The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-20
MASONIC TEMPLE.
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR rs DuE-sERMoN
DIX MR.. o. n. FRoraINaHAM.

MASONIC TEMPLE.
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR is DuE-sERMoN
DIX MR.. o. n. FRornINaHAM.
In Masonic Temple Mr.. 0. B. rockingham pre-
faced his discourse by reading selections from tho sa
crod hologies Of tho Chinese, Persians Hebrews
Egyptians and ether ancient nations. The subject
his sermon was "Rcndcr Honor 10 Whom Honor is
Due" Mr.. rockingham said, among other things,
that In democratic America the disposition Is abroad 10
deny that honor Is due 10 anybody. The spirit
OF political institutions in this country Is to dcny
that there exists distinction In the range caibrs
OF souls among men any precedence on account OF
superiority This BELIEF however, cannot obtain
general acceptation, for there difference between
man and man in many essential points. and nero is
disposition on tho pkrt of all mankind to look up
toward that which Is above them. Indeed, 1t might
be said that men go about with crowns their hands,
and Will put thom upon tho heads OF fools
crown no one. certain amount OF distinction among
men Is always TO be prcsupposcd IN the ac-
compshmont Of progress. Our ideal OF
progress implies a determination to reach for.
ward alter better things. and no who
condemns this disposition In places himself In
tho position OF an opponent to human advancement.
Tho question to whom honor Is due is OF supreme
moment when We come TO consider tho claims Of
illustrious men who have lived IN all ages.
THE SAINTS
Inc proncncr gave inc nr6t GkctChc1
his many virtues, and sand that tho character OF all
saints is spirit OF scaba ndonm cnt, PRONUNCIATION
and sacrifice OF themselves, TO make themselves
nothing Tor the sake Of tho many. Wo say this are
10 out OF sympathy with tho saint; against
spirit VI seli-abneeauon, and arc not only
willing TO give up our individuality, but, on tho
contrary, rather wish 10 assert Il. Tho
speaker thought that II modern saint would
surrender himself In ali humility as The saints
did OF old. the people. upon rccogn lang him, would
fall down before him and crown hin Tor hts virtues
But the saints OF old belonged 10 narrow sphere;
snov hall vad IN lsVea afngs.. nat
most beautiful OF these IN character was E0roInco
Ho was prncey IN descent, person, mind and estate;
he counted himself AS nothing IN tue work which oc-
cupicd him, yet his usefulness was crcumscribed bv
the narrow bounds OF the Roman Catholic religion
The preacher believed that In Our own days OF science
aud progress u was impossible Tor 10 DO con-
tented with this sort OF sam lncsa To whom and 10
what, then, were they to surrender their indivdua
uesf Was u 10 Jesus, the grand, SIMPLE. upright
man who stood mutc before Plate milo being accused
by the rabbicy He lived In tho circle OF narrow He.
brew lraditionx; He believed m elf the Messiah the
chosen OF tho Almighty. whose silence was golden
Tho soldiers smote HIM and tho crowd Jccrcd yet Ito
murmurcd not. Hc submitted q man but as
God IL was only at the moment when lilo hung on
The cross anu the shadows OF death that tho
light broke on His mind which told Him
that after all He might be mistaken. Then His cry
was not that Of a saint, but Of a man. Does then,
jesus. Ahrman, Buddha hi tho requirements OF those
upon whom the crown SHOULD DO bestowed?
In the second place. tho man OF forcc. influence,
command always exercises a moral power In his own
generation. Men ike to be lod they want told
aoout the Bible, literature Shakespeare; they ,equfe
standard law to 20 ny. so ~ Is IN tho forms and
essentials OF morals anu OF faith. Tho reason why
leaders are followed IL that man can Tor n great
while command others VINO cannot command him.
self in showing tho of rulers tho sneaker
said that u perfect man wero sent into The world
he should be worshipped as king but no ruler,
coping Washington. comes NJ 10 tho standard
10 which men could submit Power, IL was con.
tended, brutailzcs; tho more possession oil IL DO
grades the idea OF It's possession ~ oxcating
hallucination. Place man on tho throne. whether
OF literature or art and he struts before the world
Ike cockatoo, claiming Tor himself everything and
inpoyer'shng all others Carlisle elorincs Cromwell,
YET VINO among the multitude would now place his
crown at the foot OF fsnatic-who pay tribute TO q
man who could keep others DOWN.
Tho pnilanihropst was the tn RI description OF man
dweit upon ny tho preacher Being lover OF men
tho phianthropist aims not to keep them down, hut
to raise them up; YET the world has never placed
crown tho puiIan tbropisL
JOHN nonRissEY.
Another type OF model man wildly portrayed IN
tho successful merchant, some csses IN point beng
cited. short time ago there died man who held
place trust In the councils the state Ito was born
sa@Ser and 10 the las. hs Ito ho oaed saq he
had to TINS dsreputabIc pursuit He afforded
a strong contras. TO tho SAINTS with 500
narics OF wisdom and goodness he would
have found no place, nor could no have commanded
recognition among gentlemen. Why. then. should hc
be hcsrd2 Simply because he was titanic But u II
could be said Of Jonn Morrlssey as = prize fighter
tnat ne struck no tout blow; Il IL ,s true hat as
politician, he took no bribc that no wanted his son
educated In way that he himself could aspire
TO. then there was somcthlng IN that uncooh person
spect iof the tribute OF honor must always duo
the man or woman who forces hts or her way up out
OF the mud into the sanctuary
In conclusion tho preacher counsccd his hearers TO
Judge Of people kindly, generously, hopefully 10 give
crcdt for their virtues Tor to render honor TO
humanity Is TO render honor TO everything which II
implies
HARLEM CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
Tho Harlem Congregational Church, At the north
west corner OF second avenue and 125th street. was
crowded yesterday by present and past members TO
honor tho sixteenth anniversary OF tho socictys OK
istencs Rev. sanue H. Virgin, tho pastor, occupied
the pulpit at tho morning service, and above him ap-
pcared In evergreen tho inscription, '1sGa ISIS"
with cross In the centre In his remarks Mr. Virgin
said that tho society owed lis existence disunion
during tho war among the members OF the Harlem
Presby torian Church the subject Of slavery few
OF tho latter became dissatisfied with tho mlidcr
theories OF their more conservative brethren, ana
seeded ana organized tho Congregational ociety Of
Harcm,n meeting Tor worship In Washington Hall,
Third avenue, near l26sh street. The church then
numbered thiriy.eght members but IN October 1872,
the society purchased the lots which tho present
edncs stands. The corner stone was laid october 81
I 1888, and the building dedicated juno IL. fsGl The
building cost the secretly originally 1901 but Tho
enlarged In 1909 ny an additional outlay OF
SO, 000 Tho debt the church amounts To slt 800
which amount has been swcllcd, as Mr.. Virgin
alleges, BY unnecessary ornamcnts Tho society ap