Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-05-13
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.


nd:llty-Rsx: 8 g. w.snsr's
Sermon Before the So
eisty OF Religious
inquiry.
At St. Paul's Reformed church, corner
of Duke and Orange streets, Rev. s. G.
Wagner, of Allentown, Pa, last evening
preached the annual sermon before the So
ciety of Religious Inquiry, composed of
students Of the Reformed theological semi
nary, Of this city. The church was nearly
filled by an audience that included the stu
dents of the seminary and college in large
proportion, and many of the proioundest
theoloSians and thinkers connected with
the faculty of those institutions, among
whom were notable the venerable DR..
Nevin, late president of Franklin and Mar
shall, and DR.. Thomas G. Apple, the pres
ent honored head of the same institution.
There was also fair representation of the
local clergy and general community.
After the opening services, consisting of
prayer and scripture reading, which were
conducted by Rev. DR.. Eschbach, of Fred
rick, Md, and which were delayed con-
siderably beyond the hour announced, a
quartet of voices-Misses Millie Bachler,
Dollie Sener, Mr.. Zimmerman, and Mr..
John A. Bausman-sang a very pretty
arrangement of {" Come Thou Fount,' the
the solo parts being given by Miss Bach
Ter, Mr.. Walter Bausman presiding at the
organ.
The orator of the evening, Rev. Mr..
Wagner, selected as his text the words
found in the first Epistle of Paul to the
Corinthians, first chapter, twenty-third
and twenty fourth verses: "But We
preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a
stumbling block, and unto the Greeks
foolishness but unto them which are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God"
During His life on earth our Lord made
provision for the guidance of the souls Of
the people in their journey through life by
the establishment of the ordinances of His
church, and the appointment of ministry
to administer them. The ordinance of His
ministry is a Divine institution. He endow-
ed His apostles with the power to remit
sins, promising them that whatsoever they
should bind on earth should be bound in
heaven, and whatsoever they should loose
on earth should be loosed in heaven
making them the rulers of His kingdom on
earth. By the appointment of an author
lied succession the apostles provided for
the continuation of the work that was put
into their hands by our Saviour and the
church throughout the succeeding centuries
has been accustomed to consecrate men to
administer the sacraments ordained by
Christ and to perform the offices necessary
for the edifying of the body of Christ. By
the sacred character of it's institution the
office is not one to be rashly assumed nor
indiscriminately conferred.
Fastening to the consideration Of the
duties Of tho office of the ministry Of
Christ, its highest function is found to
consist in preaching. AS the ambassador
of Christ the minister must preach Christ
because, as declared in the text, He is the
power Of God and the wisdom of God. The
unutterable responsibility of this sacred
office might almost cause one to suppose
that it would be impossible for men to fill
it-that angels should have been called
from heaven to perform it's high preroga-
tives but infinite wisdom has seen
fit to choose earthen vessels to
accomplish it's purpose. The thought, 81
have the care OF immortal souls,'' should
and does rest like a mountain weight upon
the shoulders of the minister. and it is
only the remembrance of the Divinity of his
commission, of the Masters promise of the
visitation of His grace, of His purpose to
abide with him even unto the end of the
world, and of the assertion that the gates
of hell should not prevail against him, that
sustains the minister.
The speaker devoted a considerable por-
tion of his discourse to an exposition of
the materialistic tendency of the age in
which we live, of the spirit Of infdelity
that is abroad in the world. Society is
honeycombed with infidelity from centre
to circumference, and even theological
seminaries are becoming shaky places, over
which the shadow of doubt appears to be
hanging. Devotion to science is taking
the place of a belief in the truths of re-
ligion. Science believes in nothing that it
cannot prove, hence belief in a personal
God, in the existence of tho soul itself, is
unscientific. The newspapers are filled
with scientific discussions, and the multi
tude eagerly swallows the sugared dose
that is subtly eating away the faith that
is the foundation of religion. Alas for
poor humanity! God have mercy on the
man who believes nothing that he can
not prove by scientific methods Verify he
is to be pitied of men and of angels.
All this is working change in the So
cial status. Religion, formerly the topic
of interest and excitement, is giving place
to scientific investigation, political discus
sion, and the various forms of material
advancement. The depressing influence
of this condition of affairs upon the pulpit
is to be viewed with alarm. When the
minister goes before his people, burdened
with the consciousness that they will
incline with indifference to what he says,
if indeed they listen at all, he is terribly
weakened. Ministers are not angels and
cannot withstand the pressure that is
bearing upon them with giant force