, 1869-06-14
THE PULPIT.
Rev. c. {. Cheney Defines Ills Position
on The Question Of Regeneration
by Baptism.
The "ChtcaEo Protest" md the
Evangelical Conference.
A Historical Rertew by tho Rev. H.
N. Powers. Rector OF st. Johns
Church.


controversy with the Bishop. he took Tor his
text First Corinthians third chapter, 18th and 18th
verses: "Sow, II any man build upon this foun-
datton gold, silver, precious stones-woo0, hny,
St1bbe; every mhn's work shall be made manifest
for the day sha1l declare 1t: because It shall be
WORT, Of what sort 1t ia''
THE eERxoK.
How rArely c1n 1t be said by AuY mere man with
reference to his Me-work, as the Savior Nth MS
expiring u!tcIance spoke Of the great redemption
he had undertakea-"!t is finished" TUE mini,
hy liritless ambition, soars to The height Of
some colossal scheme, .Grasps the grand design OF
some maGnldcent achievement, and forgets that
compliEhed, Is thing Of but three score years
and ten The longest and most laboEious life ever
leaves some threads OF the web 1t weaycs, TO he
gathered up By o.her hands and woven IN tae loom
OF another's Industry and genius The most per-
feet historic work tha: aus age OF language has
yet produced, stands Ike rpo1ess castle, grand
II beautiful vet incomplete. Science m0ufns the
Intimely fate by which the master achievement
OF the great EeoloG1st Of Scotland was Left
bn, chaotic i;o,1 mass Of fs2smensss;s5 papers
men shRll build. Patriotism weeps At
the grave Ct one whose fa--seeing p1ans q: bless
ing 10 the nal1ou the bullet OF the assassin gase
to others to carry Gut
And so-as II it were q WORK too vast for life
50 brei-Gol has made 1t the great commission OF
than rear the building OF the personal religion Of
us reon,e "As wise K master 3 buliasE, n ;ass
buildeth therenpon." Where tho ancient c!ty Of
Cologne listens to the laughing waters of the
Rhine, they latc, s1x hundred 5ears ago. the cor
ne:-stone o. The Gandest church u Europe. tis
the Middle Ages achieved For centuries past
pilgrims OF erery land have stood lost in wonder
1uTous delight upon the rn1.vailed perfection Of
lts details The n2me Of him who conceived
structure Of such @ SURPRISING beauty has, 81
wnose mind WAS capable OF gEaspinE q design 50
vast has failed to gain even the humblest niche IN
Tsie o,ess ere % bai ne The Woix
which later generations we're 10 car!y Oh md
t;ill the cathedral Is unfinished Though
ner.stone M N was lad, tie completion of lhe WORK
1s yet In the future. Beloved, how Ike tnaf
cathedral the nober better boiler temple o. tne
PSui laid the one Cornerstone, Christ Jesus
Other builders reared upon It the superstructure
eubIime ienpie ot the living God, you aIe resting
On d basis laid eighteen centuries ago. And still
the WORK Is incomplete, and Is 70 be carried On IN
time to come, until amid the Eories Of the Fesur-
rection The archsugel's trump shall proclaim TINT
it Is dntsbed. Brethren, Whist St Paul was to the
Shqn 9f & on, q sSe
foundation on which the hearer Of the Gospel Is
to build the structure OF his own personal religion
ifeciyIpg germ Of essentially Protestant religion
The priest Of the Church q Rome takes the whole
WORK upon himself aud on frem The bands q ~ his
are to tEst implicitly to him In all thai pertains 10
the Eonl and its eternal destiny. He Is 90 70
aot op tas 5onnd 5 hns me eode5 e o.
lister Of Christ holds no such position no
such on1ee H1s one g:eat work Is 70 preach &c
the cornerstone upon which, By the grace Of
God, each man must build the superstzucture for
himself No apostle, NO minister, no angel, can
% this work for you. When you construct for
yourself home, It Is an easy matter TO enter Into
contract with come morc experienced builder to
do eyery part and portion OF ne ssoFE ana t2 @ r.
brother you cannot make any such contract with
YOUR minister. lie may, indeed, 60 faithfully
preach the one only 1or 5euf sas 80 80
your view the glories OF q complete redemption,
ihEt Christ may be formed In your soul, and the
faith, But 10 build upon that basis q Christian
character, symmetrical belief. holy li1eI!s y
something which you must do for youtsel. No 10
one In she universe can do It for you For,
hrotte1rcugion Ii personal, not pr1estly. work.
and yet, no minister can he faithful IN the DIS
charge q hts nsh WIG aoe sd not e
OF hls people In Ep,rltuulife who does not striss
IN every possible why to lead those IN who's
sa sa to 'ns @ass hs q
manent materials Artists tell US taat among th
master Pieces viii weIsn enees the o, Midi ~
Void the famous cartoons OF Ra7hae
remain .unrtyalled in the grandeur Of their COZ
pressed And yet they nre not r1tniinoa In the o
,iinarS acceptaiion Of that term They are on
outlines upon paper, which other and less sEilf
but the Foundation Of pictures, On which the hant
Of Others were 70 build the supeIst1oeture q II
color!ng. Brethren, have sometimes felt
though when Raphael looked upon those mAgni
cent creations Of hts genius, and realized how "a
was the surprising beauty which he had throw
into the mere outline which his hand had ssesche
he must have almost 1onged to do the tefdils
the work. And az he saw Others nttenpt TO car
out what he had but begun, and beheld the co
trast between the commencement and the col
pletton, between the cartoon and the painting
between the foundation and the supers.1ucture
be must have felt that such departure from II
design which his genius had conceived was som
hearts Of the CorinthIan believers, ST. Paul wi
nenci, guided by the Holy Ghost, had traced I
eketchest the rudiments. the Fundamental rtan
pies OF the Gospel Of Jesus Christ To dl up III
Eri1tual cartoon vas nc x9Ik q tna!sIauA j; /
picture, which at last should 5e dlsplaycdtn Got
presence and AAo1n the jasper walls OF hease
waited upon the breath Of rumor across the bl
water Of The Egean Sea, strange stories Of Cori
THAN belief and nEactice-when he learns that Il
details Of the religion held ut Cor1nth are utter
incongrrons With the outline he had drawn, Al
the surerBtructuTc Of their doctrine and daily II
Eas = ya5aee Rne1 i1 ene aoss
almost an emot.onof regret that he could not ha'
carTted:on the WORK which II had been his prtv!le
master builder" take7 it were q thing impos
Die fos the a1chltecl to lay wlth bis own IN
each stone that forms the wall OF some butldE
the builder OF the peril he 1ncura who puts the 1
eaJia9 wood or cruutllng sandstone where OF
The polished % marble OF the me enduring S 1 rs grani
turc can be found.
Just thai, the Apostle Paul lid in the lpass2,
from which The text Is takeo- lie Reminds u
ConnthLan Church TINT On no other foundati'
than the atonencnt OF Jesus Christ can any M
when the corner. stone ls the Rock Of Ages, the
remains The Necessity q ceaseless care for u
possss Of tns To,k s Fos on tns t1ae loan1
tnral, so entirely dug from the rch quaIry Of q
Bible, that, like Eod, and s!lve:. and rrecio
shall endure. The intensest trial Of their tru
ahall only act IS 1re does upon the precious nj
alB, refining them while 1t cannot destroy. Or,
ing latth IN Chrs., but pile upon 1t superstEs
tuIe Of theories 60 unwarzanted By Scrptu
opinions 50 50 hmsy and and - 1nsaeetanta! s m A. Il
s,ubnle, which the IRE utterly consumes: nsloEt
Ivan, 70 pursue This day the rraes which St. ?.
ss dess ts oe sA m
iical eject upon your lie May St Paul:s Mas
help me TO hEpeak the truth IN lore" :"
II is a most remarkable declaration OF the tc
which thus Enthusiastically asserts that man n
build his religious edince upon the tsae touns
,ion, SET the whole superarrncture b. worthless
% aan'e. unspeasa5e esa eonfoft IN Tho the t! oin % WI
IS thus set before US BY the apostle, Fr
ny heaFt Of hearts ! thank GOD that It :"
through tie wards q sofne yast hospital ami
the horurs Of = pestalence q plague. and on ev
sae we're Of n Raa 1aess h1s s3
lzst enemy. aad c,es thss seemed A. 4,
intion, oh, Would welcome ns would an an
irrm ses sttes y r. the pa5stStap who tod me, on
Ia RFFiflf 1f6Q n a I
affected, and the disease WAS not Of necessity
!ond the power q remedies 70 heal. and 20, .
looks oct upon the thousands tha. Surround h
y. Ne sees the ma!tt.n. rs WHO make Bo'ne pro
J Of Christianity, and yet who m!nEle ne 7
Win tic teachings Of the Word Of God. Ii
blessed comfort % know that these errors ma,
Geep e 'nn nndelinE fonnaaon ot iher hope
ators.ns sacr3nce Of Jcsua Here is the devote
Romish tradition. accepting ~ essential t!t
cal command There Ia one who hugs to
nuzt the dream OF some future psoha
for the soul and proclaims himself
for yuu and me 70 conclude that Eucn as II
are necessarily and certainly IN the grasp Of s
on H. aeu en eonans he sasxer I'll
have bult upon The rock Chr.st Jesus, who
he he fac. aG tsat sas SAVIOR died % iof them, En- and
are rearing structure Of personal religion
which The bnsls ts 'ne t5'e 2 9nsmshouRh e.. @ ,, tne
Se:S secrets Of the heart. It Is not for yoa OF
TO pass sentence on fellow-e.nnef, ana 70
that A1 who embrace 6one religious cEIoi =
therefore no longer believers IN Jesus, or Gnu,
Of God through ialth. have seea tfee rev "
1eayes haa dsoSped and Surtea' iS nns ane tznn
when they derived their lie. But when Sou
GOWN heneath M ne SOL sotl and found ths =, lqot- rea
EQD-yOu found tt ESJfEEGT UDlDI1fen. No