The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-15
MASONIC TEMPLE.

THE PREACHING OF THE Cross, ITS sIGSIFI.
CANOE AND ITS EftEcIs--sERMoN BY MR..
o. d. FRoTHINGuAM.
Before beginning his sermon IN Masonic Hall Mr..
o. g. CHAM read several extracts from tho
ancient Scriptures OF the Hindoos and Pcrsians.
OF the lirdoo records said :-"Fooiish
they who pcrpeluaiiy iuquirlng where the Deity
Resides; tor though the ioras OF faith different
God is always the same.n In passage IRON the Per-
sian anthology the following words occurrcd:-"No
ono has ever penetrated The secret OF tho great
principle"
In treating tho subject Of tho preaching Of tho
cross It's significance and clocis, Mr. CHAM
said that the OF the most ancient OF re-
ligious symbols the world. But II has been only
since the timc OF Constantine that the became
the almost universal symbol Of religion. The Chris
Ian meaning OF the sacri1cc tue suppression
81 Impulse and the domination OF the Joyous side OF
mans nature. IL Is symbol which stands Tor tho
act accom- pished aud the work pcriormcd-a sign
OF sell. sacrifice and OF salvation Tho cross
Us planted IN tue iaea oil sinoi an oioncc against
God the Perfect Bong. Mans siBfulncss Is
diuai idea OF Chrlslany ana without this idea It Is
nothing But this idea lar IRON being u universal
zoe. fne OF the vast Chinese Empire, tho
Greek ana Roman philosophers anu many other
lions OF the ancient world knew no sucn wsrd the
whoIssome Greeks spoke only OF imp-rfcctions. Tho
fearvl idea ol mans siniuness belongs only 10 the
Semitic race. IL comes To US with Tue idea OF per-
ronsl God: ct Goa between whom aud there
thought exist the bu.:ness relations oil dcotor
creditor In contrast with THIS take the panthes,ic
ideas OF India, Cnint, Greece. Rome and VIC nnd no
such Spectre siu the cross loses It's sgnsicance
sIy STEALS HEBREWS.
Al a comparauvey late period OF tDcr history tho
idea OF moral night aud d1rkn stole from Persia
among the Hebrews These two principles were re-
presented as oeIns at eternal war with each otncr:
the ght was good the darkness Dad the former ~as
obedience individual God. the latter disobcdi-
encc by the idea OF Tin u became meritorious
put down all aspirations OF tue flesh after happi-
ness or seiflnduigence. The cross ~ The symool OF
that the Prince OF Light led TO coniound aud
conquer the hend OF darkness rns idea Of duaiistn
not known science, ethics or phtiosopny--on the
contrary, found that all things work htrmo-
niousy together ia tho economy OF the universe.
fake ava, this idea OF dutsm aud the preaching of
.nc cross loses rs sgnitcance Eistorcally viewed,
lne cross means gadncss, reJolcIng, overflow. ON
tho margin OF the ancient Nile stoVd cross mark
tbs height 81 the rising waters as they
lowed onward from the ncigbborng mountains
10 lhc fertile valleys OF Egypt, when tno gre.
tide arose ana touched that Ucam OF wood all the IN.
babtans OF the pains broke out int p.caus OF praise.
tine iructifyng covered eayly deco.
rated boats. whose rejoicing crews praised The Milo
god Tor having blessed the land wfh secure pientl-
camIsr's CROSS cAME WIN ms TROUBLES
In tie life Of Cnrst there no word about the
til toward tho OF HIS career. Naturally lie was "a
being Of the most happy, joyous cxuUcrant dispo.
silion-a whole, hearty, cbecriui man. who entered
into the pleasures passmes snd Joys OF Tue people.
Even when tae shadow OF the cross thrown
athwart His path aud cast Us sombrc image on His
taco Joy reigned ~ The heart within To DO always
crticisug ones feelings and actions, even though
nocently, ~ an awful thing Men nave,
~ empty OF pleasure. barren Of Joy and
Disgusting possible. The nero thought
that the only you to lead, lead. la tnis
world ali wrong, IS dreadful alternative 70 think
upon. constitutes principal reason WY men are
p., happier than nd them to Mans desire ivr
sunsn no aud JOY Is lfreprossiOe u inherent ~
human nature By tnis universal craving of
the soul Tor JOY would seem 10 Justify tho
people in taxing u Tor granted tnat inno-
cent pleasures should be INDUCED N. Mr.
Frvtbtu,ham believed that tie preaching of
the cross ought to cease. because VI IL symbol OF
"A
tor tse Nu.Gt OF the people thtugs OF iOyeliucss,
prnndeur and purity, to charm them away from tue
paths OF vice ms y what the moial reiormcr wants
a., do: aud ne desires have the lDrares, galleries
nnd museums thrown open on sunday 50 tnat the
hard worked lbOrUg Glasses nay enjoy the beautiful
creations OF mens genius they 90 now IN Europe.
The aim OF reform should be to mako the pursuit of
n ~ ledge an agreeable Lot tbis idea be acted
.an and schools will DO sought rather than ayoaed