St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-06-28
DARTMOUTH.

The theme of President Bartlett's
baccalaureate was the responsibility OF
men for their views in religion. "And
if l say the truth why do ye not be-
lieve . .. For if We believe not that
am he, We shall die in your sins" In
these words the son of God sternly
presses home the obligation to accept
the truth he taught or else suffer the
penalty. 1t is Indispensable that men
be held thus responsible if any control
is to be laid on the conduct or the af-
fections. All history is filled with illus
tratiOns of this principle, and proves
the absuIdity of insisting Oh a thor
oughly right life with radically wrong
principles. If men are not to be held
responsible for their views neither can
they be held for their practice. There
is religious truth, and men have capac-
titles for ascertaining it. The relation
of the universe to man is that of facts
to faculties to know them-faculties de-
handing truth and not error. This re-
sponsibility is also right because mems
views are so largely dependent on their
moral inclinations. The Bible every
where ascribes wrong views and prac-
tice to wrong affection and purposes,
and further, the sacred book denOunces
condemnation on all rejectOrs of the
truth. 1t allows no man for one moment
the right to reject the claims of God
and his salvation. The sermon closed
with warning to the graduating class
to recognize the device of the adverse
ry to ensnare young men through their
wrong OF unsettled opinions as one of
the chief dangers of the day. ''Be not
deluded," he said. There is plentiful
new light which is but old darkness.
The eternal truth will always be ancient
bigotry to the enemies of righteousness.
No progress of the age will supersede
the teachings of the Holy Spirit or
abate the claims of the living Cod
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT.
The exercises of the 74th commence
ment of the university of Vermont at
Burlington began Sunday with Presi-
dent NJ. III. Buckham's baccalaureate
and an evening address by Rev. DR..
w. X. Huntington of Worcester before
the society for religious inquiry. Pres
ldent Buckham took his text from Mat
thew 10 IL: ''If thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments If we
follow our Lords practice of varying
the emphasis of doctrine according to
the needs of the occasion, we shall at
this time emphasize righteousness rath-
er than faith. Scepticism is not so
alarming now as immortality. The
sceptlclsm of young men is not so de-
piorable as their vices. Religion is
making rapid progress at home and
abroad, but morality is not keeping
pace with it. One cause of this is that
religion is too much of the emotional.
not enough of the ethical tvpe. The
speaker unfolded two propositions
FIRST, that religion alone can furnish
suIhclent motive for a purer morality
out, secondly, that the religious affec-
tions need the reinforcement of positive
dlvlne commands. There are no sad
DER personal tragedies than those which
result from surrendering the moral life
TO the control of emotion in place of the
divine law. In the prevalent corruption
we are reaping the harvest of sentiment
tai religious teachings which discard
the fear of God and the authority of his
law for religion which looks only at
states of mind and depends on intui-
tlonal morality. The young man in the
text wanted to hear some high. imagin-
ative discourse which would relieve
MN from personal obedience; that is
what the world wants of the church
now, and too often gets it in doctrines
which disguise the paramount impor-
lance of personal holiness. But Christ
pointed back 10 Sinai. He offers helps.
encouragements, persuasions to morali.
~, but no instigations To enter into
lie is for us to keep the command
ments.