The New York herald., 1878-11-11
MASONIC TEMPLE.
THE FAITH OF JEsUs-sERMoN BY MR.. 0. B..
FROTHINGHAM.

FROTHINGHAM
Mr.. 0. B. rockingham preached in the Masonic
Temple THE Faith of Jesus" Among other things
the preacher said that obvious distinction must be
made between faith and belief Belief belongs to the
region of rational criticism; faith to conscience and
conviction alone Many may be great believers but
lack the inward consciousness of faith and fail in it,
Many may possess Quixotic faith that would enable
them to project image on generations after their
death and yet be indifferent believers. The Of
power goes with faith and the men who have
moved the world have not always been
wise or of profound understanding. but of
unshakable faith. Jesus Of these,
and His immediate disciples, well the Apostle
Paul. were thrilled all with the force of His per-
sona magnetism. Yet $50 years after He lived there
was in Christianity hardly of the personal
character of Jesus. All the interests of Christendom
were concentrated to the building up Of dogma and
the establishing of church The Roman Church put
ban upon the acquisition of scrptura knowledge
and the Reformation unclasped the covers of the
Bible showing to the world the revelations of the
New Testament. Thus all Christendom came to learn
the scrptural idea of Jesus, and to speak of Him in
the terms while differing in opinion to the
Offices and attributes of the Christ. The eminent
advocate Of ethical culture in this city, while not
himself Christian, in Of his remarkable public
discourses paid the noblest possible tribute to the
character Of Jesus showing Him to be singularly
fecitous and unapproachable noble Character.
cHRIsT's SIMPLICITY.
isscharacter was simple and sincere. without spot
blomish. He did not preach one gospel and live
other There an entire agreement throughout
between the mans character and ideas As contrast
with the actions Of Christ the speaker related
ccdote Of well known Massachusetts social
ist who said that it was all well enough TO 20 among
the poor II II were not SO offensive to the nostrils
The preacher claimed that Jesus never said such a
thing this. The great Master sat among the poor
with the same dignity and composure as though He
with kings. He took the leper by the hand and
the degraded woman was not 1usulteu by
Him. No complaint addressed TO
Him in vain. All His iuvectves were against
those who kept down-against the Pharisees
who robbed them, that the rulers in Israel
turned their backs upon Him. Mr.. rockingham
here related the story Of the wealthy Pharisee
who had invited Jesus to dinner, and how the noto
rious went to the house threw herself at His
feet washed them with her tears dried them with her
hair and anointed Him with precious oil; how the
master of the ceremonies regarded her actions with
scorn, and how Jesus cast no unkind look at the
fallen creature He said to the wealthy Pharisee:--'I
to your house guest. and you have given me
place at your banquet; but this woman, whom you
all scorn. has given more than you would. for she
has given me all she possessed; therefore her
sins, for she Is sinner, are forgiven;
greater than the thousands of persons who
think themselves capable Of criticising Him. The
meek yet majestic bearing Of Jesus before PLATE was
continued to point out by quotations from Scripture
that hardly word idea dropped from the
mouth Of Jesus that was not borrowed from the Old
Testament, even TO the very words Of the Lords
Prayer. n He the Messiah. and He believed
firmly that He was. He greatest in the world of
the gods not god merely but a. the God Of the He
brew people. 1t il often said that He declared God TO
be Father, declaration which comedies with what
Malachi said four hundred years before the time
of Jesus Christ looked upon the world
through ts heart. aud He tremendous
lover OF s kind He pitied the sorrow OF the world
that His father in Heaven might pity it the more.
The moment Jesus turned away from those who
sinnei against to those who sinncd the lightnings
broke from His Israelitsh soul. and God then
COOP SPIRITS AND BAD.
Jesus believed in good and in bad spirits in legions
OF guardian angels In the Talmud IL II written
that IL had eyes 10 the spirits Of the dead
around them they would be afraid 10 tread lest they
might harm them. Jesus ascribed epilepsy and cata-
lepsy to the influence Of the spirits. and believed
that power was given Him over these demons
and that he could cast them out. He
solute God He philosopher
of science. but man Of heart. and looked
upon God through His feelings but when he looked
with His conscience then Jehovah became the awful
angry God Of Israel He believed that there would be
a restoration Of the jews. but entertained such
idea OF Immortality az We do now. The restoration
Of the kingdom TO take place then and there IN
Jerusalem under Him. He did not believe in Chris
tianty we do; He could not have been member
Of any church from the time of Luther till now. for
there was no place He could put His foot On. Jesus
did not believe in the Immortality Of the soul
believe In it. He believed only in
the restoration of the Jews. but there
il no evidence that lie believed tho
stand the meaning of being saved The preacher here
cited the passage ia ST. Matthew gospel where the
the dwellers OF the earth grouped about Him. the
sheep on the right hand and the goats the left.
The speaker contendcd that such terrible words
had fallen from the lips Of those Of Jesus
when He uttered the sentence, Depart from me. ye
cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. because the condemned had not Seen
cognzed and Succured the least Of my Disciples as
Christ Himself said.
Mr.. rockingham contended that present be-
lever would dare to speak such words now aud he
thought that the belief Of Jesus with regard
and circumscribcd by the prejn-
dices of His Hebrew education He was a man of
tremendous power Of personality not authority
in any Of the sciences. but only indisputaly great
the grand questions Of the feelings Of the heart. In
our age when conscience il apt 10 give way when
the disposition IL a. ignore all control Of the
aud heart out of the depths Of antiquity
this immortal person Jesus. and we bow the head IN
reverence 10 the universally Of His power We
never and love this being who has
opened To all men the Kingdom of heaven. where
everything is pure and unselfiah. II am, concluded
the speaker. far from believing that Jesus
be forgotten superseded"
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
THE sAyIoUgs GREAT LOVE FOR CHILDREN
SERMON NY REV nm H. TYING. Ar.