The New York herald., 1878-09-23
MASONIC TEMPLE.


rHE DEMAND ON RELIGIoN-sERMoN BIZ NR.
o. d. FRorulNaHAN.
Before tho sermon at Masonic Temple Mr. Froth-
Ipgham made some touching remarks upon the do
plora bIe condition of lew OF the Southern cities In
eonseq quence OF suGsrings from the Of
yclow lever. He believed that was the opportu-
nifty Tor cordial reconciliation between the South and
the North-now the time for the North to show BY
her inexhaustbls charity how deep Is her compass
sion, now utter her forgctfunsss Of injury ana
wrong The noble attitude Of the North In this
lamentabe period would add greatly TO the filing Of
the abyss bloody horror between the Two sections
shat had not yet been filed up.
In his sermon tho preacher said, among other
things that alter long separation the cid question
presented itself why they mot there BY the
fragrant hillside and the beach near the sounding
many may have heard religion through the voice of
Naiure and he had asked himself II. alter all. that
ray good any other In which TO pass the
iay He asked, then, what demand the present gen.
sration made upon rolgion; what the solemn pur-
pose which them together wocE after week. and
what was the office OF religion this metropolitan
century, ou this American ccntnentf The demand
wnicn men make on religion varies IRON time 10 time
Tue original demand was that u should res
cue from the influence oil tho dread
iul spectre OF personal devil He was
imae the ting The air. having his guards
ana satetes Ing abroad his edicts and dividing
the worlds dominion with tho better Cod lie was
IN OF want storm, pestIIcncc, calamity having
his iced IN everybody's bresss-the lord Of desire,
seeking whom he might devour, and never letting tor
msnted rsst but in sleep
THK srsOrKs OF sIs.
This the spectre vi and death which man
had y avoid haa TO struggle against, IN order TO
piougn u straight iurrcw through nie ana escape n
worse punishment Ia the next world. AL over Europe
ana Asia, IN primitive days, went out tubs UNIVERSAL
cry, .save my soul IRON ihc devili" TINS was the
task that Tor thousands Of yesrs relson anoertook
IL hung bells upon ninsrcis, consecratcd
lights around tho altar, ordained n priest
hood and clad ts members In white,
pncompassing them with Supernatural powers that
hoy mIgpt dispense TO man lew drops OF the d.
yne com passion. IL painted the son OF Man on the
throne ihe sxinls encirciing II ano the Virgin Mohs
s,spe pensiDg graco. This was tho task oil religion,
faithfully performed for thousands Of years. 1t
recrated the water SO any passing into tho
temple aud toucning II might be blessed. But this
age makes no such demands upon religion. The re-
gions Of tne AR are disenen.nea' % ana .cS man o,
finds u all lght Tho geoogist turns over every
layer OF the esrth's crust anu secs no devil
In IL; while the bistorian examines the
pages Of tho globes history, aud percev
the nnger OF God upon all Alter revertns TO the
past giories OF the Catholic Church, and the great
cathedrals, monumental oil her power, that she hao
erected preacher minated that with all her go-
RIOS tuat Church was unable TO silence The dououngs
In mems minds The cry then vas, no said, 'Ihso
,way our douuiings, snow what NO should oeleve
UNDERTOOK this, but in Tvs zeal put is
philosophers Sucn is the work tnat Protestantsms
HArERiALisa SUFFICIENT.
M one eau say that II matters lltte what men
believe. Tue majority could not i've or be hnppy
amer pure msteriasm, YET there are many nn'erai-
sts whose lives are unbismisbed by STAN OIL ~robk
Atheism would be conducive TO mems happiness; still,
many excellent and women live whoee hlgbest
OF the EXPRESSION of divinity ~ the soul OF nap
He would be iaitnless 70 himself did ne nosdeolae