The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-26
MASONIC TEMPLE.
LOOSE THINKING AND LOOSE LIvINo-sERMoN
Ely REY. D. D. FRorHINGHAM


BY REV. o. D. FRoTHINGHAM
The Rev. o. d. Frothingham's subject OF dis
course was Loose Thinking and Loose Lying.n His
sermon was an elaborate plea for earnest serious
thought, as opposed TO idle acceptation OF empty
forms and established creeds He said In substance,
shat there is any more immortality or looseness
Of thinking and living now than has been In the
past may well be denied, but ii is undoubtedly true
that many OF the deficiencies Of modern life are TO
be ascribed to careless, loose thought. The most
beautiful, the noblest, feelings OF men, heightened
by thought relapse again into sentimentaity, and
ultimately into bestiality. There Is no doubt that
the prevailing tendency among the masses OF
mankind is backward and downward Noble cnar-
acters may be found In all ages and countrles'
not alone in Chrstendom, but outside it. There
are men and women who, unmatched and un-
taught do the noble aud true; they could not do
otherwise. But take the average of mankind, is
IL not easier for them to lie than TO tell the
truth-to DO wrong than TO do right ? This Is
not due TO what IL called 'the innate depravity
oil man." but II is the animal still lingering In hu'
manlty. Therefore it is that when unrestrained
by thought their tendency Is downward, back
ward. Thoughtless people are almost always
miscnievous people.
PAST AND PRESENT.
Looseness of thought results in looseness Of liv-
thought ISL The Romanist, the Calvinist the
UuiveTsallst, the Uni arian-they all entertain dill
fcrent views Of right thinking. Upon all questions
that pertain to the spiritual nature of men, most
Inherent opinions are given Tnes are but cliques
VINO pretend TO enjoy the exclusive knowledge OF
right thinking. and the person VINO says That
everybody III differing with him Is a loose thinker
IS loose thinker himself. And vet, loose
thinking is undoubtedly one the characteristics
ago was a compact body with
pact dogmatc structure. Since then It's dog
improved. We wander about among the skele-
tons OF these departed beliefs as little boys skip
gayly over The grass grown ruins OF some great
FORT The grim old dogmatic system unat once
frowned dpon mankind like a cannon-girI castle
is gone. gentleman once apooglzed for taking
his children TO an orthodox churcn Dy saying that
ii ne took them TO pantomlme ne certainly
would never expiain to them the delusions OF the
stage carpenter Ihis Is making a sport OF stern
and awful verites and hypocrisy, indifference to
truth ana law ana the drifting down into ugly
practices eau be the only results. This was
nan of the world, you say. WE'LL the Bis nop
| OF Peterborough. England, IS not man OF the
world. N speaking o. the reveatl0ns ., science
ask IS, whether II Il glad message ~ II the
BIsnop is playing fast and loose with truths, has
lie any rlgnt 10 complain OF loose thinking There
is undoubtedly mucn loose thinking IN his mod
world, and It is owing TO the decomposition OF
the Old creeds. which nave lost their vitality and
degenerated into mere sentImentallsm.
THE POWER OF EARNEST THOUGHT.
To take separate views Ill point, let US look Tor
moment at the Cavnlstic doctrine OF the sover.
eIanty OF God, Would you not think mat IL made
people austere ana cruel No; u made them them
none Out intellectual men could con,
What would be more immoralf People would say
what becomes OF conscience, OF individual right
All it all depends as to whether this doctrine is
neld by thought or by mere tradition. Among the
Turks Ii resulted In mere passive submission Was
It so with the Arabs Read the history OF Mo-
BANNED and how, under the impulse Of this great
doctrine, they swept away the empires Of Europe.
The Huguenots OF France were the strctest pre-
n seK Napnr md rat fhnw
minded, sacrificing men. Cromwell and his fellows
were fatalists, ana 50 were the men who built up
but echoed the divine will and that they
must live up to that mighty creed. sitting once IN
Iae Aeaaey OF M .h ~ sne Ge rn
the hands OF children. As the harmonies deepened
these bubbles obeyed the waves o. sound, and
grouped themselves In accord with Its DEGREES. SO
do the spiritual powers of man, when struck by
this mighty dogma, groNp themselves IN obedience
UNIVERSAL SALVATION.
Universallsm taught the salvation OF every man.
1t was claimed that man was but a football Of God,
puppets q Cod, playing their ordered
banelul than sucn doctrnef IL would have been
n II had been merely tradition, out II was
Results; for these men believed that IN lighting for
TINS principle they we're combating that awful
their little peccadlloes on this earth.
HERBERT SPENCER.
These are orthodox views. Now take Herbert
Spencer's system, which knows nothing OF the
Bible. Is MS loose tnlnklngf His lie Is one daily
sacrifice 10 thought, and OF sucn sweetness and
purity that he must be very good Christian VINO
would equal it. Why is thatS Because II Is
founded NOT on loose, put on very close, ardent,
paius taxing thinking.
MATERIALIsM
MateriaIlsm rs the Dugnear OF religion. The very
word suggests oestialty. have you ever talked
with q materIallstr his IDEA OF matter Is as fine
as gours OF the spirit Loose nvlng-tnere are
such austere lovers as these materiaiists. Rob-
ert owen was q materlallsL ana ne devoted ms
lie 10 the good OF mankind. Tue Posltlyists OF
England are all austere, almost sanity men. They
live In Their MINDS. they are Intelecl ual and as
soon you touch the intellect you soar above the
nesn.
Ii the Church had combated Incidence OF
thought instead or loose Thinking it would be far
better. IL regards the latter as the ieatest evil
but what Is really the greatest trouble ts-not
thinking at all. When these idle aud really
"looseu acceptatons OF established creeds will
have been suPplanted by earnest rational
thought, the old dominion OF he'll viii vanish from
the view and IN Its PLACE there will arise the do.
mlnion oil light ana OF love.