Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-08-04
Anniversary of the Society for ReIi-
glOus Inquiry

The Society for Religious Inquiry O
the University of Vermont at Burlington
held its annual celebration on Sunday
evening. The church was again thronged
to its utmost capacity. Mr.. G. H. Dun
ton, of the Graduating Glass, President Of
the Society, presided. The music was by
the same quartette which furnished the
singing for the Baccalaureate. Prayer
was offered by the Rev. S. D. Brown o.
New York, chaplain of the occasion. The
Address was by Rev. D. G. Eddy, o.
| Boston.
MIR. EDDY's ADDRESS.
The subject of the Reverend orator wal
Paul at Athens, and was considered under
the following heads:
1st.-Paul, the celebrated preacher.
2nd.-The wonderful pulpit.
3d.-The magnificent audience.
4th.-The awful theme.
5th.-Christ the universal theme O!
history, the irrepressible subject of con
troversy, and the only source of consola
ton.
In introducing his subject, the speaker
remarked that it is trite saying thai
history repeats itself There is nothing
new under the sun; every newly discoV
cred truth is something that has been due
up from the past. Errors that appear to-
day are but the errers of former ages
Two events only will never repeat them
selves,-the Crucifxion and the Fall
he rs
and Romans repeats itself to-day. Never
has Mammon had SO many worshippers
Never did mankind more blindly worship
at the shrine of Baechus. The god of wal
has not ceased his dominion. Not a ma
ton but has blazed with consuming cities
and felt itself impoverished to maintain
its armies. Paul in Athens had before
him a wonderful display of the power OF
idolatry. Every nook and hillside was
filled with shrines of gods, and among
them the altar "To the Unknown God
Paul was no doubt the grandest man OF
his age. Learned in all the wisdom OF
the age, he was able to cope with the phi
losophers of Greece in defense of the cause
he once vowed to destroy, but which he
now loved. He was no dealer with dead
issues, but he was the complete preacher
of the complete gospel of a COM
plete Saviour. Such was the preach
er who stood uron mars hill
1t was rne grandest pulpit on earth
Around him was the court of Areopagus,
the centre of Grecian intellect and cul-
ture. Above him was the clear sky, be-
low him was Athens, and farther on the
sea he had crossed to preach the word OF
God. His audience was grand. He spoke
to all the world in effect; for you can no
more confne an idea to those who hear il
than you can shut up the sunshine be.
hind the hills. That sermon has been re-
peated through the ages. Never before
had such theme been presented to the
men OF Athens. To them the unknown
God" filled place in their lists of gods,
and nothing more; but Paul swept away
their theories with the story of Christ ana
they beheld themselves as they were,
weak and blind. That same sermon might
be preached to-day. what think We OF
Christ 7" is still agitating the minds OF
men as in other days. Theories and specu-
Iations regarding his character are num-
ha'loee, and naen soherly tell us that the
Bible story Is romance. To very many.
indeed, Christ is still an unknown God
Cathedrals and churches, beautiful il
architecture, are erected to this
altar all over the world. The cultured
of the 10Th century was lately
represented in the Convention of liberia
hInkers in Ali Souls Church in Boston |
Christianity without a divine Christ
s only Paganism.
What Paul did in his day, it is for this
'ociety to do in this. 1t must show that
stream that does not flow from Calvary
las no power to cleanse the soul. Ii
must fight with courage and devotion
ivalling the heart of the Douglass who
ore the heart of Bruaa for tho faith nnno
ellvered to the saints. Working with
,hrist, the church shall yet build her
liars where pag an gods are worshipped,
nd through all the earth shall ring the
lad snnso of redemption over a world |
edeemed.