The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-29
ALL SOULS CHURCH.


THE SLOW BUT SURE PROGRESS OF MANKIND
SERMON By REV. DIR. BELLOWS.
Rev. Dr. Bellows At All Souls' Church. preached on
tho progress OF mankind us evidenced ny review oil
tho past he said il was sometimes well to take
long and backward view Of the course and tendency
OF human affairs. such view had only become pos
sibe through modern progress. Tho ancicuts had no
such thing universal history, as ply steal geogra-
ply; no statistics, maps based on anything better
than guesswork, no pubic roads worth speaking Of,
consus The pyramids, palaces and temples Of
ancient times many monuments Of useless
labor erected by great despots from tho myrads Of
their slaves and capsives. When monarch assembled
tho throne his nrst step generally was TO
order 10 remove their Jealous rivalry. Even the
citizeEs OF Greece always mere handful. only mann
taiDed tueir EoDisy NJ The cxpcnse OF ther slaves,
saved them IRON every form Of bodily labor aud
drudgery. In the modern acceptance Of the word
humanity was conined 10 but few idsaists, and
what seemed oven worse than all this Was that mcu
DID resent th,s tate, but ccepted u from Their
birth as II II were ioreordaned. Tho prospect OF
humanity improved toward the Christian era. wncn
tho theories rs 10 The rights Of men became moro
consonant With our modern IDEAS oi Justice.
religion Was . vtoionI destructive agency, IN.
tensied by ecclesiastical toeiing, with puiitical
strife What stories OF cruelty, innumaIity ana per-
what and pestilence; what AFFECT con-
dition OF large portion OF mankind what abuse Of
women; what lcprosy aud black death did marked
temi II by very SLOW stages that tho rights Of
understood cAnc 10 be cooeeded by kings
and by baronA Tho history Of the Roman Churcn
was scarcely any better than that OF Iho Roman EN-
pre- aud by slow traces only that the stages Of
progress mankind could be noted In public moral
n.y. In tho owl aud political rights oil men In The arts
of peace, tho respect Tor law. In the decline Of |
pr,es.crai IN sne security o. we ana ,sh ~ o. or
In the decline oil poiygamy. 10 the !ol.
srasion Of religion. u any one a doubted
oil progress could not have studied history well
have adopted some peculiar ideal STANDARD Of
his own. There were doubtless some people VINO
desired back the time when the traveller was ar
rested Tor journeyug on tho Sabbath as IN Scotlsnd
when the child had 70 take of hat In passing BY
priost; or when, as Is even the sweden,
mon, women and children were orclbiy compelled 10
a tend worship SIX hours Sunday. When one re-
ected that Sweden had. nevertheless, great rsputa
ton Tor lowdness amt drunkenness, one began 10
doubt tho value OF this kind OF progress. How much
10 there Tor the man ~ manf And Tor eauca-
virtue Tor their own ssksss These were Inc
questions by whcn real progress should DO gaugcd.
CHURCH OF THE DIVINE PATERNITY.
THIRTY YEARS OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. DIX THE
RLv. II. H. CHAPLIN, DID.
The Rev. 4. II. Chaplin, DID,, preached 10 large
congregation his text being Palms q, 4. 6-"Enter
into his gates with thanksgiving ana into his courts
with praise; he thankful unto him and bloss his
name For the Lord 10 good, his mcrcy rs everlasting
ana his truth endureth to all generations" The text
saio the pastor, sminonty suggests the power OF
ligion. The psamss strikes . universal chord. As
general proposition II Is maintained that q man who
can utter the language OF tho text with full, bclev.
Ing heart Is. nrst, believer In religion; second,
Christian believer, and third, Will maintain the true
spirit OF Christianity. The primary conception OF re-
ngion is u beI,ci IN God This distinguishes religion
from and from philosophy In the depth OF
reg Gus experience alone that conviction breaks out
into tumuituous gadncss Religious faith puts the
soul In communion with the DIVINE source; appre-
bends HIM not cause nor as man, but living
personality. God Is controlling prophet, pity
ing our ipnrmities and numbering the very hairs OF
our heads We can have REALTORS with GOD thai
mot DO had with nature ana religion 10 the fuInoss
the richness anu completeness Of those rotations.
rhe great underlying and ovcrcircing aud iunds-
mental principle oI " all Is the goodness OF tod.
s.His mercy 4 everlasting Mercy - ihe peculiar
expression OF goodnes There Is 20 greater iolly ~
the world than that which denies there - natural
religion. such denial tho breaking down Of the
bridge By which We 30 up 10 God. DouD, and lear
ngie with the Chrlssian's trust Wo stand to-
day under Inc mysterious shadows Of something not
fully known IA our relations with God. Gigantic
from above. IL m act Of mercy that ieaus him to
nnd out nis helpcssncss Christianity In this sense
Is religion OF mercy IL shows the cheering, hos
ptaoie iisht 10 tho struggling soul II 10 an expres
of mercy Tor mans most earnest highest needs.
TINS = religion Tor the vutcas and wandering shccp,
aud after all mercy that appeals 10 mans need 10
she only SAVING power The spirit Of Christianity 10
tho spirit OF ruth The spirit OF the Christian bc-
lover The spirit OF freedom, but Is also that Of
humility. Christian religion irusls IN God because 4.
Is right and true.
DR.. Uhapiu then said 20 his congregation that yes
terday marked the end OF the thirteth year oil his
ministry with them. lie referred To the Joys sorrows,
lila anu varied experiences of this long period There
was something TO be- remembered than these as
the result OF this stretch Of years IL was the raising
up OF men having independent views, yet strong IN
the con vction that God good There had boon
derful changes IN thirty years not alone 10 the ma
tcrial world, but alro In the religious world IL had
to be recognized that God IL good, and that tus
tcc good also. rms point was emf hasized, 40 for
many yearN such teaching was looked upon as iase,
while those who disvcleve In endless suffering
10 be counted by tho thousands. The seed bad
takcn root and spread TAR and vide. As Tor our
Selves concluded tne pastor, va are beter or wo are
worse for these thirty years; we have been icd up
or We have iallen down. The was over our heads
then, but now It 10 near tho horizon. We should DO
thankful that truth has endured.
EIGHTEENTH STREET M. l.. CHURCH
DID JOSHUA MAKE THE SUN STOP 2-sEnMoS
BY REV. WILLIAM y. MA1YrELD.
The Rev. William y. Hatfield a. the Elghtecnth