The New York herald., 1877-12-24

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YOU are condemned and cast out OF socloty, let me
tell you this morning that you are In good company
is the dominant element IN religion What did
tho angels saya "ood tdings OF great Joy." proving
that joy the stone Of the Christian rcgion
MASONIC TEMPLE.
TIE NEW SONG OF cHRIsTMAs-sERMoN. BIZ
THE REV. o. .. VRoTHINauAM.
The Row. O. b. rockingham, who preached to q
yery larre audience IN Masonic Temple, Twenty third
street. devoted the power Of his eoquence to subject
called by him sThe New Song OF Christmas" He
said that IL was old song with q new burdcn-a
song OF poacc, JOY and hope for the futuro among
men. II Ia mistake TO think that Christmas Is ics
ival o! Chrisanity but is true that the faith
OF Christ could not avoid accepting tho old festival
which down to US through un-
known generations from tho far East. II
was estval always marked by JOY and expectation
in all lands. In Persia II was royal, magnificent
stately iordly. Its PROFESSIONS and ceremonies
celebrated white horses golden charots and tho
chanting OF pmans OF JOY by the people. In Italy,
whore was not borrowed the spirit OF
the festivities was merry. Joval Democratic; Tor tho
Southern people, despite our notions TO tho contrary,
arc democratic thought and ideas. During tho great
least in ancient Italy slavos were enancipated aud
criminals pardoned, SO that they might walk FREQ.
Among the scandinavian nations where the festival
an occasion Of wassail and revel-a time .or
Wild dances and orgies running even into indecency
England borrowed her customs from the NORTH and
tho same fantastic masquerades which tho
tval among the Norsemen are stamped upon the Eng
lish Christmas rcves. Everywhere tho sun-god was
worshipped In the preChfistian a9es In country
he Isis, in another Apollo, Hercules, Bacchus, AZ
tho case might bo. About one hundred years ago
learned logicans undertook to show that the
sun-god Chrst under another form. The effort
failed tho that the resemblance found
70 DO only on the surface. Christ not the
pod hut
signGed something more than the return
ot tho sun-god to earth. he was her
on Garth; the return OF new hope and faith IN the
spirit OF Tho Christian set himself against the
tury Gregory rcbuked tho Christmas reveis Of those
times. and told the people that they must keep
Christmas in heavenly NOT an earthly manner Ia
held IN Poers, forbade Christians 70 ornament their
with garands OF ovcrgreens or TO show other
outward signs OF rejoicing. Az the English town OF
Canterbury in the seventeenth century, the Mayor Of
caly proclaimed through all the city that Christmas
masquerades and ali manner Of riotous ieas,s
tiality itself against Christmas, and now, to-day,
II is moro OF pagan thnn Christian feast People
do not 60 to church so much TO hear tho dogmas
preached there they do TO listen to the grand music
Of tho choir, look into the glad ana happy faces Of
those around them, and 70 allow the sympathy OF
their souls 70 run toward their fellow men and women.
Tho OF Chrstiany Is abolished IN the genial
obscrvances OF these glad Christian times; and now
the thing that Christians remember At church Is
that day Is the anniversary Of sacrifice whereby
G od Himself laid do1 n His lite.
Shall observe the forced asceticsm Of tho Chris.
tians, like the ancient pagans, make Christmas
glcam OF sunshine IN the midst OF winters oleakncss
aad cold? Tho old pagan rites arc not for us; the
of Christmas rejoicing was Tor lhein gratitude
to Nature and submission 10 IL Nature worship was
ever at the bottom OF pagan devotion; their gods
IN the ocean, the stars, tho flowers and fruits
streams peopIcd by divinlties, and numerous
deitics came into being to bless curse mankind
THE TORCH LIARSISG THEN UNSEEN.
In those crude times there was science, art or
literature; all was hopeless for man, and The beam
o! light their special divinity. The people then
lvo@ cd upon those things they had chosen as gods TO
bring them he'll. We cannot do that; neither can wo
adopt the Christian idea OF antagonism to nature.
Ihe idea thul nature Is source OF evil, and,
therefore, TO be combated, cannot bo upheld by
US. Tho lesson Of Christmas 10 the CHRISTIAN
is not Of JOY unless ho believe that thc DoveIer
has come to him from this vale OF tears. We
do not bcevc that our race is all dcpravity but we
do thnk that man IS mis- own regenerator; We do not
look for a supernatural redemption: wo do not tnag-
that Christ is truly what the world understands
be God The gloomy Christian Christmas we do not
accepts but is nothing 70 US? II means this Tho
birth oil true humanity; OF that common sympathy
which makes US true men and women. The preacher
here explained tna he meant to say that mind has me
supremacy over matter and over ignorance. Human
reas0n coming atrly TO its rights, tho throne
OF conscience and makes the world Its tributary
sal Tho hunape sympathy which should reign SUI
prcme 10 hearts of mon is . feeling that builds
up society. II rcloice5 in CONVICTION that the
world Is 10 bo better us It rolls into future ages;
tina. ignorance is 10 be diminished aud the good
In tho world increascd-thut Tomorrow Will DO
better than to-day. Without this raternal sympathy
men and women are but half human, and he who
tortains not sy mpaihv for his fellow man makes tho
world dark ndced-makes 1t appear as not worth liv-
Ing in.
NATURE FROM EXTREME POINTS
The pagans In lear and dread crouch celorc Ma
turc, who the Christians abhor it, We use II, for wo
afraid OF II. We do not deest Nature nor put
II away from us as thing TO DC hated We know the
riches II can furnish, and we say, Give US up your
gifts We want powor and you have It; give II to
From tho che mist who extracts at once poison and
perfume out OF the same flower to the electrician who
compcs subscrvent nature to become our letter Car
all thas mn nj
Ing from the bosom Of Nature hidden
secrets that confer power. Day after day
making her more tnan before obey our behests;
we do not now fear her VOLCANOES her spectres; wo
have done with worshpping her, and IL Is now time
that Nature should give Difference to U.S. Out Of dis
wish to create harmony Tho sentiments OF
law and justice arc within our own hearts, and not In
outward forms of matter; therefore we would have
Nature put on tho railncnt OF our mental justice.
Darkness means superstition, crime, misery; and u
happy must have condition OF those primeval
tmes when The people possessed no power 70 iiuml-
nate their own dark ages. The preacher now madc
historical illusions TO what no claimed to be
tact that religious wars had inflicted more suffering
and misery upon the world than any other Kind OF
struggle among men. He SAID that the present dsns
trOus Husso- Turkish war is u lnonstrous quarrel
proved the various crcnds 10 be mere invcn-
uons OF men. He urged the pro-emnent utility of
the comparative study Of all religions; tried TO
show that single church has right precedence
any other and that thoro 3 good as well Us bad
in all crecds Ho urged thai v careful comparison and
analysis OF tho many conflicting doEmas would DO
away with dogmatism and create forms OF belief whch
would no longer be antag He repeatedly cited
the learned Professor Thomas huxley In support OF
his line OF argument TINT facts alone are verify Of
beng studied, and said that when tho religious world
would DO willing to receive Huxley then child viii
be born INTO the world who IL to confer pence on
earth and good will TO men. To-day our humans
tartan efforts arc but as lltc child IN the mangcr
but there Is glorious consolation In tho knowledge
that will mature IN the future.
ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL
THE COMING OF OUR LoKD--sERn1oN BY REV.
FATHER FARLEY.
In 81. patrck's Cathedral Rev. Father Farley, pri-
va,o secretary OF HIS Emincnce the Cardinal, hav-
ing read the gospel Of tho day, Luke ILL.,. To- tho
sprt o the church was that should on those days