New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-16
RIGHT EMPHASIS IN RELIGION.
THE REV THOMAS r. SLICERS SERMON
IN ALL SOULS UNITARIAN


CHURCH
The Rev Thomas K. Slicer preached yesterday In
All Souls Unitarian Church on 1.-THE Right En-
phasis in Religion" His text Hebrews xii. q:
That those things which cannot be shaken may
remain Mr. Slicer said. among other things:
The emphasis In religion may be stroke Of nav ex
Which makes IT'S ns makes it's result
apparent; but the emphasis in both these planes 81
makes the statement Of religion rational should be
that which makes the experience OF religion prac,
is nationally true. bat also that is spiritually EN-
Client. Let US whether we can fix the emphasis
action. so that when we are through faculties
shall seem to have focused to point of light for
the Understanding and a centre Of warmth for the
First-Between religion supernatural and re,
ligion natural: where does the emphasis fa l
We hold that It falls upon our statement that re,
ligon is natural to man. Since man is derived
from God that derivation would carry with It the
divine nature but, since religion aspires 10 Coo
that aspiration must carry with II man a,d
one. then religion, as 1t seeks God must 90
mans natural function and God as ne seeks man b
natural function Of the human soul the state,
Cod is we'll enforced BY the statement Of the New
Testament We love because he mrs. io 1r Us ~
once to the clean stroke OF emphasis as between
two other alternatives Is religion for control or Is
ton based in mans best nature which, being freely
developed. makes man better? or Is IT a cIipphnng
disability which makes him most like God when
he Is least himself? The whole process OF religion.
discipline. assumes that man is an alien to Coo
that man may know God. and, knowing iillii,
must love Him II the budins 81 nan s,,r r the
evolution Of worship not due to the CORRECTION
Of e MS a5P0s ser% so OF as Tson this
really OF grace and not means OF rspr..ss1
sion There is no grace to rature reprcssed, All
broken up into the hard lines OF soul restralneu'
The priesthood OF religion II 1t IS meant FOR rePres-
sion and not for development. is simply a policing
OF man BY specially appointed officers who. history
ton OF their own nature as with the administration
OF their charge. The priesthood which begins BY
REFRESHING tho man to make the priest ends oy
separating the man from his kind whom ne Is set
TO Tho emphasis. then in religion, az , De
tween restraint and development. fails upon aeVei,
opment- 1t is meant to bring man 70 ne pest Az
things are for mans use and delight. but ne mus nnt
delight In them in fashion that brings no shame
The emphasis OF religion as natara ia''' upon
Third his development mans worship Of the
Infinite IL n contributing factor. II prayer Is the
cry OF hunted soul In an alien world. .hen man =
tho interesting object. and rot God for worm worm
the void is a "ugld too bad 70 haze been diyinely
pa,hos OF mans situation receives the emphasis
which should fall upon the benehcence OF God.
, umess n OF prage which Tor petition sup
plication and agony shall substitute Deter HtI
upon Thanksgiving that God is good, and upon
mans aspiration to commune win that goou pc
due GoAs nnwilllngnces. but TO bring man into
touch with the will OF God. Prayer reveals man TO
reveals God 70 man he Is rresist.bly drawn to that
centre Of light and NE Here again the T emphasis
grows divine by commerce with the divine. and the
sym Of al bio Know s no: sn so Se =. vii
Forrth-Now behold those whoss awakened
souls Sk the Syne s @ se sW
fails therefore upon the Ghurch can h the nnaIe
az "A place OF ex slusive privilege? The door must
remain open az they enter that they VINO are Win
CLOSURE FOR saints simply? He has not found God
who doe, not long TO bring some s M g0ai
conditions Of Development and so 10 Coo: 10 ,ney
s trembling under The shcG9w OF an ipehd aug
thority? Nay; rather they themselves are constl-
tutng the destiny OF great sous ana me i
So tho Church - n school for sinners and not an
sve. II IS expansive. not restrictive ana Spiritual
culture Is not superficial eleganee nCt ne VII
mcowng Of the nature to It's centre tha' lie iru''
Fifth-In the Christian church. so conceived tne
is concerned upon His normal humanity. AS being
say,d man. What is II to be like Him. since the
emphasis falls upon tho ,imitation OF Christ: az
thought ana 20 speak our word by virtue Of
that 1t Is to have His nature but to discover
our nature irto the divine likeness il is not even
necessary tina, wa should keep step with Him nor
crippng helprssness TO robust strength. to trayel
by Ills road 20 ends that worthy OF Us. AS Ills
ends were worthy OF Him. So Il Is the divine com
parisous which engage va, not servile imitation,
and the emphas ais upon the place OF Jesus In the
Christian Church is that which makes him inc
captain OF salvation which We shall also achieve,
viii n He now leads. but which lie had no power
10 procure for without our consent .
To sun, up therefore: II religion be natural, the
enph isis falls upon reality and truth II the DEN
milton OF reality and truth shall diner IN one from
another then the spirit OF religion must receive the
emphagis II In this spirit OF religion two methods
restraint and development-are considered, then
DEVELOPMENT must be the avenue through which we
pollr our energies We front the summer. not the
WI II the man be a unit ana MS
development claims the emphasis. then lnteuect
and affection and flesh are part or that united
presence which call the man; only these must
be ordered To their places. for foundation one
FOR superstructure and for design. so that tho
lea 81 grace and ornament shall be made as real TO
life as the greatest factor OF strength Ia real Were
not the lilies and he pouesranates III tho temple
which the Jewish King built real as the pillars
whose capitals they adorned? In the ordering OF
life az IL focuses Itself toward God prayer Is not
the cry OF our hurt. but the passion of our desire
1t Is the law of life that We shall seek our
source that we shall be At for our end. and that.
In the mean time. should live with God This
lie did whose bentitudeS We repeat he repeated
them from the depths Of His experience: We may
make new bcatitudes II experience be new
The emphasis OF lie falls upon reverence and ser
ableness and religion we have now considered
II ~ simply n. his best seeking his best which
grows ever better UNTIL when that which Is per-
feet has come that which is In part shall be done
away. That those things which cannot be shaken