New-York tribune., 1876-09-04
DEFENSE oF THE CROSS.


The Rep J. a. NJ Chapman, d. d. al ST. PGurs Methodist
EJtseopot Church.
large congregation assembled IN st. PauPs
Methodist Episcopal Church. at Twenty secondsL and
Fourtave. yesterday morning, to listen to tho Row Dr.
IA NJ Chapman apon the Ofcnsc OF the Cross The
preacher took his text from Galatians ". IL Then
Is the oense of the ceased" He spoke substan-
TALLY as follows:
The doctrine OF Christ crucled, stumbling block to
the Je and fooshness the Greek, Is old Chris
tanty and all attempts to relieve the cross from scan
dal earth will prove miserable and nenectnaL Ine
cross as emblem may be popular, but the system II
symbozes never. until it regeuerates the world II
negatives the whole current OF mans individuality, and
SO long as 1t docs that just long viii be the oense OF
the cross and all tonng down Of its doctrine or Its re-
quirements 10 coneate the world is not only refusal
to acknowledge it's power but is feeble exhibition Of
uneef cowardee. and the part Of its pro
fcssod fiends The first clement Of the onense OF me
crOss certain class al least, s found III inc IaeI tt
Il requires consent to external authority IN matters oi Dc
lief Bright inteec aud independent thought reject the
gospel because IL declares that man Is totally unable 10
aud Incapable sit in judgment upon that 81 stem when
IL has been devised 1t Is said that it belittles
snhoSitS what reason cannot fully comprehend,
and yet such persons forget tina. this n3lcc-
zion lies equally strong against science, for nature
il not one whit lcss imperous its deulands or less
dognatic in its assertions When nure declares one 81
il to accept il and walt for philosophy TO demon
truths there is notbng left but for to accept it,
whether We understand il or not and waif until God
snai men reason sny more correctly about Tie OF
nature than they do about the facts of Revelation We
no fundamental truth the Church different to-day from
Church OF the first century These truths have been
perverted, they have been corrupted, but there
has not been . day OF an hour put mat men 9 ana
Human reason Is utterly mcompctth' 70 uae US !" @ tS
outer DEPARTMENTS OF human thought ana interest," anu
yi Mgbt in aImesf every department OF Thought and
action Rnoy-nmo hunGrodths OF our frec-thinhers az
belief and can gye you nothing better than thr ipse
DIRT OF ari teachers O tneir schools leaving
SG,ter SsI or he nGy Welfare Of tSc to be
disciple OF Paul Peter and James than 70 be follower
OF Paine VOliaTe, Newman or Pafkcf, STRAUSS Or
Renan. d. a., =.
Aemands absolute submission. Absolute sublll son Is
nd down the very threshold OF Christs Kingdom IL
Is rot doing great thing little thing 1t ls
lie Iaying OF the will at Chsts fcct IL Is the pdns OF
the hand CnrisPg had 10 lie lei wnltheisueYcl lc
payerS, closes the gate just much though
wiling TO do nothing at all IL ~ not going ~ ns chrch
obey God whatever He may require AT our lands
Yet need not tell yon that the greatest ting III TINS
world for to DO is 10 give up his %ll heh sier
fee great deal and suier great deal to nave ther
own way Another element III Sie 1 ~ oes = & ~ rd . linz
for mSu 10 repudate both his sefrignteouspess aud
eutire ability TO confess the hand That hc is NOR
ally ruined and the other hand that LIE is utterly In
capable OF doing earning ANYTHING BY personal effort
and this is the oYense Of tue cross. Ii could ae-
quirc by learning, how would shey not studyf oy
suffering What penance would they not undergo II by
work how would they not tOi1 But TO come and re-
eeive n as the unmeitd free gift OF God, they say Is
huiliatug and this is the ofense Of tao cross III men
are yed must DC saved BY Srace, Inc Ioe
uBDerited, deserved GIT OF God 10 man. Another
eeInent is self-denia Christ said in His ministry, IL
auy man will be my disciple let him deily himself"
Sinful desires and feelings and aspirations are All out
laWed by the ineXOrRble law OF Cbrisps Kingdom, ana
must be sacrificed 1T any and every cost Now Tor %
man crush ali those out OF his heart Is sefdena ana
bardcns aud 80 fnn law Of Christ FOR the srOng
20 bear burdens OF the weak for the ric 10 bear the
burdens OF the poor tho saved OF the uhsdVed ths 10
selfdeniSi
Jt h salvation by simple salvation Of sim
plcIty IL said that t absurd reason fOi prayers,
complexion mans nature aud il would be II there
were divine power invoked IN that ten mlnutes
prayng Another element II that ~ - salvation OI
equality; u regards all souls IA equal. ali made IN le
end by the Father ami yet tDere IL the
Rristocracy OF wealth. though The gold and silver OF
the earth did not belong To God well tie cattle
upon thousand hills there 10 Tire a1stociHey vi pesl-
ton thOae God did not lift ana pub down; there
s. the argsOcracy Of intellect though God ala not
make the mind well rs the bOay There Is an arlS-
tOCracy that admire, thGt almost worship, and that
l. the arstocracy OF true manhood and true wOnanhood
thC arstocfacy that ia above and weakness,
sancfed and purified by divine nsrc- Tne conditions
OF salvation Dtance toward God and faith ia
Lord Jesus Christ. There Is pool OF cleansing
all tho blood OF the Crucifed II Is salvation OF ex-
whc4eby ne be saved but tie Of Jesus Not
Jesus in the sacraneEt not Jesus in the Virgin Mary
not Jesus Ia the recs OF hts not jesus In holy
but Jesus IL Is not Christ through geneTaliies aud
salvation through oeremOnials aud saeraDens Is not
lyng the dead 10 hurry the dead hut the dead raise
Che dead WITHOUT Christ there Is no life.
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