National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-15
UNBELIEF.
Revival Meeting at the Foundry church-ssr-
mon by Dr, Newman

The revival meetin 60 inaugufsted ct the Foun-
dry church are stili continuing, end will continue
indefinitely. Last night this large church was
well allied, md thsfe were number of the pas
tors Of the city churches In the congregation who
took part m the exercises. .
The singing was full OF vim and far superior to
that which has been part Of the exercises Of other
meetings Of the kind. As had been announced,
the Rev. J. p. Newman, of the Metropolitan
church, preached. He selected as his text, St.
MARX. vie: "And he mArveled because OF their
unbelief" -|-......r .r... .r.n
The outward circumstances of Christ, he said,
had not been favorable to elicit the faith Of his
townsmep. He had been raised In their midst;
had he sdysntaee Of the schools and the Citizens
OF Nazareth had not believed that he was the
Messiah, and he had maryeled. The faith essen
tal to receive Christ % the Messiah was an intel
Iectusl faith. They had rejected him, and he
could not do mighty works there because Of their
unbelief WhyWas't not also trueof the churches
There Iere u ~ shades Of unbelief. First,
there was the -heist, who occupied the extreme
line OF un6sh RS; next to the atheist was the
1nndel. The infdel was not necessarily an sthe-
list. although the atheist must be an inidel.
The infdel believed in the Immortality Of the
Flss Ms
eminent, but he denied the Bible false, and did
not believe in Christ
an intidel or an atheist; he might not have any
settled belief. His fruits had not been gathered.
And next to the sceptic was the doubter. He was
in the bosom Of the church perhaps, and stood be-
fore the world as professed Christian. He was
the man who was stumbling block for sinners
There was Inconsistency In unbelief First, be-
cause men did not look upon and act IN religious
matters as in matters Of every day life; there was
q lack Of that mutual action which pervadsd
the order By WbicS they lived Perhaps thew "
might say that faith IN worldly things was pro-
ges made pc s al
people continued to marry. There was enough in
the commercial world to cause Q man 70 hesitate
promises Of the world was inconsistent because
men were acting every day in accordance with
the Instructions Of the divine book. Christianity
was only the help Of nature, aud is Unborn, and,
In q word, the God Of Christianity was the God OF
nature and the One who suffered on the cross was
the came invisible One who had created the uni
verse. They received profane historical facts on
the same grounds on which they rejected the b.
BILE miracles were facts. The difference between q
stone rolling down hill and stone rolling up hill
was fact, and they were Just as competent Of
seeing stone rolling up hill as of seeing roll
dead srone falling dead, as they had ali the he.
cessary qualifications of sight, aud they would be
competent to testify to it.
Not until he went outside OF himself could man
rise superior to other animals. Faith invited them
to look outside OF themselves and lay hold of those
supernatural forces let down from heaven and LIT
themselves up to God. Unbeliet was Inconsistent
because 1t contradicted common sense, common
experience, common observation. Common sense
approved the method which the Almighty had
chosen to select his agents. UnbeIef contradicted
common experience. Their experience was that
virtue and happiness are inseparsble, and that
vice and misery were inseparable. 1t was so with
others, too. Moral law never asked man whether
he believed In moral law or not. Their observa-
tion as to vice was that vice always led to misery;
that he who had lived gOdly life was happy.
one to pursue life Of vice II he desired to live
life Of happiness. .... o..
1t was said that the Saviour could not do MANY
mighty works because unbeIief prevailed among
his toWnsmen. and the same thing was the trouble
with them. He was sure that they had had exhI-
into infidels. Should they get the faith thew
needed that church would not hold the peniteuts
that would crowd to hear the Word. They were
Samsons shorn Of their locks simply because
they were smitten with the paralysis Of their m
belief He then asked all to kneel for q few
minutes to ask for the faith which would give
them power to do mighty works.
REMARKS OF DR.. CLEVELAND.
At the conclusion Of Dr. Newmsn's remarks.
DR.. Cleveland spoke briefly, saying that what
would gladden. him in this deplorable condition
was to know how they should get faith. He con-
that he was not alone in it. He felt encouraged
that 90 many had attended the meetings. He be-
lleyed that there was one who was more interested
lows. 1t was an age Of continually Increasing
study Of facts, and the Church was passInS
through transition period, but he believed that
There might seem to be very heavy shssows rest.
ing upon them at present, but in other places the
clouds had parted and many soul had been
this city that had taken hold on God. He be-
leved there were many faithful still around about
them. He thought that If by some power they
could see the thousands Of the faithful In this
The time was come for them to step to higher
ground, and IL the note Of warning only led TO
greater efforts it would be blessing.
The service was then concluded with prayer and
song.