The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-26
FOURTH UNIvEKsALIsT CHURCH.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. DY REV. DIR. CHAPLIN.
Dir. Chaplin read portions OF the seventeenth chap
tor Of Acts, tho twenty ninth worse OF which he
selected as his text-.'Forasmuch thon
the offspring Of God. We ought not to think that
tho Godhead is ike unto gola silver stone,
craven by and mans Device" Dr. Chaplin
said that In tho city Of Athens Christianity
first camo in open contact with heathonism. Ho
dwelt upon tho fitness Of tho place for such meet.
ing. Nowhere distinctly there and thcn
the line drawn between tho attractiveness OF this
world, tho spondor Of human achievement in art and
literature and philosophy and the peculiarly OF the
gospel Advcrting 10 the occasion connected with
tho text the preacher then asked to hat II that
the apostle Paul addressed hs argument. He ap.
pealed the primary sentiment OF religion In the soul
Of man. Some Jealous missionaries OF tho gospel
might have laborcd to show the want Of harmony
between human and the truths OF Christianity,
Tor the purpose OF humbling tho and exatng the
other Tho real ground OF humiliation, however,
not tho Inherent ialseness of the human mind
but the fact that men had gone counter
to the primary instincts Of the human mind,
and had fallen into the conccit OF God 'likc unto
goa silver or stone, gravon BY art and mans &c
vIccn On the other hand the glory OF Christianity
appeared IN It's recognition OF those very instincS
Therefore, Paul began his argument Tor true religion
not at the point OF disagreement but at the point
con tact
and all It's forms OF worship was itself vast s.
carved in stone. Amid all her swarming idolatries
Apostle appealed to our common nature which,
not only built that shri1e TO an unknown God,'
In ioity words OF consciousness had broken out In
assertion, ''For also His offspring;" thus 10
| tening the thread OF his argument upon III
| margin OF nature. Therein no seized 3
of support from which he shattered into tho dust
| very idolatry upon which no built the fabric o.
| gospel. From that day 70 this, Ia ono way or amt
the great work OF the pulpit has been 10 carry Tor
| the argument OF true religion. The preacher ofCl
tianity, indeed, does not address those to whom -
| gospel Is absolutely new. No affairs smoke IN
/ strecis; we walk among no marble gods; out IL =.
| appeal which religion makes sunday after Sun :.
does 1t not encounter obstacles as stubborn as tie
| which existed among the voaries OF AthcnsY h
| in theory find those who present the supr.
| not only 10 an .'unknown" but TO a "unknc sd
| God-and as to practce, we 60 very little DC. or
| literal truth saying that the objects Of real
! ton are gods OF "gold and silver" 4
THE BIBLE sUPR EME.
Following his thcmo the preacher con- -
| But by and by this Bible weighs down alt
| jewels and the round world itself, for itoecs
neavy with the passport OF our richest hopes
| with the ireighting OF our own souls When It's
spread out, when the tempted and the fa, 5n h.
| tho ripple oil It's mighty promises It's leaves glow
In the sunset or rustling in tho wind that boSs
familiar groves, when eyes That have been bright
the glare of thls world rest upon It's sercnc and
light, when eyes that death Is shading catch Its ID
from hgncr shorc-then do VIC begin to dscera l,
| real meaning as tho truth OF an Infinite Fsthc =
hero thought so little, but whose offspring no
hat r.