The New York herald., 1869-03-01
FfIa AVENUE uMlyEasALsr cluatA

ssrnon BY Rev. DR.. Chapln, On shs Faith or
tho Roman Centurion.
Rev. Dr.. Chaplin took for bis text yesterday morn
ing the words Of the centurion to Christ be found
In the Gospel Of Matthew, eighth chapter. eighth.
ninth and tenth verses-'LoP& l am mot worthy that
Thou shouldst come under my roof; bat speak the
word only and my servant shall be healed. For
am man in authority, having soldiers under me;
and ! say unto one man 60, and he goeth;
TO another come, and he cometh; and to another
do this, and 10 no doetn it. Verify said Christ
have not found 30 great faith; no, not in Israel"
The faith thus commended by Christ was that
Of centurion, captain in the Roman army, who
was stationed with the garrison at Capernaum. The
real nature Of this man was shown in his anection-
ate socude for his slave, who lay at the point Of
death. This centurion was good man, although
out Of the limits Of Gods chosen people, the same
- there are good men now outside the limits or
the Church. Thus we had an instance OF the diver.
sty Of the methods by which Jeaus Christ undertook
cred in connection with this mi miracle = was i the
centurion's faith; second, the grounds Of
iaito SS fasa and and an. finally no object O. his
condition of most or the miracles performed BY our
Saviour and this faith was the blossom and fruit OF
grounds. But on the other hand, people who did
not yigorcuAly employ their reason and search with
ell the lignts Of nature at their command often &c
fs sa has s &. nSess %os SHY as
sSs e ne wc Nothing was more shallow
an original faith It came from his own convictions.
fore was a0s as jesus cS9 sd 70 S
the centurion also exhibited humility IN his faith.
But he said-"Lcrd, ! am not worthy that Thou
shouldst come under my roof" Men IN the Church
sophers ana men OF that class very often took mar
row views and thought what they knew themselves
was right, and everything that everybody else knew
true faith, and true faith was q supplement
when the torch Of reason went out. Again. the faitR
OF the centurion was faith that worked by love.
Those who held slaves then treated them with kind
ness. Here we had man who showed the true
heart Being of the s Jewish fth he was OUTSIDE tne
loving, living faith he was Christian man. ana as
such Christ loved him, and commanded
SIs ssrysnt e s,. I'D
for Christ to come under his rooff He was soldier
and ne drew his arguments from the conditions and
soldier and the discipline OF the Romans was very
severe and exacting. The influence OF Roman or
ganization was seen now In the tremendous organ
tzation Of the Romish Church. This centurion then
came to the conclusion that II Caesar ruled Rome
and Herod Judea 1t was most likely that the earth
joints and laws He concluded there was
power that governed the world Independents
Of Cgsar-a God who held the reIns OF all things
and drove the chariot Of the universe with greater
power and skin than did at one time Phaeton
drive the chariot OF the He believed that this
God who could create could also heal, and he felt u
was not necessary, as it was done with the blind
man. TO mngie spittle with clay and anoint the eyes,
word whore he then stood, and his servant would b.
healed The preacher then proceeded to make
direct application Of the text to his hearers In "a
eloquent and argumenta.ive style.