The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-21
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.
SERMON BY DIR. HURST BEFORE THE SOCIETY
ron RELIeIous INQUIRY.

SERMON BY DR. HURST BEFORE TILE SOCIETY
FOR RELIGIOUS INQUIRY.
SYRACUSE, June 20, 1875.
Or. hurst, OF the Drew Theological Seminary,
preached a sermon this morning In the First Pres
byterian church, before the Society for Religious
Inquiry OF the Syracuse University. the subj ect
OF obedience and Christian Doctrine.n Hs So
ected his text from the Gospel according to
John, vii, 17-"Sancuty them through thy truth
tiny word is truth.n he said:-
THE SERMON.
Tne ordinary method OF learning the truth Is
through mental reception of 1t rom outward
sources, such as the living instructor, the printed
page. the teachings OF the rocks beneath and the
reveallngs Of the armament above. But the only
safe path TO spiritual truth is by service or, as
Jeremy Taylor says, lobe dlence is the right way
to knowledge.n One OF the strongest In
dividuallties OF our later theology is the
tending to grow out OF this purely re
ceptive attitude into one OF mighty wrest
lug with opposition. "Doing Is deadly thing, I
may be appropriately waroled by finished song.
sters Ia the calm air Of mlllennIal morning; but
That glad hour Is not yet come, and we must Keep
on singing WITH the 'sweat on the brow" Are
there not IN the lauorer's day twelve hours In
which he safely may his calilng's work pursue
Chri,t's doctrine was revealed alter the best OF
human systems had arisen and proved their weak
ness. The foundation OF Christian doctrine did
not take place until the fourth century and only
then as a matter OF convenience TO counterfeit
heresy and group the faith of the latter ages.
TIE GREAT THEOLOGICAL WANT
OF this age Is a knowledge oil revealed truth In
tue crystallized and concrete form, The doctrines
OF Gods word are not known to-day with the in
tensity OF former times, and here Is one OF the
causes of the aggressive character OF the present
eptlelsm. Tie Church IS responsible for It's own
foes
There are four fundamental objections made by
current scepucism to the character OF Divine
revelation First, that II Is unsystematlc; second,
thar II should contain only natural phenomena;
third. that III should be scientifically exact and
appliable; fourth, that IL should be so definite as
TO preclude difference of opinion. These are oota
unreasonable and misleading. The attitude with
which to commence the thinking lie Is not that
oil the obJectCr but OF the learner. II Ia easy and
pleasant and heroic TO play the sceptic wnen q
student; bur Mhen once the rough path OF real
LIE is entered on and the breast must be barred
70 It's storms, and the arm wrestle with It's oppos
tou, present and vital laith is seen IN all It's
blessedness and plenteonsneE5. How can pure
faith be reached BY obedience TO tue ligpt OF
the hour. Calvin, Wesley and Luther were chill
dIen OF a providence Leading through Gol0en
moments, doing what they might IN the present
but leaving the luture 10 be shaped by SUCH light
a. might come with it. One OF the great
ESSENTIALS or EXCELLENCE
Is the obedience TO great ideals. Men 20 into the
trades who never expect the worlds thinking or
guidance. An tense life, like that OF ArEold OF
Rugby, can only be led by the intense mind. Men
glow, are the worlds kings. The world cares
nothing for the opportunities Of It's workers What
IL wants Is the WORK Itself There Is only one
thing greater and higher man reaplng In the bar
vest aud that Is the evening rest after the strain
2na heat have gatnered IN the golden Sne2YeA