The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-22
TALMAGE'S TABERNACLE.

TALMAGE'S TABERNACLE
Father Gavazzrs First Sermon I'm
Observation-Disclosures by Faith-An
Congregation.
Father Gavazzi preached his first sermon in
America yesterday at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, on
Schermerhorn street, between Nevins and Powers
streets. The building was densely crowded long
before the opening OF the services and hundreds
were unable to gain admission. Rev. Mr..
Talmage the pastor OF the church, Father Gavazzi
and Rev. Dr. Thompson were seated on the plat
form. After singing by the congregation and
prayer by DR.. Thompson Mr.. Talmage came for
ward and said
In the name Of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the
American Church welcome to our shores Father
Gavazzi and the Rev. DR.. Thompson--Dr. Thomp-
son, long known and beloved in this country when
a pastor among our people. OF Father Gavazzi l
need not say he has suffered all things for Chrsts
sake but death itself, and am hoping that through
the ministry of these brethren coming to us
Commissioners from the Free Church of italy that
Gods kingdom may be nightly advanced in our
midst, and the redemption OF Italy fastened.
Father Gavazzi will now address you.
Father Gavazz then stepped forward, and, after
glancing over the congregation carefully announced
his text. He spoke with strong Italian accent,
and his hearers found difficulty at several points
during his remarks in understanding him. As
general thing, however, he spoke plainly. He has
a very dramatic delivery, and speaks with much
force and earnestness.
FATHER GAvAzzfs SERMON.
His text was from Romans, ill.,, 2s-"Thercfore
we conclude that man is justified by faith without
the deeds OF the law.n
In these days OF human infallbility ana material
icfia rit ha he CHI hn pd IN
open his American mission that day by telling his
Christian friends that they still. preaching in
Italy the great fundamental Christian dogma of
justification by faith. He did not call it q Protest
ant dogma because justification by faith wa not q
Protestant dogma. IL was not Luther's dogma: 1t
was anterior to Professionalism and to Luther. 1t
an apostolic dogma. 1t was the dogma OF
Christ Himself and therefore 1t was the real basis
was a mock Christianity and where there was a
justification by works there was an dolatry but no
Christianity. But when we said classification by
faith we must understand that it must be taken
relatively and not absolutely because, after ALL it
was not the faith that justified the soul, because
faith was not the primary, the efficient cause OF
our Justification, but only the secondary instru-
mental cause OF it. Justification was through
faith in Jesus Christ, and then the act Of ustying
the soul came from God, the Father-justld-
cation from the Father, who. according to Paul.
himself, was the great ustifer that Christ stood
at the root OF our justification. Faith only the
instrument oft. There was material comparison,
he said, to explain his mind. The sun shone over
! the creation and beautifed it. but
NOBODY COULD SEE THE SUN
and the effects OF its light If blind But then came
some subsequent questions. We're the eyes of the
1 individual man, the preacher continued, perchance
| the origin and cause of the light OF the sun No;
because this sun shone without the eyes of the in
dividual man. Moreover, were the eyes of the in
4 divdual man the cause that men saw the sun
hey were sns es q 70 ' c n
4 exterior objects lighted up By the sun. SO it was
in his subject Jesus was the spiritual life Of our
/ spiritual world, but nobody could see Him. There
l fore We need moral light TO Jesus. and moral
light was faith which was the instrument to convey
to souls the light that shone over Jesus Christ
Jesus, then, was the Of our justification; faith
was only the instrumentality OF il. When we said
faith was the instrument OF our justification we said
faith exclusive OF works. When He spoke OF works
\ let it be understood that He spoke either OF the
/ works of the individual man or the works of the
\ Church. 1t must be faith and faith exclusively be-
cause If justification were by works instead of faith
there would be Hat denial OF all the revelation Of
God. There would be a substitution OF man instead
4 OF Cod First OF all, II justification went by
works instead of faith, there would be IA
Nat denial Of the revelations of God.
hundred passages in the New Testament where we
found 1t clear that faith is at the bottom Of JUS
tifcation. He would say that no could go to the
Father except through Jesus Christ. Jesus was the
way, and to believe In Him was TO be saved. There
fore faith was the instrumental cause OF our just
cation through Christ. Ii was such fact that we
could see 1t clearly in the Gospel even when speak
ing OF material miracles performed by Christ when
living among us. Wherever lie found lalth III the
applicants
he PERFORMED MIRACLE
He refused miracles TO the Sa,lducees. but where
ever he found faith performed miracles. Among
others lie gave light to the bind man and He cured
the woman laborng under issue OF blood, saying to
her, ''1hy faith hath made thee whole" Let us
take moral miracle-the conversion Of the woman
who was sinner In the town We read in Luke
that she went TO dear Jesus and was much forgot
haps 1t was because she loved much. Yes but
there was an expression In Luke which
spoke volumes on behalf OF his subject
and the expression was how the woman
knew that Jesus Christ was her Saviour. Not
through love, because love was the effect OF faith,
but not the cause CT faith. She knew that Jesus was
her Saviour by fatn and faith sent her 10 Him and
Jesus dismissed her He said unto her, Not thy
love; 20 in peace: thy faith hath saved thee"
Faith performed that moral miracle OF the CONVEX
zion Of that woman. which was proof,
Father Gavaz2i said, OF his argument that
II was through faith in Jesus Christ that our
souls were justified. Let IL clearly be
understood that If a man could justify himself by
more. III ! can justify myself by my own works.
saiu the preacher, ~ don't believe Jesus Cnrst and
tne Lord Himself" IF he could justify himself by
MS own deeds he would be the author ofhis justif-
cation bnt that was q physical well AS a moral
ilnposslbility. II would be a substitution OF man
instead OF God the saviour You don't think for
moment that II
MAN WERE TIED ARMS AND FEET
WIN mlllstone hanging from his neck and plunged
INTO the oceans water-that under those circiim-
stances he could foat 2 Could he swim and get
ashore IN sa."tyY No. Under these circumstances
ne migt go the bottom OF the ocean and be drowned
to death. That was one condition We sank In rho
b4 a Ia hand ~