, 1876-03-06
GOOD THINGS OF THE PAST.


COOP THINGS OF THE PAST.
SERMON nY rhof. EWING.
Prof, David Swing, paator Of tho Central
Church at Movicxcr's Theatre, ycsterday preach-
cd az follows upon 'Iho Good Things Of tbs
Past" IIls te1t was.
Mark 80 well her hlwarks consider hsr rslsse'
pDnlna, 1lyaii., II.
Our tstuos ,,avo bean 80 busy pointing cut ami
amending tho defects III tho Christianity Of yes
tcrlay that many havo unconsciously como 10
tue foolng TINT nil former periods wero n'l1'hF'-
nv In thoir religious Affairs. Tho scientific men
have 30 exposed tho orrosH OF oil tho old theology
tho historians havo 10 enlarged upon the craeltlos
Of tho Catholics and Purilaus tho sattriats have
40 rallied at the Quaker and tho carly heslodiss'
indeed everybody in CTR favored county has 30
industriously pointed cut tIo shortcomings OF
iii the former egas, that It is not atraogei tbezo
is at last common fooliug that tho pant 1900
years did not get much good out OF thcir forms
of rel!e1ou. Lot ua attempt to-day to find sotne
euuny hou1n III Tho past. Tho reasons for such
III attempt arc many. Tho greatest ono may bo
found in the fsct tlat all things, past, pscoonk,
and to come ought, II possible. 10 be eoca IN
their Just light. To know Just how 1naAor
was, or IL, OF shall be. s ono Of tho first requi-
sitcs Ii onu would desire to live vol through theso
yearb From events men draw opinions, from
opinions spring duties. from duties Conduct,
aud hence, II the events Lie boforo us In fh!ae
form, ut least somo 1alee conduct will spring up
may Cherish no unjust bias against the Arnlin.
tan or Catholic, or Puritan, It IN nocclsary tlat
you know az noarly as possible what kind of
creature the Arnninn, or rapAt, or fririt2n
you draw your information from Dlapor or
Buckle alone, you might easily conclude that L
Mussulman or Pagan differed in no important
particular from the hiEh's's Christian ESsh
ct question, bit to quito . posi-
tive dogreo ali writer's and speakora arc
advocates espousing tue causn Of client; the
readsr ls tho Jury q court !; the book or speech
or sermon, the ptoa. II We forget this quality Of
human nature and road ou, and hear on, in only
'ono atmosphere or sect, ,So. Ehali IN tho eua
fail Of having eeen tho whole truth. u will
:aIways require q struggle On onos ratt 10 bo-
como willing or ablo to eco Catholic or Fusltan
in tho truo light OF eacll. lnueedt our whole
century III rar1iailst. 1tB sr!cccss has bl!nded
1T. Ilo present always dcsplHcu tho East nnd
oyoB itself Intensely, but our preBent Ia full Of
80 maoy wondofful things, material and spiritual,
tuat in tho matter Of tho contoEnpt uf yeater-
dny 1t ousdoes an Its predecessors: ra1uaps
in power and willingness to laugh at the pre-
ceding generations. Ilopco, II you would do
ijustics 10 by-Gone things, it would soom almost
your own great century. Ono Must stop out Of
'its prejudicod soul In osder to Gee tile gooa ol
From d just survey Of man come, ~ vaa
.as pstts. sSo ona lin as
tho mental habit Which QUO will build
up. IN such 3 broad method Of s!ri5
Tl be of priceless value. ;I, ,l,, l. VII. ~, ~
and will trAn.torm the human rnce into onn's
brothers, and will ro1noyo tho sens mud noun
taius that divide natons. These, tlon, should bs
the motives whicl, should justify III In seeking
wholo truth, and 10 juat, and tho desire to built
up In tho intellect habit Of wilo thought mt
wide synpAth1: Lot us for ono hour 20 aMal
from our own field in ppranit OF aoHots. un
SURPASSED aa our century lies on the rage o.
history unsurpassed ~ to its liberty, aud indus
try, aud education, A,d Christianity, yet lot u
go anay from 1t to tiud elsewhere something o
Ito trus. and the beautiful, R11d tia good.
What is man TINT wo should think 10 6nd al
his glory cooped in Our Ranglo epocA2 Man Is
creature that has always been o lover aud seeke
aud Andor Of happiness. We look back at tis
cutons under NorD aud Dotnisan aud Dioclo
tipp, and find. indeed. that tho pages drip witt
b]oo1. But history IL qulta slunt over Ill bu
tho terrible. Tho gloomy days Of shcAa tJrant
DCaum of 400 yoars. Wo err greatly il ue fcs
TINT MI tho early centuries wero Weighed dow
by enef, aud to profess Christ waa I
.ss .sssg sn e fia% ststo 1t x'' s .s sssn
lmprosH;on that betwceu Moro anu Domtia
aud Deo,us aud Dloclosian, those bloody Empss
orr. tho Christians uf tho frat four centuH
must l1aye Ill been bent from carrying such
ftlghtfut cEoas. ThiA We uuss always temeab'
that Imagination ~ not always tfutafu! 1acs
ty, H. careloes ct "details Rhd full Of euaou0
10 or Decina Ia ulndo by tho Imagination
rprcad ONT and reach every house, aud inolu
ovegY year, aud to exclude utterly I'll public u
pss'' Prize o hrppsass ssssa sot vots s' 3aas saA u
1node1n ills. They swept BY llIe storm, q
now Soma historical facts Christsauity had Q
oyed fos3 yssss q Peace a E.npnSas oa1o T
Nero ttausd an edics against Christians, Bus
u Oh ayidauoo that he charged them with bur
Ing Houo, and that he pefaocuted only tho
Of those yoalp had passesl. there camo thit
more OF rrogross aud peace. And such y
tie yisos q tlo youpg religion u
into thst short career ef thirty yo'
: hundred Yhou cana tho persocuti
By Domitian. Oyer the name of that persacut
We hayo all broAshsd cur malaoictions s!Roe CHI
long ala i coutinue' Tue truth ls. 4
wYotchn<l kinx exhausted Lii wrath upon lit
ary mon, not Christians. lie tAteh ali learntl
and hence PM to death or lanlshsd 10 ma
ina nslpe With scorn. IIo paAaed no law agai
Chsst,a1A until the twenty-seyentli yehr Of
Ss.gn. and hs wAa 1t once aaaaHsnAted. I
sorrow Of the Church laated lass th1n ye
aud wAs very mild in its charaoter. Indeed.
Christian world may thank thus Emperor tor b
ishinK Bs. John 10 Al island that ono
btm tins aud the Boitula that gave us that
great vislon Of tAs New Testament: What
lowed tho death of this tyrsnt2 There cam
golden age Of e1phty-tye yeara, In which Gu
hAuity Aousishsa III never tefote. Thoss !,
are nov marking what hundred years Il
done In this continent uAy ea4,!y conclude "
IN tmmen1s quantity Of good Hork must b
been accomplished aud lsppioeas enjoysd
that Alulost csntuEy that followed tho ecceHs
e{ the mild NssyA to thu throne. Mild Ill
oamS aud usus TOT 200 years.. Indeed not.,
worthy Of being styled . calamity returned
Christianity uat!l tbs reign of llecias. For
space OF two years only tls Church suffered
thAs pariod Of tho Empire. Tho persecution.
DiocstiAn stained Tie hIst Eve or six yeafa Of
fourth century.
A.