The New York herald., 1877-11-19
MASONIC TEMPLE.
THE IDEAL MAN-sERMoN By Mr.. 0.

THE IDEAL MAN-sERMoN By Mr.. o. D.
FRoTHINGHAM.
Mr.. o. b. Frothingham preached yesterday morn
ing In Masonic Temple, Twenty-third street. TO o
crowded hall, taking for his subject 'Thc Ideal Man. "
The preacher said that tho old familiar adage claims
that Christian bliss is spiritual thing; for Chris
tianity pretends to be spiritual II claims this
through Judaism, whose cardinal idea law
spiritual ceremonial, economical but still Law. Ac
cording 10 ttat old Hebrew system not
to 60 behind, beneath, or above tho law, but
to uuquestioniuRly submit TO It's every dictate
The great words Of Christ were:-"Be ye perfect,
your Father is''-not as those people around
you, nor Moses any of tho prophets but your
Father Is heaven. Christ developed the spiritual
sido Of old religions and Paul made the distinction
sharp between the law and the spirit Above the
law Paul set Christ; not Moses. the prophets
but as pure spiritual, ethereal being who TO
save man. The man who never sought wealth; never
tried for power; who, instead of seeking His own
gorhcati0u, submitted TO His own shame; who died
on the cross; VINO mado nothing or himself but
was the spiritual head OF all others The
preacher now drew glowing picture oil
Chr.sps perfections, saying that this perfect
Pauis ideal, and lhe great apostle asked the
people to cling Him. AS the cry Italian poet Is
heaven by the beautiful influence OF Tho eyes Of Bea-
trce. SO, too, the thoughts OF men should according
Paul. lifted through Christ the contempt
ton vi the Father
CHRISTIAN IDEAL CORRUPTED
In the short space Of century alter Christ had
ceased exist In the 1esh His ideal passed from
among men, and piece OF ratting machinery took
its place. In the Roman Catholic Church tho ideal
was completely destroyed; the Christ was no
longer ideal, but the mediator, redeemer.
He was No longer man but supernatural monster; |;
mon were no longer inspired 10 approach Him as an
idea but instructed 10 crawl up TO Him as 70 prince,
by offerings 10 shrine or by saying Patef noster.
Ine people were taught to believe that they had
nothing TO do but put money IN tho Church and the
priests would give them what they asked for. Prot
cstanLisn came very near throwing aside this me-
chanlca theory and restoring The uvincr thought of
God Protostantisn said your soul must be touched,
your heart must believe but IL endcd in leaving Christ
where Romansm had placed Him-on throne,
crowned with thorns, supernatural tuing no longer
IN sympathy with man. Protcslantism should have
followed the example ui Paul; pinnng Itself to Christ
The Reformation should have said .rhers Is no othor
perfect spiritual ideal man--mitate HIS example,"
DEGESERACy os MODERN SPIRITUALITY.
Modern Christianity mas departed from the hign
man OF our day Is spectre, ghost, an apparition.
The ideal spiritual man OF the Church being whom
no one can accept, living in tho world, ho does
under protest lhe world is all there is Tor u.s. and If
spirituality IS quality II is to be exercised here
in all our undcrtakings Time never has been when
men iuliy meaat giving themselves up TO spirituality
Tho commonest social relations have demands enough
upon Us 10 absorb all the qualities any Possesses
and u tne spiritual man IS not ghost here the place
IL this world oi ours tor showing Stand whero you
are; meet the duty Of the next hour, and you viii
unu enough TO do A spiritual man IL thought 10 be
one woo looks after his own SOUL THIS the indi-
vduaLation OF the ideal OF seinshness We arc all
SELFISH but 10 i've constantly Tor the purpose saving
our own souls IS the perfection OF senshness that "
The most educated can appreciate Ii would much
better 70 forget mat you have soul TO devote your
sell 10 save some other ones sous nobly forget,
| your oioris W save others, that you have u SOU
| yourself
| SPIRITUALITY THAT WILL STAND THE TEST
/ Spirituality Is positive, not Il negative, quality,
anu thc spiritua man Is not shirk, but In.
tensey vigorous, active, determined man. He does
not long ~ ny away from the cares ana troubles oil
lie; such longing would not be true spirituality Tc
be not cold Dooaed and pale, but TO DO iul
bIoodcd ana strong Is duty OF all
The radicals have iallen into tue notion oil subst
tuting something else Tor the decayed spirituality o
these days, and therefore have pitched upon toec
tuuiity rms mental quality comes nearer to spiritu
AMY than anything else; DuL ceclualty is alst
narrow. intellectual men are critics. specialists, doc
triua'rcs dogmatists. intellectual people are always
pulling each other TO pieces As to morality, It Il
SIMPLY siavisn observance of established Gus
toms Tho moral uiaD IS welded 10 custom; he II
man who acts as other people act under similar cir
cuin,tauccS. Aorhilty Is one thing IN one country
aua quito "A different thing IN another In som,
places TO decline challenge to duel Is not to bcon;
to society, while witi US u Is 10 pat one's sell OUTSIDE
the paIc OF IL The moral mao who breads pub
questions II the spiritual man becomes the moral h,
is IA mere con venIonast. The great descriptive wor,
| tor spirituality Is love. Not personal love- but Iha
which embraces all humanity aud knows no Justine
ton or persons. The truly spiritual man Is he VIII,
knows no contempt; Que who Is aDlc to interpret ih
aim oil mans existence and 10 do Justlce 10 ever,