Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-21
IN THE LORDS HOUSE
Services Of Special Interest In Many Of
The Richmond Churches.
THE rossrpnrrIns or MAN.
ue,. Mr. clancy Reviews the work
Of the Unitarian Church-Dr. Young
IN bicycles and strikes-EmI-
Grants Discussed by Mr. Wilson.

Rev. George Leonard CLANCY preached
% the Unitarian Society In Belvidere Han
Sunday on the Baltimore Conference and
It's Lessons" lie took for his text He
brcws xii. Pr; eye are come 10
the General Assembly and Church Of the
6rst born" 1T Is only seventy-slx years"
he said. since Or. Claiming. at the ordi-
nation OF Jared Sparks. in Baltimore,
preached the sermon which may be said
10 have crystaillzcd the Unitarian Church
Of America. The principles and views to
Nhich Dr. Claiming gave expression were
already in mems minds from one end OF
his country 20 the other. His Baltimore
sermon only gave them lucid form and
sincere statement. Thenceforth IDEAS
which had been dlmly floating became
scarly fixed. and from that day 10 THIS
among Unitariaus and their fellow-De-
ncvers. including many who have never
taken their name. there has been set
lcd conviction that depravity in man.
however real and grieyous, Is not total;
that mans sins are no more Infinite be-
cause committed against an inhnlte' Cod
,han his virtuous deeds are infinite be-
cause done towards an Infinite God; That
no Infinite sacrifice therefore, is needed
TO atone for human Iwrong-doinS' that
retribution for sin Is unavoidable and ne
cessary as motive to repentance and a
means OF reformation. and that self
respect and inward peace are the sure
reward Of virtue; that the one Is hell
and the other Heaven, and that both have
their place IN the moral economy Of a
rightly-ordercd universe. On other SUBJ
iects there has been among Unitarlans
that variety OF opinion which must al
ways exist where minds are free and tee
timOny Is either uncertain or open TO va
riOus Interpretation.
MAN REVEALED TO HIMSELF.
IF asked. therefore. 70 state precisely
what Channng's contribution TO religion
was. ! should say: The revelation Of man
10 himself. and the vlndicatlon OF hu-
manity from the false charge OF inherent
and total depravity, which charge the
made against it, All other parts Of his stir
ring prophecy are subordinate to this, or
else they are the complement and outcome
81 this. For once dignity man, and you
magnify his Maker: eXalt human nature
high enough. and you make IL unnecessary
10 declare a superhuman nature in jesus
Development I'm His likeness becomes the
natural way Of living when IL is seen that
His is the normal human life Accepting
humanity en- the light OF His interpreta,
ton Of u. 70 Is not too much 90 say 20
man. BE We perfect as your Father in
Heaven Is perfect
Three score and ten. the prescribed life
~ man. Is a short time i'm the life Of a
Church. What capacities Of growth ana
service he folded In religious organiza,
ton are not commonly revealed In a CEN
fury As thousand years are as one
day unto God. so a century is only the
dawnng hour OF His Church Already
have the wOrthier thought Of God and the
better hope for man. for which our
Church stand1. worked like leayen In the
literature. tiH politics. the industries Of
the world, and even in the religious me-
thods OF churches whose creeds they
openly rebuke. They have helped the
prodigal son 10 come 10 himself. and
when he came 10 himself they have helpeo
him TO arise and go unto his Father"
MANS FAITH IN HIMSELF.
Mr. CLANCY then showed the influence
~ mans new faith IN himself when learn
ing science, art. government. and Church
lie then described the
recent conference Of the Unitarian
churches Of the South In Baltimore. and
drew lessons Of hope and announcement
from It's incidents. In conclusion he said
notwithstanding this noble prophecy OF
the dignity Of human nature, man is stil
"a puzzle, II not a monster 10 himself II
Is hard 10 persuade a creature of such
conscious faultlness that his nature Is SO
transcendently superior 10 his accomplish |
ment. 10 Is 20 this unfulhled task that
We must apply ourselves And when prod
lgal man really comes 10 himself. comes
TO know himself as he is there will come
"a new sclf-respeCt. a new consideration
Tor others. juster estimate both OF the
failure and success Of our mortal lIves
an9 a iaiTer administration OF government
and the Church"
DIR. Young and His wheel.
Rev Dr. ". J. Young as has been
published In the Dispatch. was recentIv
presented by the young men In his church
win bicycle. and Sunday night ne
preached "a sermon. the theme of which
was, Some Important Lessons NV Blcv-
said:
My bicycle has given me the oppor-
tunity Of learning afresh some old truths
The expressions OF surprise most of them
pleasant that / would ride wheel has
brought again 20 my mind that too great
hiatus that exists between the pulpit and
the pew j am reminded OF an expert
ence j had the other day I'm another con
hection. Passing a company OF boys. |
was asked by one Of them for a match
when another called 20 him: That's "a
preacher. YOU mustn't ask a preacher for
nothing This is part Of a yet wider
tfuth mat there is too great distinction
between the secular and the sacred /
would not have the sacred less genuinely
80. but / would have men feel that the
earth is the Lords and the fulncgs there
OF. There IS in this tendency that / am
,ondemning a good feature. There is an
evident recognition OF the beauty OF holt
less and an admission that sin stiu clings
20 much OF life II Is Furthermore true
hat the preacher ought 20 be better than
the rest Of men, the church purer than
.he business house. the Sabbath day ho-
Tier than the six days. These an are To
be the ideals after which we are to try
ever 20 fashion ourselves and our af-
fairs. 81 the same time an erroneous
idea o. holiness prevails II is an exter-
nal holiness-a holiness OF forms and or
Gers and dignity; and the more degcner-
ate We become the more We insist on this
hypocrisy or acting, as the Master styles
H. II our business were boiler We should
seel more al home In our Fathers house
Reverence there would be and ought TO
be. but not that reverence that consists
OF mere attitudes"
HIS VIEWS or STRIKES.
Before the sermon Or. Young made a
short talk on Strikes" He said: 1.-THE |
right OF men 20 refuse the wages offered |
and 60 stop work cannot be questioned. !
There is the further right 10 seek by perr |
sgaslon 90 have others refuse the same |
wages thus keeping up the price Of |
labor and also 20 gather in public as
semhlies provided they are peaceable) In |
order 20 consider ways and means. 1t |
Is never right TO use force or TO incite 70 /
riot or disorder. whether by private or by |
public appeal This the State must pre-
vent Nor ls IL 20 be forgotten that capi-
,aists and corporations are often guilty /
of a cruelty that does not have 10 resort
20 dynamite or gunpowder. There Is
wrong on both sides. and whatever legal
measures are rcsOrtcd 20 must bear equal
ly on both sides While strikes. rightly |
conducted. are legitimate, and IN
very many cases accomplish the end inn
inelmtel) in view. they are 20 be de-
plofcJ. and % be prevented. II possible.
The Church f. interested IN the mat
ter because the prevalent conflict be-
tween me capitalist and the labOrer Is n
proof that ihe doctrine Of love II breaches
has not yel permeatei the social fabric.
Before its affairs SIT the employer and