, 1879-02-03

!ccls III Chr1alihn itfe. In those dsys crew up
way Of religion WAS ,l.rl, not slli'fcuI. But, MS
ve hayo Row sccn, new facts haFn tnFnng t,s 10
'!rive religion nwny from cxtcfnns. atn! from nlI
arll!re. uni from all abstrartious, AMI ~ pcr-
suadc It to draw ncHrcr to n simple un.llutId!ng
of tuct. character as IA seen M It's Mnstcr.
Against the It!tn thu. society ID mc1rntDy NOR
ally lower wauid nppUsc the assertion ti,at II
Is being c''n.tantly tested hv sorcrrr modes than
wcrc employed by our fathers. Government
nn'l commerce, aud character, mil religion Ind
less difficulties 10 meet in times when the pco-
PIC I'D not know guod from had. But let mem
tai dcVetopmcnt CONC along mil place III tic
estimate Justly ali politics, and a!1 character.
and all rota1iou, and wo el,a11 nil Seem to
have hanl time Of u. unhappilv for our
stns and weaknesses. tllc tines liaso Fai'e''
badly, not becat,se our ans nrc larger, but be.
cause NC nrG brought bcfore 70 aeyetc cn1trt.
And yet this Is tg''at We al have long needed
ceu,e along 70 drive us from a lie Of outward
show. and 9! religious theory tuwaftt q life Of
s!InplO fnlth ard fRir opcn-henrtcd practice. DO
We not discern the signs of the timesl Onr
with ti,r frultlcss formulas in tctr ereeds. an!
with Unreasonable tlct!nltona OF church. md Of
he'll md heaven. hut thev Will 10 compelled to
abandon ali "pipus tsa1t1s" r. The lifting Of
to lie grand bedrock of honesty. "PIo.,s
frnu.lsH l,avo for long series Df centuries
hcen cnsy in hoth brnfchcs Of the Cht,r RI.
rcndcra them less successful, anil co,npcIs tho
belief TINT our churches must bill farewell 10
all holy tsIckcry, and arfay themselves In the
garments of white. That the Church at large
Ia fitting lttrlf for higher life, Tor my part
firmly believe. anil bctfoyu that few years will
bring In moro rapidly this internal recon.
ats,.ction
And now arises ono moro consideration whIe,,
will compel tho Churcf, to seek the practical
good more than the mere grouping OF l1cas;
1l.at consideration u this: ahflc[ty or RATIONAL
Ism. crowds around us with wonderful Impulse
tic Atheist fl argument or tu reason with ntt
the forms Of ekepticism yet II religion cnfl unlv
punt to multitude of good men nnh goo!
women, who nlay surpasa all The skcpties III all
In reflection, IN charity, In breadth Of soul, and
In happiness, that more than anything elsn will
aid the thrge argument Of tho altnr against tho
crrctblc; Of itt. aouf against dust. II skcptt-
fun intellectual picmfcs, our causc would hH IN
a bad condition brforu tic next century kluulI
have dawncu. But such q fataf comparison II
MIL be easy for our things to prevent, TOR thero
ticat philosophy whir!, no atheism can equal:
thcrc Is In the motives of religion subliinity
which tnafersalism cannot show U.s. aud
there Is possible to thc sons Of Christ
equal WHO do not tstenn, Of Immortality anl
reunion OF aouls In bctter country. III The long
race which man perhaps yet TO run i! ths Garth,
tht form of belief md pract,ce will at last viii
wiiicil shall SLOW tho world tho grcatest. n,l
best, ntl harpest men. HY no debate orer
Moses. or Etsas, or the quality of henycn and
hell will te questions Of fa,t and dilbt be de-
titrd, hut II HOW sgcnts that the contcst will be
decided by tl!c products OF each form OF opin-
lon. asnl that II slcptlctsln cnn Mt Inst alt umr
w0rtd w!th hettur mcl,, md women, u1.,i chill
1rcn,-prrsoss tint shnll live moro nob'y n'll
die 'norc contcntedly than those that shall
Clfist, UPON thu brow n( lnhctIcf Will our
world p!nco the wreath pf triumph, III such
day. the defenders ot Christianity will nbnl!don
their cause as ioscyer lost. 70 that tcst of re-
att morat action. Liberty supp!ants .lcspotfsh,
by showing itself to be the higher gonl; knnwi.
ctsre dtsplaccs tsnorancc hecausc 1t offers naf,-
kind tim Rreattr blessing: thus to the bar Of
appca1, md when Christianity confcsses that by
Us trntte' tnan 8ha1i measure 1t, II assurea US
that II cxnects to moct iuddcl',y.at tl,o 1nnl
court OF experience.
And these signs arc not The doubtful uncna
WHICH The creduous tlnd in the liehs Of birds,
or tn The confused rawlings OF sumo uructr, or in
tlc rlstling leaves of sacred oak In the GroYO
pf Dolnrn. but they arc tho yulcr OF great
God heard In the myriad tones Of tnetl. Christ
would nut hare alluded to any signs Which inay
siRNity nothing and NAV deceive ind then mass
nway. As in thete mornings yo,l raatt iEe deep
designs Of Nature, rs wllan earlier caell dawn
you sec thc East grow red, and earlier. the Sl1s'-
light throw its eraccry on your wa,l, and per.
ccavc In talts, proof HAT the gignntia world and
sun tu which VIC bclnng arc laying in ll,r realms
OF light, thu Foundations Of ahothrr snring null
summer, md That ao human hand can arrcst
this nsrcI Of cloud, and calm, and showers, and
dew. ard blossoms, nini btrd.song, 40, Invited
by Christ, We scs III tl,e moral sky no vague or
f3TNtSa thnH E1ofFFJ
ent with bcatns which nrc evidently celebrating
for manltin1 4 simpler religion md q purtr
elsaractfr,-bcatns tint snail forna summer
ttn,u out OF long nnl darx cloud.