New-York tribune., 1874-09-14


THE GOSPEL IMMUTABLE.
ne Rev. Hugh Mr Ia0"p,on D. at oAr' c"ard 'r'"'''
The Rev. Hugh Miller Thompson, d. d.,
preached at Christ Church in Fifth-ave on the Un
changeabeness OF the Gospel OF God" He took for his
text Galatians l., But though we or an angel from
heaven preach auy other gospel unto you than that
which have preached unto you, let him be accursed
GODS gospel said Thompson, never changes. It's
firm and fixed. There can be only one gospel ana We
can preach other The story OF the gospel truth never
changes The apostles sent out TO preach the eos
pel and 10 tell It's story exactly they received It,.
That story be changed IL remains for ever just
as it is written When the apostles we're sent out to
preach the gospel they to tell just the things Chrs
gave them They bis trustees ana the gospei WAS
the trust committed 10 them IL was their dntY 10 Keep
IL wholeto preserve IL exactly as they received IT, ne
who should change any point would be false trus-
tree and TO his trust GODS church is trustee
,us f as came from dod:o transmit s truth pure and
unchanged TO the world We have to transmit
above all other ages full OF the desire to hear new
things There never was an age In which human OPINION
cling to apparently unchangng principles today whch
tomorrow we fnd all adrft again. Undoubtedly we
make advances every day. We improve ana push on
but there Is constant changing and our faith IS sna
tered Our truths and principles OF today must acGO
Tomorrow Upon such q time we have drifteu
aud I do not complain OF the times Goa las has
of the past generation must away before the fao
OF this the facts OF this generation will yield to the
current ever giving place TO others. Men may go on
making their theories aud putting them into BOOKS put
they will die as theories and books have died before
Them Until the last testimony before the court there
can be no fixed theory. Human Investigation Is cor
rected by human investigation. Unt you nave tne lase
fact in your science your theory will fail. single un-
known fact may overturn it, We must hold ourselves
ready to cast away at sight all our theories anu ooncu
sions and adopt new ones.
But is this so in aldeparments OF human knowledge
liable to be corrected by better Investigation Tomorrow
Your expression of truth thus established can never
shadow OF It, But shall what depends on Gods reyela-
tion also submit to change, and become all adrlff Is
in IN one respect, perhaps. it is. In Itself 1t is
fixed and unehangeabe. But when man accepts
eaSacty [u'h He tsEs less today sHd more
He may only part OF at one time so the truth in
side him may change bas the truth outside MN never ever
another, but it is the same unchangiDg truth Here
the mistake arises Of supposng that Gods truth does o
The mountain range or coos truth
is traversed by men who see only part at nne'
and they 20 they see more and get 0tner views.
Tney think it is the mountains that change, but
all the change is in the themselves .t Gods ,nn re,
receives it according TO his powers OF reception IL Is
great and universal All men take IT. Tor II nts al ~
That OF thing ia sometimes preached from the pull
pit II is said that this old gospei must improve as
advance that 1t mast Accommodate itself TO the pro-
gress of the age We admit that age side OF
the gospel may DO rghtestAnd dearest aud In another
age another side of the gospel may be most cherished
But this Is not change in the gospe-it change in
tine age change In Gods truth, but change IN
man. Inc gncaanglng truth comes win voice voice 70 70
Inc purpose of the gospel Is TO educate men, and to
t them for higher lIfe 1t is something for us TO live
by aud therefore 1t Is unchanglng They complain or
dogmatc faith and Of fixed creeds. They say have
no right to bind mans free thought by unchanging
dOgmas and by established tenets But II we nave no
right to do that then we have no right to make any law
hfnIiu ma outS fraa
argue. He gives no reasons and uses no persuasion.
Gods voice echoing on the burning mountain IN the
OF all mankind Gods law binds outside. and the souls
own law of conscience binds inside. The two join to-
gether Loose believing leads loose living. The man
who rejects Gods truth does not believe In Gods right
Dnty and faith are bound together and they
severed Right and wrong stand Just as truth ana ase
hood do they are what b man nes haSeS bsm ts 'n'a
Tendency today to disregard and ridicule the old re
gious customs and the stern faith OF the fathers But
there is much change from tue lie or the fathers
stern morality as well from their faith aud customs.
Have not brought down the hard race OF duty ana
presence with our guilty handsf The commandments
arc disre garded No men steal except men IN ragged
clothes Men ID gooa e,Itnes 40 Sn o' not
msappropriates funds. We no longer bear false wit
ness There are softer names that and under those
softer names respectable people at least break the
mandment. But how some day these men come
stood high 10 the communty-high perhaps even IN
religious society-may out lie, and his life be
shown to have been hypocrtical and dsgraceful The
nature OF such men Is honeYoombed, and they go to
pieces suddenly peaceful sea- When men were
honest as well as honorable, when mans word was
his bond and his home his castle before menslves
were full corruption, they had fixed faith. They
believed there was devil, they beeyed there was
he'll that the only proper place to which to
send many men and women. think 1t will como back
to us. We must take the old principles II we are
TO have the old morality. We know, churchmen,
what have to expect and that t will be complained
OF that we have nothing to tell, yet under Gods
mountain range OF truth there are shadows OF great
rocks in a weary land Down yonder slopes wave green
palms and gush out TO refresh che weary
pilgrim Older than the world, and older than all
tiOn, there lie the jewels OF the land eternal-Gods
treasure laid up for him that Will seek and hnd.