The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-25
LYRIC HALL.
THE DIVORCE BETWEEN CREED AND CONDUCT
SERMON BY REV. o. B. FRoTHNGHAM

Despite the lowering aspect OF the clouds ana
the raw cninness OF the atmosphere yesterday
morning Lyric Hail was filled to It's utmost capac-
ity. Rev. o. B. rockingham had recovered from
his sudden illness and occupied his familiar place
on the platform. His subject was the same as the
one announced for the previous Sunday, "Ihe ID.
vorce between Greed and Conduct" That there
Is such q divorce, Mr. rockingham began. 1t Is
hardly necessary to argue. BY all classes it Is
confessed. The religious man coniesses It with
pain. the lrreigious man with triumph. The re-
iigious man considers it q falling away from faith
the irreigious man thinks it was to be expected.
Religious men preach sermons to call men
back to their allegiance; irreliglous men. on
the other hand. take no pains to hide the
breach. In spite OF protests and sneers the old
dispute goes on. few months ago, book was
written enutied. 'Modern Christianity Civilized
HeathenisIn." There is a discussion described In
1t between a clergyman OF the Church OF England
and man OF the world. They are sitting at din
ner The man OF the world calls his clerical
brother to unit for the wide difference between
his lie and his preaching. AT the same time he
admits that the clergyman is good man. but says
that his Is not IKE the creed which he breaches
"For instance he says, "you preach the utter
worthiessness OF human nature, but you recognize
impulses OF kindness and follow them. Your creed
calls this world "a vale OF VICE.. But you enjoy
art and music, and mingle freely vita man.
kind. Your creed declares that none can he
saved excep; through Jesus Christ, yet you be.
heve IN education and progression. You profess
to serve a heavenly Master, who Is the Lord OF
human KIND. lie was hero, q re.ormer q SAINT.
lie led lie Of poverty and suffered an lgnominous
fate, What part OF your lie resembles His noble
selfsacrnces You live In a nice house. in good
nelghborhoOd; you eat good dinners. your cellar
stored with the best wine, and you receive your
friends pretty much as other people do" The
clergyman declared that the modern man cannot
live up to that idea, Tor 1t Is too old and
NOT SUITED TO THESE TINES.
lose his influence by endeavoring to carry out
something winch the present does not cali for.
Should you not entirely revise your creed
creed or live differently so the controversy
ends and no answer Is gwen to 1t. some say that
the author OF that book Is not Christian Here
Is the situatiOn-tne divorce be ween creed and
conduct. ! DO not say between morality and re-
liglon, Tor there can oe no divorce between these
lows law and morality follows law. Religion IS
morality on It's poetic side; morality IS reneIon
on Its prOsaic side. The religious man ana the
mOra man travel the same road and nave in view
the same end. But while the moral man plods
wings Morality says ''rhou shalt not XIII; - Re
lgion says ''rhou shait not w;sh to kh." Morality
says Pay your deSis;, Religion SAYS cove no
says, avoid sensuaty;" Religion says, "Avold
sinful desires Tor the pure in heart shall see Cod"
Religion says, ''Be temperate. chaste ana lure,
because ye are the temples OF the living Godp'
Morality says. BE good IN all things, because 1t
eau be no divorce Inc religious man aI must be
moral man. Inc divorce, therefore, is between
belief and conduct. 1t IS Impossible to see how
the two cln become recohciled as they stafd.
How does 1t follow that because man believes III
Christ he w be kind husband, good rather or
was u time when evil was stu ob0rn, ana such o
prominent element that men thought 1t Was
name was DarSness. In those times instances Of
human perfection were very rare. Was 1t strange
that person IKE Jesus should have been ciassed
TO have represented the word as 1t
was ana IN those times people acted up to their
beliefs and lived entirely up to their eeds. The
Puritans are an example OF strict adherence 10
creed. They believed In Satan. TO them he was a
being person. HE and the better God exchanged
denances with each other ana iOugnt 1t out In the
arena OF space. They believed In the u ter oe-
pravity OF human nature: they denounced their
wlcKedness and get regenerated body from
above. There are men and women in England
are men ana women VINO would lay down their
lives on the altar oil their beliefs See how IL IL
land. People who receive fresh CONVICTIONS act
up to them. Some leave their homes; but their
zeal declines, simply because what they have I'M
dertaken ID Impossible; ior 70 live according to
THE CHRISTIAN sCHEAE is IMPOSSIBLE.
Take. Tor example, the nyes OF orthodox believers.
Are their lives better than those Of honest, sober
rigntmInded men OF the world do not ask II
they are worse but do not call them sly dts
honest. believe they are as good as any one
else. They are good men and women aud are as
tncor. uptible as any. DOCS their virtue biaze
before society, ard IS 1t true that their lie Is
pitched upon a nobler key than yours Whatever
the Bible says God says that Is the creed. Do the
people lve up to this creed DO those VINO are
lis judgment supreme DO politicians quote the
BID G q, conclusive authority remember hear
ing joan Quincy Adams quote from the Bible
as an authority, and visible smile rlppied over
tue faces vi the audience. During the agitation
OF the slavery question the peo. ie did rot listen
to the woros OF the BiDe. although IL speaks yeIy
clearly Oh this point. The Boe prohlOlts Intem
perance, but II Is seldom quoted. lake tine ques-
ton o. usury. The BlDe is very explicit on TINS
point aud the most fearful denunciatlun falls
upon the mead that receives usury but when Is 1t
quoted exceptin the churches Our society Is con.
yused Dy questions that strain It's very heart and
although the Bible could explain away the din
Guilty IN many cases LIS wisdom Is not sought We
have she words Of Jesus upon the questions Of
THE RELATION or THE SEXES
and the right oil woman's progression. Popular
debates aud decisions set one way and the Bt oo
the otner The TACT Is that the divorce Is perfect.
TIE creed belongs to Asia, the conduct to America.
Sunday IS spent in Jerusalem, week days IN New
YORK. Some pray on Mount ZiOn. others practice
on Broadway. When we leave the church We
close the Bible forget the Psalms OF David aud
take up our ledgers or Otner books. the Church
tells people they ought 10 return to their creeds.
Is Is SAFE to say that reconciliation Will never be
effected. snail we make the creed square with
the conduct since we cannot make the conduct
square with the Greco WHAT is your standard OF
acIiOnt C0nduct IL not sclentinc. Man aces &C
cordlng to his Impulses. TO some the BiDie Is .
book Of etiquette ana the Ten Commandments
are rules Tor polite action. One thing remains
men and women must
BIZ HONEST WITH THEMSELVES
in reference TO their creeds Your creed is what
you believe, hot what your preacher lays down
for you, or what the Pope OF Rome prescribes.
Reserve the old meaning to the word and then N
Will be what you Delevc. Do not let II be the
representation OF the iancies OF people who lived
1000 years ago. The question II, upon what
principle Is tins life oil ours organized and con-
ducted' Answer that question aud let u repfc-
sent your creed. The facts or the woflc do not
report total depravlty, nor that men and women
will be consigned ~ everlasting perditlOn. Tho
facts OF the world report the periodically of man,
a world full oil hope and beauty, society teemIng
with possibility and belief IN beautiful future.
Work TINS into your creed, the olo gun Will be