The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-22
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.
ADVANTAGES OF LIBERAL CHRISTIANITY ovEn
ORTHODOXY AND cArHoLrcIsx-sERMox BIZ


ORTHODOXY AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BIZ
REV. DIR. ALGER.
There was unusually large congregation At tho
Church OF the Messiah at the services yesterday
ing, very many being attracted no doubt, by the
nounccment that the pastor would preach discourse
presenting the Unitarian views in contrast with tho
orthodox and Catholic crccds Standing the Unfair
ian Church does no began, the representative OF
system OF moral ana religious faith widely different
from TINT generally profcsscd in tho community, il
was natural that the question should be asked what
grounds and with what motives they sought TO suppant
the established ccclesiastcism OF Chrstendom and
place IL with another style OF belief and devotion; or in
other words what points OF superiority did they claim
as Justiacatlonin repudiating orthodoxy and Roman.
ism ana embracing
LIBERAL CHRISTIANITY
The FIRST great privilege enjoyed by tho liberal Chris
tan Is perfect individual freedom sock the
follow It as revealed to his and conscience
The ruling sects OF tho church do allow this liberty
to their members They have SGT OF dogmas en-
bodied in their crccds which they pledged to
maintain. Their chief aim is the support and
spread Of those doctrines They suffer no
deviation OF faith from these fixed formulas pain OF
expulsion Doubt looked upon daboc FREQ inquiry
as crcsy. Tho crccds OF the Catholic Church and tho
leading Protestant earnest Efforts to get
the truth They rcccp;accs OF tho traditions in
crustcd with prejudice and passion by which the sub
mssive muttudcs governed they tho political
constitutions by which the sccts rule The leaders
administer by them. and tho followers do not dare
10 question them. Their spirit Is spirit OF
tear. Afraid Of God, tho Bible, the devil hell the
day OF judgment, their creed and tho leaders
Of their sect they dare not boldly exercise their
Intelligence not accept the results 10 which untram-
mcled reason would logically conduct them, Tho
liberal Christian spared all this Our creed imposes
tyrannical traditions, scctnrIan dogmas hui pro-
claims the spirit OF truth and love- the right OF private
Judgment and the duty OF fidelity 10 personal
ton This freedom from fear hypocrisy. tins escape
ecclesiastical espionage, this assured,
shackicd liberty OF individual thought and feeling,
one OF the glorious results Of human progress
PROFOUND srITITCAL Luxury
There IL priest to bully conscIencc, no CALLING
dictatorship Of church leaders We claim for failh
simplicity and unity IN place Of the discord and con-
tradicton characteristic 81 the current theology Ac
cording TO the orthodox and Catholic scheme tho
world is occupied by the hostile camps Of
God and satan. We, on the contrary,
consider evil rather friction in tho mcchan-
ism OF good than as an Independent and
tagonIstic mechanism OF itself. Another advantage
which wc claim liberal Christianity over traditional
theology Is It's beautiful and noble generosity Of spirit;
while III enlightened comprehcnsivencss Of principle
and method marked BY harmony and grandeur
fully abreast with tho farhcst reaches OF tue human
soul while the dogmas Of the Calvnsss and papa sys