The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-11
REIroIoU s FREEDOM.
The REV. Mlnot ,. savage says It Demands q
Price In This Country sim.

Price In THIS Country Sill.
Tho Rev. Minot j. Savage preached yestor.
day in tho Church Of the Messiah on Tho Cost
OF Our Freedom and Our Duty to Maintain It."
MIR. Savage's sermon was on both rellg.
ious freedom and liberal ecclesiasticism. He
said that whenever in the religious history Of
the world a man had challenged the neccss,ty.of
ccremonials he had been looked on as one who
defed God, but that us there were at least a
dozen infallibilities taught by the priests OF the
various sccts, each Of which contradictcd tho
other eleven fatty and completely, it was diff.
cult to SEQ how any person could avoid dcfyinR
God. The priests Of these religions told their
people that they must no. think of them, but
must accept them as the proof, and taught them
that God is going to be angry with any person
who tries TO find out the truth about II. These
priests, said Mr.. Savage, either have or have
not a reason for their belief. II they have a rea-
son for IL, they should BIO glad to explain 1t TO
any person who wishes TO ask them about IL.
and If they will explain their reasons for their
belief, they Immediately acknowledge tine su-
prcmacy Of reason. The conflict. he snid, be.
tween the men who wanted to think out the
truth and the institutions which say they have
1t has lasted from the foundation Of the earth.
Every forward movement OF thought has
brought about a bitter contest, and in the
struggle which has been carried on in every
line OF human thought many men had had to
pay "a high price for the liberty which they do
manded.
Mr.. Savage then took up the question wheth-
or any price is demanded to-day in this coun-
try for freedom of religious thought. He said
that it was a fact that in America men arc no
longer imprisoned, tortured, or put to death on
account OF their religious convictions, but that,
nevertheless, in many parts OF the country q
price. and a heavy price, was demanded Of those
who exercised their liberty In selecting their
faith. There arc places where u man who thinks
on religious questions and is unwilling to 40
cept the faith most popular in those
ties must SEQ his business suffer and his fam
ily snubbed. Mr.. Savage said that in one city
of considerable Importance q family OF :Unita-
rians had been waited upon BY u committee Of
persons connected with the older churches and
warned that they must not indulge too freely In
the new religion. A lawyer in the Southwes est had
written to MIR. Savage, saying that he fully
agreed e Sdr with tn H 9ai MS T. h sentiment tnn@n Pvt that sa, he H ga
Savage. aversion and isolation are the price
we must pay to-day for daring to think.
conform TO the Established Church in order to
obtain social recognition, and in this country
and attain social position than others. MI.
Savage then said that few, people ever thought,
and and t IA ,p most pers 20 sin inherited Ter "a their heir i nni;,io az
made up, and tho smaller the mind the quicker
it was made up. To be Knocked at by little
minds is one of the prices of liberty. SIN an:
other is to BIO looked upon as odd: All men
who stand for a new truth, said Mr.. Savage,
arc looked upon as odd. Some think them enc.
mics Of God. allies OF Satan, and they arc
obliged to tramplc on hearts that are dear 10
them. Again, those who have freedom must
go out from places and associations dear TO
them and do the work Of q pioneer, which Is
always hard.
Freedom. said Mr.. Savage, Is not ours yet,
and when we obtain 1t we must remember that
It is not an end in itself, and that a man is not
necessarily good because he is free. Freedom
is an opportunity. We use freedom to dis
cover the truth, and men need the truth about
body, mind and soul. 4 man who holds wrong
ideas OF God dishonors Him. The truth. seeker is
the God-sceker, and the only God and for
tho sake OF truth. God and men we need to DO
free. Mr.. Savage said that it was the duty Of
every man to stand upon his conviction, looking
for light, and the business of all those who SEQ
the truth to stand for it. lie said that fathers
and mothers, who themselves were FREQ. fro
quently allowed their children to go TO Sunday
school and learn tho very doctrines that they
had repudiated. and that the Cnitarians have
given thousands Of dollars to establish institu-
tons which are now trying to crush all that
they held most dear.