, 1874-07-20
True Ideal ?, of. Christianity.
Sermon by the Rev, DR.. nalsoy, Of tho
Presbyterian Seminary.
The Rev. Mr.. Mullins Appeals for tho
Union Of the Churches.
The Rev. DIR. Ellis on the Glory
- of God.
FHn TRUE IDEAL OF CHRISTIANITY

N""ie% ~ ~ - - A.. r,s.o
Iho Nov. Lofoy " iin!6oy' ~ 10y ~ tA' is'
bytorlan Theological Seminary, preached tho
following sermon yossorday morning at tho Third
yro.hvtor4nn Church. g.:
A1esDy.ot"n nsa VI, ,o,ovc cunnna,v ov,eea fabe,
For Ne nage nos ,s ,tn vo thn Gwer All eomur
~ nr Lard ea,ls Christ but woro oyc-wncsscs Of his
mafeas, For Mo rooetved from God tho gAsher honor
and glory, whcn thors came .noh voice to Him from
tho e1eeen ofy 1 ny os1oyea sS son ~ xeo fso
hs.yeo, xG hssr Tgn " w0ro with Him In tho holy
mount. e, ....s te.sF .s. T. .,o,, of
Ino Apoa." fasot speah".e " 4uepnA.
God, Woulo eeem more Almost 10 hayo anticlpae-
toned ua beforehand against that fayorite but
ina;d,ora form nj ',ntionB,,sm. ,yh3nh ropnrds
@1.sss.,a.,.s ~ ~. i,r,,. - a,,r,i.-,v do,,so1
,1ua"s5 a, ~ sns nsns u ea!ulsr ., uofaa.1
gradually developed out Of tho traditions Of Jow-
jah hiatory With no solontiflo basis to test on.
sna ~ tr,,s rovo,ation from f3nd
"ua ~ ~ ~, -, .o'..oA ..e .,,'a,,., ~, ~ n.
Wo live IN IN ago OF uhbollcf. one OF 'n'
most obvious ohnracteristtcs Of this nineteealh
contuty ID ita .vido-sproad Booptfcism--its ten
t7nncv to touhe In c,,i In nue.tIon. not only tho
s,nssnss.,t.a ~ .rt,e,a. ~, nristi,nitv INIT
Aaaaa1aansa. athoicn o's'' 10y
the very foundations Of al moral nno
xelig1oua belief. Mover before, IN tho
history Of .pau, was there 90 strong. and
o. .re+,r.1 !. .lianoaitfou atnnnp man to chai-
isnss tIa horcdilnry ioefa Of tho past, pnti
snd o9ror,nn"t s Ai1 onnions. alj oreods ali
svsts,n1 I'll ;uatt,tinna cnnd Ind had aliko' arc
Tiftnd IT, tl,o hntton, nra axnmfnod and testod
to Tho last la M nuaIyais,
Ghriafisrjtv i,aa not oseoped this scrutiny.
1rnnnh ali tha lonr onntnrios Of its history but
nanooisly sincn Tia rreat protestaot nofornlation
Of the sixteenth cot,ry, aud still moro ainco tho
wat advancement Of tho physical sciences during
I,e Hrh Hthro,rh Ills ordnai. aud Is slill passing
tlSnuah f. in oyery oiyiIizcfl lond benaath the
sun, And 1 think 1t Ia saio to any TINT thus far
Ind nh;1nsophy. # 1las atood tho iiphts OF noi,
eot;1n rianhysrv. And ~ Ina contS fnrth frnm
Al, thasa hatt1o5 n onin;on" sven ns il camo
forth from tho oarltor conflicts Of persccution.
without tho amoli Of fro upon its garments.
.,at ,,rant rait,;nns .a hau;ng vsd tha .f
frsaes Of manSind.-two in Uhlna. Two in Iulis,
nnd four Of Woatern Asia, Of those Christian.
tl1e JudSisro Of thS Old Tostanlent1 which hns
s1nccssfu1v atood t,leao tosts tho only one Of
sThinh It nau be- al1irmad that il has fully indf-
cntnd itsolf an q true aud dlYino revelation at
science, and tic philosophy Of tho most highly
r;v{ii1c1 nations and r.ces Of mf,l.
= In bar7nony with those thoughts. md as a
theme not inappropriato. trust. to }ho proyent
illustrate @ rate % tho force rec Of tio Apostles @ gront d.
fenHe. or ar]o1ory. Dr. more prppor]y. .yindcatton,
1hnn ba ciaifnn for hmself md lis fellow
ADogtlea and his follow Chriat;aua. through alt
tiino, tint We Lavo moi followed cunniugiy-do-
yised fables. Christianity is more tllan somo
heaut,f,l nn1 inronlo1,a mythology ot,Ahrinetl
in ma lcronds Of antiquity. and supported by
the aupetstttjops fears Of }gnorant and oredu-
lous men. ohriatianity, Unlike all other rs-
epy more development or outgrowth from hli-
tnar instincta nh frnm thoye silcpsd sit,ns ANIL
wonders Which flguro 90 largely ID nnotent hia.
tory, and mark tic so.callod infancy aud Child
hood Of our raco. ChTistianity il solne-
ihlue moro tAan o auperb aud gorgeous fiowor.
bnonino nav at tho 'fnij md filing Inn oarth
with frasranco, hut planied originally by human
hands, waterod by tlo tears Of toling agoH ma
tured under lilo sunlight Of advancing ciyiliza-
fion. md anrineine ouly from tho rIcL soil of
Ile human henrte
WLst. then, is it7 What Is tho true concopson
and ideal Of Christa1ity2 What do we embrace
eul follow when. in tho lead Of inspired Apostles.
we tahe tne Hiblc gu q true revelation from God
and tho Gospel Of Christ as tho iniallible, and
only divine, religion for MANI
|. Christianity, ns revealed in tho Scripturea is
I 4a oa ay oeosf
distinct, comprehensive, aud consistent system.
No ono can dispute The o1igtenoe OF Chris
tianity, ~ . pa1paple fact and vital force now
il tho world. No QUO can 1ony tho grest facts Of
its PRONUNCIATION. progross, and power during
the past eighteen centuries, Woli thero ia just
As little ground to doubt, or tony, tho facts Of
iss origin mud curly history, ~ narrated in the
Dible. For they come to Us in tue snno way,
aud aro attestei by tic same kind Of oyileuco.,
One Of the most remarkable foaturoa of tlo
Diblo, and of tho wholo religious yyyto1n- dayol-
opod III the Bible, is lat tia, from irst to lnst.
oonnectod history OF faotv.-of croat oyents.
running through q poriud OF 4.O09 years an.
braclng tho long and oheckored national lite Of
one Whole people; 60 connoetad with the ma
tional oxistonce OF other groat Kingdoms Of an
tiquity, aid 30 interwronglt with fhor history,
aA itB worry wurp and woof, that you cannot d.
euoy the ono without destroying tho otLor.
history and progress OF evory civilized nation Of
modelp Europe, than the biblo history Of Tia
jewish race was interviewer into the history nj
iii the 4rost BthteH and Empires Of antauity.
It pleased God, for roasons known o1ly to
uluBo|f, TINT this divine revolution aiould bo in
the form OF written record and that tlis boo|,
shouid tsko tho form Of = history,-a history Of
tie world for forty ceuturlog Of it's existence.
T'Lat grnnl soLema Of aaly atiou, Which began to
10 unfolded at tlo gatoa q Paradise Lost,
closed ouly with tho ciosing visions
Of tho Apocalyppo, opouing Tito Para
pre-cm;nsntly narratiya of bjbtor;o fantg. q