Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-06-12

and to magnify Him forever" That
hymn, "The Benedicite" has an antiq-
uity dating back into the far off time,
when the Jews were surrounded by
Nations who aoorshipped the ecorhs and
not the Worker and, to-day, there is
an highly refined, yet, specious and
dangerous philosophy which teaches
us, that matter has eternally "evolu-
ted" itself, and refining as it proceeds,
at last has eventuated, from mol
lusk Or a monkey, In man ! Hence
we need to say: 81 believe in One
God, the Father Almighty, Maker of
Heaven and earth, and of all things
visible and invisible" As christians,
nay even, as inheritors of the teach
ing of Moses, we must believe, that
the "Lord Our God is One Lord
Jehovah is Maker of all. However
much we may delight in science that
can decipher the footprints Of the
Almighty in the rocks, and make His
six days of creation glorious and di-
vine, in untold ages, still, these days
are to be regarded as time, and no
Hindoo pundit, nor Egyptian scholar,
nor English scientist is to be allowed
to attribute to matter qualities which
the laws of a higher realm than that of
matter, the realm of the spirit, impel us
to consider as entailing upon us the
duty of worship. If God be not
PERSONAL---VERY. He, being Himself
Mreated, did not Ue0te all things,
except Himself, then He is not en-
titled to our entire mOrship and con-
.fdence. If matter be as old as Spirit,
if what | may term rigid High
Church -Darwnism be true, then the
dwelels in central Asia are right in
worshipping the Sun, and the onl ly rule,
to regulate our choice of objects to
adore, is the rule of taste. 1t is i'm
portant, therefore, that we know the
history Of our creed-that we realize,
that the grand doctrine, Of the Unity
of the Godhead, which, it was the
peculiar mission of the Jewish people.
to unfold and preserve, is endangered
to day, as really as it was in the time
of Moses. No golden calf, no image,
which Nebuchadnezzar set up, no bra
zen serpents, after The plague is stayed,
can share that dutiful and sublime
worship and homage, which we owe
to the Eternal God, and we still hold
the true faith. And, here, let
me Observe that no dogma can be
too rigid, no creed too exact, no ritual
too high, which preserves in mems
heads and hearts, a consciousness and
knowledge of the One True God. -
1t is indeed mystery, whether the
ecclesiastical doctrine be defective in
holding the faith of the Divine Trinity
or not still, the subject of the God
head, simplifed and arranged, in any
method is full of deep mystery The
thought of an Eternal Spirit, who crea-
ted and who governs all things: this
simple reflection is the grand basis
the starting point, in all religion. 1t
was this contemplation, which gave
such a nobility to the religion of the
American Aboriginees, and the King
of Israel hath declared that 'the fool
hath said in his heart there is no
God"
To preserve in human annals, the
knowledge of the One True God, as
distinguished from the Lords many
and the Gods many of IIellenistic, and
Egyptian Polytheism, and Asialic
Sun-W orship, was, Gas I have remark
ed,) the mission of Judaism, and that
object was not accomplished without
the severest trials, time and again
The omnipotency of Jehovah was
proved in avenging Israel after captiv-
tiles, themselves entailed, by theil
own rejection of the Lord Jehovah
The Jewish mind continually reverted
to the gorgeous, and voluptuous hea.
then rites of Egypt and other sur
rounding nations, some of which were
adopted by Moses, just as the
Apostles of our Saxon forefathers
ADAPTED Pagan customs to christian
uses, hence the intense monotheistit
tone of the Old Testament.
In these days, too, when crime is
so prevalent, when the moorings al
} which society for ages has securely
rested, seem to be failing, we neet
} that simple faith in God which in
spired the Jewish heroes. The Being
of God, though mystery, is the truth
and 'all great truths being simple