The New York herald., 1876-01-24
MASONIC TEMPLE.

REV. o. B. TEorHrNoHAM ON ''THE SERMON
ON THE MOUNT
In consequence OF the disagreeabe weather the at
tendance at Masonic Temple yesterday not large
as usual The reverend gentleman prefaced his dis
course by calling attention TO a ''social reception
which is be given TO the members OF the congrega-
ton at the Union League Club Hall Tuesday even
ing next
TIE sUBJRCr THE
was announced as tho Sermon on the Mount" Rev.
Mr. rockingham preached an eloquent discourse on
this topic This sermon he said three OF the
longest chapters of the Gospel of Matthew In its pres
ent form it doubtful whether any portion fell
from the lips OF Jesus. Tho Gospel OF Matthew
written in Creek Jesus spoke in another language.
The book had passed through many odtlons The first
edition had been lost. We should look at It liter
airy curiosity representing the Ideas Of the mes-per
haps the ideas OF Jesus, certainly tho ideas OF
Christianity. As reported by Matthew II
four times larger than that reported by
xnk The to as1 . given By down Luke
Matthew. Luke said Jesus stood as He taught while
Matthew states that He sat Luke gave a series OF
'woes''-''Woe TO you that are rich !" 'woe to you
that sin, +" &c Matthew did not give these woes. "
According to Matthew, Jesus blessed the good Ac-
cordng TO Luke He blessed the poor. Matthew says,
"Bessed are the poor in spirit" Luke says "Bessed
are the poor" Matthew says, "Blessed are you that
hunger and thirst after righteousness" Luke says,
blessed are you that hunger not" These were very
essential differences. The speaker then went on 10
give various other proofs Of Inconsistencies existing in
the two reports of the Sermon on the Mount made by
Luke and Matthew. Some OF the loveliest beattudes
were mentioned by one and omitted by the other. He
then went on to discuss the pecuarities Of religious
worship the time OF the delivery of this celebrated
sermon. He divided the religious elements into two
casses-priests and prophets. The priest wished to
keep things as they were the prophet wished 10 bet
ter them. The priest built temples the prophet saved
souls. The priest was man of form; the
prophet did away with form. The pricstly party
represented by the scribes and pharisees Thus two
parties necessarily at war, and it under such
surrounding circumstances that the Sermon on the
Mount said to have been delivered. There
nothing original in the language Each statement
paraleled and balanced by equal sentiments taken
from Hebrew literature There many nober pas
sages u the Old Testament He he reverend preacher)
did not say those things in derogatory sense but We
not 10 be guided entirely by one teacher. The
voice OF all teachers working In one harmonious
whole should be alone listened to. Time, which weak
ened every thing else. strengthened moral principles.
The word of all ages the word Of God He advised
his hearers never to lose sight Of the distinction be-
tween absolute morality and implied morality. The
foundation of the latter was in thought 1t was easy
enough TO say, be just kind and good, but how TO ac
compsh those things was the question. 1t was easier
to beus kind and generous in this age than only
one hundred years ago. The world enlight
ened and the conditions easier SO will there be moro
freedom and intelligence one hundred years hence
As men acquired knowledge they found it much easier
20 do good. The Sermon on the Mount recommended
absolute and implicit trust in Providence 1t also
directed, frst to sock the Kingdom OF heaven BY
heaven meant new order of things Jesus in giving
those instructions had no ideas OF the nineteenth cen
tury of social science What we possess had not
been procured by absolute trust In Providence but by
working hard ourselves. Nobody progressed by doing
nothing, not even man. Again it was said, 'He that
giveth the poor endeth to the Lordn Jesus meant
literally what those words implied He announced
1t is bad thing to be rich and good thing to be poor
that II difficult for rich man to go TO heaven
as for laden camel to go through the eve OF a
needle. Lazarus went to heaven because he poor
Dives went TO the other place because he rich
The Sermon the Mount gave absolute directions TO
the rich man to give away all his wealth. No amount
Of generosity would satisfy the requisiton OF this
MI Peter Cooper's or Mr.. Peabody's munihcence
would not satisfy such requirement. BY 1t you
should give away everything and keep nothing for
yourself meeting Of the Social Science Association
would be worth great deal more in solving this prob
lem between rich and poor than the Sermon the
Mount
Rev. Mr.. rockingham dilated at considerable length
upon the above points and listened to attentively