The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-05-27

RICHMOND,
Sonr greetings here 10 the very midst Of the
hospitable welcome Of the Old Dominion. )
The law Of harmony 10 Nature makes even
her extremes meet in mutual blessing. The
grim aud giant iceberg, dislocated from its
icy fastnesSes, moves in stately grandeur
from its northern home with its buttresses,
and battiements, and towers, and pinnacles
all flashing in the sun, to meet in its course
south8 that wonder of Providence, that
most mysterious parent and yet child of
| storms, the inscrutable Gulf stream. and
| there, in that strange contact, is an outcome
of temperate and halcyon seas. Both are
conquered, and yet each is a victor.
| And if this be true in the gospel of Nature,
| oh !my brothers. how much truer is it In the
gospel Of Christ: .... -.....-.-
We are all one family in Christ Jesus. He
| Is a common bond Of union, and thus, though
we have never heretofore cIasped hands or
looked upon each others faces, we are not
alien to each other. No two Christian hearts
can be strangers, though they may have
come together from the opposite poles. How
the great Apostle poured out all the trea-
sures Of his generous soul upon the Chrls.
tisn foreigners whom he had never seen. Ii
the heathen philosopher could eXclaim That
nothing which was human could be alien to
him. oh how much more caa we say that
those whs have one faith, one hope, and one
Gospel, can never be foreign to each other.
| Opinions, views, convictions, dissimilar to
our own on matters not essential to bro.
therhood In Christ Jesus, interpose no barrier
| to our confidence and esteem. In inter-
course, communion. friendly offices, and, still
more in common holy work, we not only
learn to respect and love each other more,
but our differences themselves lose all their
sharp outlines in the new and blessed atmo.
sphere.
/ Speaking not only for myself, but as be-
lieye for my people, hesitate not to declare
that as TO matters civil, political, or national,
| 1t is immaerial whether we or you were
| loyal or rebel so long as we all maintain the
| faith as it is in Christ Jesus and acknowledge
His supremacy as Lord of all. know no
other test Of Christian fellowship and conf.
dence. / put no other upon any man, aud
suffer none to be put upon ME. l exact 40
apology for any sincere and conscientious ac-
tion in any civil or political matters in the
Dast-will give none when it is required OF
me, and will hold in equal scorn any attempt
made in either direction. To all who are
disposed to "spy out our liberty" and put
you or me in condemnation in this respect
l say with st. Paul, I'VE give place by SUBJ
Lection, no, not for an hour"
| Doubtless there were great differences in
national and party sentiment amongst The
Parthans, and Medes, Mesopotamians and
Phrygians. Egyptians, Romans, Jews, Gre
tans, and Araoians assembled at Pentacost.
but the Holy Ghost Paid no respect to such
but fell upon all. God grant that like
blessing may fall upon this Convention.
In The prosecution of the high work VIC
have in hand We are all loyal and all rebel al
once - loyal to the great Head Of the Church.
and rebels against The Prince of the power ol
the air; and, blessed be God, we have the
certain and glorious consolation, not always
50 sure in other conflicts, that wherever oul
battle is wagcd it is always fought upon the
rightlul territory of our King and Master
territory doubly. His, formed in the begin
ming by the word OF His power, and agar
redeemed by His precious blood.
| WHY is it, Christian laymen. that you have
left your homes so pleasant and your daily
Iavocations so pressing to meet in counci
here. There can be but one answer. 1t !:
the electric power of tue name that is above
lcyerv name-tbe hope that by your Efforts
however hum ole, in His cause, the preciou:
truths of His Gospel will be sent in widen
ing circles through our land. You have
come in the interest of no man, or party, OF
sect you have no political or civic honOrs
TO seek or bestOW-no heroes to worship, 10
friends to reward, no enemies to punish
no scandals TO screen, DO regulations to tar
nish, no strles to foment, no wickedness tc
exGlt. You meet in the name OF the Prince
of Life, to promote peace on earth and good
will to men, to organize campaigns against
unrighteousneSS and wrong wherever found,
and to confer with one another upon al
available methods Of instruc;ing the igno'
rant, recaimiug the erring, helping the
weak, and of proclaiming the truths of The
Bible, especially to those who daily rise up
and lie down in the lairs Of sin.
Men are not only TO be brought to the gos.
pel, but the gospel must be carried to them.
| We must provide ways and Means of rel
gious instruction in places of puolic resort
so that the people who never cross the thres
hold of a church may hear the livieg truth
where they feel themselves at home. 1t is
not part of the Christian plan, as | under
stand it, that the proclamation of the word oil
God should he confined to the clergy. They
sre faithful, and true, and Jealous; but there
must forever remain undene, unless the lay
men of The Church come to the front.
do not propose in this address OF well
come to suggest the various topics Of discus.
sion that will probably arise; but cannot
refrain from mentioning one or two whose
importance is grave enough to Justify their
consideration. l do so because they have
been made the special subjects of attack by
more than one interest, and with arguments
whose speciousness has msled not few. I
refer TO the observance Of the Sabbath in our
cities and towns, and to the effort now SO
formidably made to drive the Bible from
our schools.
know that both Of these subjects are de.
licate, and possibly they are enrironed with
dangers but may not that be said OF every
vital question? 1t is not to be expected that
the Christian host is to be In harmony with
everybody or every shade Of opinion, else il
would be misnomer 10 call their life q bat
tile. The Sabbath is civil as we'll as reli'
uious institution. 1t has its terrible penalties
in both directions. The nation which dsre
CARDS it cannot prosper-nay, cannot i've
Temporal and spiritual destinies both hang
in its balances. While no. State can justly
bind the individual Conscience, it can and
ought 10 regulate outward ob:erVaDceS ana
overt acts which touch the welfare Of Society
The principle is clear. enough, and the difil
culty lies only in determining The extent ol
its proper application. Surely the CHRISTIAN
mind of the country, led by the oracles OF
God and pervaded by the "charity which re-
joceth in the TRUTH" is equal to the pro-
blem.
As to the exclusion of the Bible from our
schools, it seems to me to be sufficient to say
| Ln orl af Go6 And UhV His