-educating machine, our CIR
cunstan have nerpoated this article into our belief
Tie deuias OF human progress the dsn oI Ill h'''n
capabillty; the low, cynical view OF human nature /;
The cdrpag crOaknS and despair OF humanity
at the PROSPECTS, OF soci ~ come from Inc Old World WIN
lis crow ded populations, its chronic disorders, It's NO
ltnc reduced 10 system, ami administered ~ lw MN
VINO 90 nothing Dui Dshr 1'I lis ing Iai", %
and who do nothing bnt bind burdens on the Da'As
oihcs, have nothing IN their experience 10 CONSTRUCT
dom tes, what they can do. We are heglnnn Z
10 learn that lesson. We look through our achievements
Is telescope 10 iodo our clcai te 10 o ~
iu in becoming Americans We have not ce ised 10 De
men. 1he YaIAee has not got the Dettr OF human NJ
iure in oar Constitution. inc bnho. mn III M i
and tue Declaration O independence III our boou Las not
0b.cI3cd the fundamental instincts OF American nature,
nor repealed moral obligations. The supreme nc0rs
Of iNiLOn not material but moral, ana however
and threaten to carry tno Kingdom Dy Vio-
lence. the truth is now coming back 10 us
that tie constructive and preserNaiive forces OF society
,iii the cartn Tine bari,ars,n Of thousands Of
years IL bci mi u.s. but have not away from our
selves. There Is great doa o the DaDafh eil III the
orr streets any day Spotted Tail curiosity from
IL m rnvrst me- plaes YouI need not 90 10 the Black
Hills to ind IN IA VINO want all the vices of civilization
with Of It's responsibilities But II is the moral e-
mcnts difuscd through "A community in tastes, habits,
convictions aud that make high NIizatlon posi-
ole, and keep it from becoming cuIs' Ii We may D.
hevo tue Chinese annals HOr-Sn, buddhist priest,
WHO vsit,d them in 100, found IN them weor,lered
society, and the whole heart OF the continent is dotted
with The remains Of tho ingenuity OF power.
II they took the knsdon By force
they could not keep that bold. md E %,ort
ana NineV and Babylon were I1cEer ana more
civilized than coniectured century but all we
know them il through their ruins. China conquered
tie kingdom, and then the Kingdom conquered her ana
she las rigid IN her stionhriness az pcker,l
the ice; her wonderful preservation shows us
ton and then lse the power oi tsr nDs TO 40 ior"ii
Had foretOld Greece in the OF Perces that
would become the hiding places OF bats and brig
and he would have hustled INTO silence Rome tOOh te
kingdom by vio, nee, and lost herself Spain fastened
tho New World cunqucrlng chariot, aud thcn lost
trddictCd by the facts Of history.
There is something more than material elements,
food. physics mechanism even reason, III CIVILIZATION
The KIM dOm more be- taken by arts than by
arms. cannot be captured by cultures and cosmetics
Neither parks pictures will entco Paradise To u
mIialiOuS metropolis or lOTcl'ss home VI hcn luxury
ralS the OF people, and material ambitions
get the better OF moral stncis and obligations, neither
Libraries nor galleries nor cathedras can save even
the seInhlance of civilization long Give man wealth,
Oice, power. all that his sshnrss Graves, and how
soon o dictionaries II lie does not become beast IL ~
does justly ana Is KIND to others, tnt MS possessions are
blessings. hndn that his gliticrny circumstances
make happy respectable. lie does not fake the king
dOlu by violence, but 10y the Subtle clements OF virtue
society gains the way our corruption has como
from sc decay of individual int gritty. The worst men
society not those universally condemned but those
WnO keep up the fcnblnce al virtue, and cover over
their unbeef ana with robe OF responsibility.
Tweed was not so bad man at heart as hundreds OF
the mem who voted for him and got rich y his plundcr.
could Join with those VINO clanor
farther punishment IL s tine men who kent him III oice
when they knew Le thic and because they could
make money through his pccmlation, who support
fashionable churches that poisoning the springs OF
public lie, We really take the Kingdom by liImS up
into IT,