The New York herald., 1876-01-31
MASONIC TEMPLE.

REV. o. b. FRoTHINGHAM on ''MATERIALIsh. "
The crisp and cheerful weather Of yesterday brought
out large attendance at the Masonic Temple corner
OF Twenty.thrd street and Sixth avenue 10 hear the
Rev o. b. rockingham deliver his usual Sunday dis
course. The capacious hall filed with fashion
able audience, among which rrepondcrated number
OF gayly attired ladies'
The reverend gentleman prefaced his discourse by
calling attention TO the organization OF Sunday school
among the members OF his society II was high time
that the liberals Of New York should wake up to tho
importance OF this subject They should educate their
children in tho faith as themselves. He could
not undertake the movement on his responsibility
Ho should ask for Their cordial cooperation lie then
announced tho subject OF his sermon Thoughts
on Materialism,n and commenced by explaining
who the materalisis were. IL was an ugly word.
hateriaism supposed TO be than inndelity-
worse even than atheism The materialst had no faith
In spiritual law In the popular accepiation OF the
susceptbiliues-of kindness, love, affection honor
hope and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. unhappy, discontinued
ana sensual He was looked upon as fond OF money
power fashion and social prestige non.belicver in
ideas. sentiments, morality or spiritual laws HIS
relatives In the grave were looked upon by him so
much ashes, and man as but an ingenious combination
from the ground Ec was without deep hearted. in
telcctual moment careless OF his end living only for
thc time needless Of the and suiorngs OF his
fellow men, with an lranitude Of waste above him and
q bleak desert beyond This was the generally ac-
ceptod reputation OF the maieras Tho great science
OF chemistry had developed much that
known OF matter. Ii bad been looking
into matter until mystery after mystery
had been encountered. Professor Tyndall had asked
them TO 20 on the Caribbean Sea and lin up
glass full OF Acrward expose TO the rays Of
the SUM- and In a short time would evaporate and dis
appear leaving nothing but rcsduum Of salt That
water matter and t disappeared as IL by magic.
The same process was IN operation in the whole Ca
rbbean Sea- and every the face OF the globe
Tho mind could the path OF that water its
destination. In the same way might we analyzc the
plant or the flower. The closely examined the
more mystiled we became The truth that the
materiast Is the most finely organized and sensitive
individual on the face Of the globe His researches
and anxetles % ascertain the truth finely moulded
his disposition. The mystery OF matter tho
greatest mystery o the day. All other mysteries paled
before IT, Mt rockingham then went to dilate
upon the important and solemn dpties which the per-
feet maeralist undertook discharge; the unravcl.
ling OF scientific engmas the hard work OF the abora
tory the study Of the heavenly bodies and dcvng un
derneath The earths surface. He went on 10 argue
that the maeriast was by nature kind generous con.
sIderae, l0veabie and sincere Cardinal Manning had
compmened Mr. Tybdall on-he amiabiiity Of his dis.
position. Maierialsm not sensual Spiritualsm
was only an ehuson Of matter Perfect materiasts
did not doubt the Immortality OF tho soul The
speaker then proceeded TO contrast the differ
cages betwecn maierialism and spirituality. He