Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-03

manner We silt all Catholic truth frora the
| chaff Of the past. Although not infsalible
there is a heslthfnl and advancing wisdom
10 the Church Of Christ. 1t keeps the open
Word Of God; it educates the devout intel
ligenee of its members; it guards againlt the
excuses Of false freedom, and mairAains
the claw OF lieerty.n
have detained you too long. B.ut I
must bring under your notice if but for a.
moment, one other SUBJECT on which, had
your time permitted, should have liked to
have dwelt. No event has occurred since
ne great Reformation more promising for
me unity Of separated churches aud the in
crease of Christ's pure apd peacesbIe religion,
rs the recent convocation Of the Old CAtho-
lies which INST at Cologne on the 20.h of
September asst. It was meeting of repre-
sentative men. 1t contained singular ele-
ments; elements that had not met Ia counsel
for centuries. They were brought together
by a common search for truth, and for
unity In Christ Jesus; Old Catholics of Ger
many meeting with Jansenists of Holland,
and Reforming Catholics from Italy, Spain,
and France; meeting too with members of
the Greek and Armenian churches; and ask
ing and receiving counsel from Bishops of
the Church Of England, aud our
own church. Surely 1t is a time
Of grateful recognition of Gods grace. No
doubt many religious persons will be disap.
pointed thst there was 80 little, if any, ap-
peal 10 the Bible, and many more will won
der at the prominence given to reason and
science. But we must learn to look upon
the Old Catholic movement as it is Ia ITSELF
and TO follow it in its ewn natural course of
development. The effect of their delibera-
tons, taken as whole, cannot be fully es-
timated. They presented thorough, full,
searching analysis of existing abuses in the
church, forecast of the reforms desired,
and plain exposition of the comparative
positions Of the Alt-C Catholics and the Vail
can Church. Mach remains yet to be done;
but the results already attained ara such as
to produce confidence and hope IN the minds
of all Christians. May our prayer be that
their errors may be swept away, and that
they may get back IN the simple doctrine
Of Jesus Christi
Nor should We omit, on such q day as
this, to unite together in thanking God for
The rich blessings he has bestowed upon us
as church and as parish. 1t is true
that in this country, for the first time since
Consts ntine linked church and State to-
gether, the church-the same that was the
church catholic down to Constsntine's day
has fair field for perfectly free exp2n-
sion, If she will only hold fast in her order
to the liberty which Christ makes free. or
that church we are the representatives; and
to her we cling with ardent devotion. The
stately order Of her service, its deep devo
tional cast, the rich freedom CT Der sacred
psalmody, the simplicity and brevity of
her creeds, the prominence throughout all
her services of the great incarnation mys-
terry, and the Living personal Christ, her
sound and sober ethical sprit-all present
features which place her among the first and
foremost church in the land. Nor can any
mistake the clear utterance of our standards.
They declare the supremacy aud sufhciency
of Scripture. They defend the two creads,
as thoroughly to be believed, for they may
be proved by most certain warrant of Holy
Scripture. On all the cardinal points Of
theology, such as the Being Of God, the
Trinity in Unity, the Incarnation, the Atone
ment, etc, they utter no uncertain sound.
No communion in Christendom rests on a
more reasonable principle; none has main
tanned more wisely unity 10 essential faith,
yet a large freedom of opinion, a simple
teaching, sober worship, practical train
ing, a sound, ethical spirit. Its aim is to
educate In its believers the intelligent, con-
scientious love of the doctrines of the G0s
pei. These doctrines must prevail. Amid
the changes that are now taking place they
are now gushing up, as from ahiddenfoun
tain, in all their force and freshness. To
these we this day stand committed. Lei us
hold them fast. Let US be faithful and true
in maintaining them. Their march is on
ward. Their triumph is certain.
Such blessings as these call for deep graft
tude and profound thankfulness. May
the Fathers blessing this day descend upon
you'll May he keep you individually, as
families, and as people! May His good
ness and mercy follow You in the whole
of your sol Jurn on earth! Msy His pres
ence be your solace and your joy, rendering
earth SUMMER, and boiler, and happier, and
giving a certain pledge Of endless blessed
ness beyond the gravel
Time has its cycles; each cycle has its
events, each event has its behring's AID It's
issues. How many cycles have been COM
pleted! What mighty events have taken
placel What mighty issues have been IN
suredl But the end is not yet. We stand
between the past and the future. In LOOK
ing back we have to review the history of
nearly six thousand years, with all the evo-
buttons and the facts which crowd into that
period of time. But how pregnant is the
future! We are only entering on one of the
most eventful eeras in the history Of our
common world and our common race. Who
can tell what is coming up wiChthe birth Of
ages? Scenes Of unsurpassing light and slo-
~ are opening before us. The lamp OF
prophecy burns with brighter fame. 1t
becomes stronger and clearer with the prog
ress If time IL predicts day of universal
light aud happiness. Auspcious day! Pre-
cursor of milleunI&l light and glory! But
the time is not yet. Events are crowding
upon our view Of unparalleled character.
Great have been the upheavings of
human society. Mighty have been the
workings of the human mind. Everything
Is Fastening on 10 crisis. Borne on the
chariot of inspiration, we are carried through
ages of time, and set down amid scenes OF
purest light and loneliness, when the church
shall look forth as the morning, fair as the
moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as sn
army with banners; when her converts shall
be, both for beauty and numbers, like the
drops of the NOR ding dew; when the people
shall all be righteous; when every knee
shall bow, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father; when the triumph Of divine grace
shall be complete; when the earth shall be
full of the glory of the Lord; when voices as
of numbers without number, shall blendin
the universal song, ''Halleluiah! for thu
Lord God omnipotent reigneth!"