The New York herald., 1875-09-20

preiudces and evil habits and the voice of God comes
| 10 us saying "Remoye these bandages." We read
that the trumpet shall sound before the final
tion OF the sleeping millions Of the earth. believe
that trumpet will be the voice of Chrtshe very voice
that heard by Mary and Martha and Lazarus-that
shall be heard by you and me and all the morn
ing OF the resurrection Let us labor earnestly here
Keeping His commandments, and that voice will call us
TO everlasting glory
INDEPENDENT LIBERAL CHURCH.
''THE PURPOSE OF OUR REAssEMBIING" SER
MON BY THE REV. o. B. FRoTHNGHAM.
The Rev. o. B. rockingham, preacher TO the Inde-
pendent Liberal Church, preached yesterday morning
in the Masonic Temple, for the first time since
ing service after the On account Of the
extremely heavy rain which prevailed all the forenoon
the hall but moderately filed by highly ntel
gent and thoughtful audience. The preacher did not
make of any Biblical text upon which to found his
sermon, but adopted instead the subject,
'THE PURPOSE OUR REAssEMBLING." "
In the Of his remarks the preacher said that
resumng the of the year it is proper to
view the purposes for which they held; strike,
as it were the keynote of them Let us suppose that
we never had before assembled and that we are now
inaugurating them anew; pedging ourselves in
| spirit at this place how may best promote
those objects for which called together why
do we assemble call ourselves religious hold religious
meetings to adore the Supreme WISDOM Goodness,
PowerP The Christian churchman, whether he belong
to the Catholic, Evangelical Presbyterian Methodist
other denomination of the Nazarine belief has for
his purpose that bringing souls Christ and
of keeping them firm in His faith. This the begin
ming and the end of the Christian doctrine, 10 know
Christ and to lean Him. This is the object Of the
evangelical churchman. But this is not object We
have priesthood, sacrament; do not pledge
selves implicit belief in either the old the
Scriptures do expect in the judgment day help
from any divine person. We have no particular re-
ligous dogma to proclaim any Christian creed
to go by. What, then, does Church mean? 1t
means this the
HIGHER CULTURE OF HUMANITY;
we are here TO do something for that higher cu-
ture of men and women. We do not pretend to gen.
orally educate and enighten them in worldly sense
but TO cultivate the sentiments of joy, and
worship of that unfathomabe mystery out of which
all our existence and being 1t is the cultivation
of that brothery love which helps to disseminate
faternal feelings and good will among that claims
attention. the general spread Of honor and
rectude action, solidty and purity of conscience
these are the which / should engage
most earnest thoughts. We nothing in
selves, and meetings of avail unless in hold
ing them something can be contributed toward the
spreading of this higher culture And this is not
instructive gilt inherent in the human mind but it
comes to us only by being taught and after putting
forth efforts in study and meditation. The liberal
institutions of country have n direct influence
higher
culture to which aspire In respects the older
systems Of Europe, involving class divisions among the
people more favorable TO Independent selfculture
than the liberal institutions of America BY cutting
oil the classes from INSTRUMENTATION with each
other the individual experiences less waste of thought
than by confoundng the of the people together
With the mixing of the classes entails the danger of
losing much nobility of personality and incurs the risk
that public opnion-rght or wrong-wil prevail over
and swamp individual and personal thoughts
THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY
and the effort of this age in America well as in Eu-
"a DpI 10 ann fhar nTlb linz
block in the way of higher culture among men The
lust OF lucre which generally prevails is not marked
TO attain sumptuous fare fine houses elegant equipages
and wealth and luxury than their neighbors The
unusual business activity Of the present day does
entirely explain the thirst for wealth and tendency to
forget everything in mere money making.
Whence comes this higher culture which acknowl-
edge TO be so much neededg Not from education prop
erly called. Scholastic training alone is not sui
cent to procure the much desired higher culture This
is fact that has been felt and admitted everywhere
Theologians say that religion and education should 20
hand in hand We say no, because
HIGHER CULTURE
necessary satisfy the cravings of the human mind
The schools should have everything requisite make
people intelligent perfect so far as our nature will
admit Of IT, But for this would
TO make and perfect institutions whose object should
be higher culture. We cannot attain higher culture
from the press the object popular press
make the people good, devout reverentia worship
ful Writers chosen for the newspapers because
of their religious goodness but of the
racy and ability displayed by them in the different
branches OF literature on which they may be
gagged But the press Indirectly exercises a
good influences the public mind the dssemina-
tion of useful facts and the sitting Of various phenom-
ena to logical conclusion IL is not the aim OF
to direct tho path Of higher culture; IL
for to determine for what fact and what
is fiction For higher culture must look to rei-
gon; for IL has undertaken by teaching
them in forms of prayer through the Scriptures, by
poetry and song We, too, take up these great tradi
lions and speak, moi in the name Of science but Of
religion. During the summer recess the preacher had
visited a well known metropolitan church and put
himself under its influence to carry away some Of the
'aroma Of the place" The beauty Of the architecture,
the effect OF the music solemnity OF the htany and
stateiness OF the prayers that had been chanted and
repeated from age 10 age saturated they with
long line OF sacred traditions influenced the hearer 10
surrender himself like child and he felt that here
was the secret Of an enormous power over the ordi
nary mind 1t
GRAND PICTURE WORSHIP
appealing 70 the imagination If the hearer could
adopt this routine and sigh through the any the
uence OF these ancient forms would be great with him
and to the obtuse minded who listened TO these old
commands beatitudes and promises OF help they
could not be anything else than sweet The
impression conveyed by that Christian minister 10 the
people that they were placed in the world for some
great end and purpose struck the observer remark
Bile II greatly impressed HIM that the minister pos
sessed great and worthy power in society; and VIC
cannot fail to come away from such places with the
conviction that it is better belong TO any church
than attached to none at ALL IL seemed better 10 be
pagan than embrace that
RADICALIsH
which opens its heart to sweetening influence but
lounges the sofa or roams in the park Of Sunday
Although could not adopt the methods of worship
belonging to the old churches, still they and
conspire together for great end1that Of ele
vating and ennobling human nature. If cannot re-
peat the creed or tany with their zeal respect
both We must acknowledge the great brotherhood Of
and take each other by the hand. Whether we be
Jews, Gentes, Christians or pagans conspirng
together for the glory Of Cod though perhaps working
for 10 in different paths We too, speak OF the Deity
and although not believing like them ia the sacrifices
OF Christ We acknowledge the Immortality Of the moral
law.
And now friends bear those great convictions with
you that We may DO our little part toward dissent
mating that moral culture for which the world pines.
CENTRAL I'M EO CHURCH