The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-20
Fundamental RELIGION.
Rev. Minot ]. Savage Of Boston al Inc
Bell Street Chapel.
WHAT TRUE RELIGION MEANS
mrs. Mary A. Livermore Speaks on some
Phases ofthe work for Temperance at
the Unicn Congregational Church
Other Local Sermons.

An immense audience greeted the Rev.
M,not ]. Savage OF Boston at the Bell
street chapel yesterday afternoon lie
smoke upon the Fundamental ana
Eternal ia Religion" His discourse In
substance was rs follows;
In universe of infinite proportions
should be. naturally. growth. There
never has been and never eau be more
than one igion. The world has always
baan engaged iu a deathless search Tor
God. The purpose of barbarian prayer
IS to win the favor Of God; to obtain
temporal wants. ca ;s
The barbarian conception OF Goi Is
cruel and crude. In the old Hebrew re-
ligion an elaborate service Is aiMays netp, ~,
with song, Sacrifices ana atonemeht Ior
the sius of Israel. The Hebrews always
strove 70 get into favdr WITH thelr
Deity Deity. why did Jesus preach
against the popular religions oil
his times He simply desired ms peoPle
70 yet into better relations with bOu.
In the Ca hoic religion what is all thelr
nomn and service and sacriticel III Is
actuated by the same motive AS tnat oi
the barbarlan-to get into the favor VI
God. The goal of Professionalism Is eN-
actly the same. 40,
same object In view. Man has always
sought TO better by religious service ms
power and influence with God Every
modern ecclesiast is seeking
That Same End.
paul talked of being recouciled TO Goo.
Herbert Spencer talks OF becoming ad-
iusted to your environments.
Is religion "A permanent thing? IL Is
maintained by some that religion Is pass
inv AWAY anu that humanity is taking
its place. Manv hypothesis are Drought
forth TO prove ,t. Religion Is otteh spoken
OF as the superstitious remnhht OF chllu-
ish credulity. 1t is held that religion Is
divine vet many of its s.aunches5 sup,
porters are afraid that some outward
mower is going to annihilate IT. III ar
gues weak faith In the stability OF thelr
doctrine. am not afraid tnat religion
is going TO die. The only tehaple uehhi-
tion OF religion is this;
First. il is mans thought OF his re,a-
tions to the universe-hls relation 10 the
power that was here ere ne caihi INTO
3 ing. Ii my conception OF God Is nooie'
my feeling nIli .be noble and the con
verse is likewise true. All great Ihou !hIs
tend to iEcarnate themselves. lhey VIII
ultimately lind expression.
Then religion witt become an active
thing Man then dreams OF better re-
lation. We need to get into better rela-
tion. This is the purpose OF rellglon,
Ile essentials Oh ItllkiOu IthhAbs W "
an agnostic. an intidel or an ath lst. Inc
relation of matter to nan Is eternal
Religion itself Is permanent
What elements Of religioa are perma'
pent When Calico made his first dis
coveries. the Copernican system o.
threw the erroneous principles hitherto
held. So new flood of religious light
has come upon the world and the
Old Conception of God
is doomed. God is part and soul OF the
universe. Where am L? You have
never seen me. You nave merely seer
INV body and my clothing. Where ther
nni II i am omDipresent, so Tar as my
spirit is concerned. 30 1t Is VIII
ron t,on Of the origin and growtl
of man. There would never have beel
any of this body of divinity If we hac
not been taught the theor, OF the fall
The world was not born tOO0 years ago
as we are taught in the church Man
has never fallen. The doctrine is anti
ouated. IL is the ascent of man that W.
must look to. The whole machinery de
ylsed by Scripture to rescue fallen mar
must be brown aside.
/ think that belief in God-theism IL
going TO re.nain. Not because or th'
church, but because science has killed
materlalism. Materalists are nearl,
extiucJ. atom souls" are only "A theory
The Bible has been worshippe1, / let
iers, its punctuation marks. The Bible
il tuil oi barbArism, so far as the O.C
Testament is lconcerned. The Blpl'
is going to be given back L
us ia granl revised eoncep
tion. The Bb.e is grand becaus
it is the history OF The rise OF great AZ
hgion. Jesus is also TO be delivered iron
the crude the ories tnat havi netamor
phosed his real being. He vii
be remembered as the man VIII
taught love for man before Low
for God. lie church In essenc
will remain. The church means merel
the association of tttea and women VIII
come together Tor mutual elevation
Worship, think, will also remain. Uu
less you worship there is within you n
possisllity of growth. Prayer will re
main for 1t L. the involuntary expressio
of wish, AM GJd is the only agen
from whlcl s,e receive all that we have.