New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-26

CHRISTIANITY THE ESSENCE OF TRUTH.
The Rer Dr. E. D. Aorrs at the Scotch Presbyterian Church
The Rev. DR.. L. d. Morris, professor of the
oIogy IN the Lane s. minary Cincinnati ONO preached
in the Scotch Presbyterian Church In FourteenthsL.
between Fifth and sxthtves. yesterday morning The
text was C0iossians u, Beware lest any man spoil
YOU through philosophy aud vain deceit. after the tradi
lion OF men, after the rudmeuts OF the world, ami not
after Christ" DR.. Morris in part said
Paul's caution plainly rests upon the underlying
PROPOSITION that the CErisan system incarnded In
christ and the substance Of al religious
truth Whether Justly falsely Christianity from first
TO last makes precisely this claim. Whether truly or
falsely this scheme Of doctrine declares Itself to have
come into tne world order 10 enh=hten every mau-
a reguant faith as universal and enduring humanity
itself aud as supreme aud assaabe in its authority
AS He who sent II. l. this claim Legitimate Has
Christianity such absolute supremacy In the realm Of
human thought and belief All religion regarded as an
intellectual SYSTEM Is contained in the three categores
OF God, OF man. and Of the relationship between God
and man. Now, where Won turn for such del.nea
non Of God IL found in Christianity Where can you
dad so complete deIneatiOn Of II afforded in
the Billet And where OUTSIDE Of Christianity you
gain such knowledge or the real relationship betN cen
God and man The highest truth IN ali these stupendOns
themes is not found in Plato. Cicero Coniucius not in
the religion OF Hindoosm, in modern rltionalism.
There is loose rhetoric a1Oat IN our day based on
careless cOnpJrisOns be- Christ aud other great
cause IL makes j" ScC"ul % M -. ~ ",
Christ ana The truth IS thht there u no great
question growing 0ut OF religion IN any ASPECT 10
winch Bible aud Tartcuiariy the Bible IN Christ
does not give a clearer. better answer thdn
humanity has yet given or received apart from
THESE Oracles. Inc c1Tent notion thnt CArlsCahy
il Of doctrine fitted pcrchance 10 baroaric or
an intermediate human progress, but destined
to be superseded by the culture OF higher age has no
All equatc warrant. However much man grows IN re-
gious knowledge. under TIE Instructions Of THIS BOOK.
he never outgrOws the Book tseiE am not speaking
with the OF nOvice.or the ra-h enthusiasm
hfrFt Il a. =
mates OF what this Christian system truly Is. fhd NC
anywhere vauapir promo; remnant ruin on AZ AZ
Book and will Book up az once and forever
Tb cntat; We efc,v OF any idea or system IA often as
decisive evidence OF It's trsh illness intellectual
I demonstration. Let rs try the CHRISTIAN doctrine Dy
m : TEST one hundred and hfty wears ago England
was led with the shouting OF set Of philosophers who
undertook thai the ethical teaching OF the Bloc
IL essentially dseciye-nferiOr IN spirit and scope 10
what was termed natural morality. The effort was
zralOusly aOY made Had II succeeded the EDgilsh
n,d v1uId iusy have cas- tie Bible aside as q Lu.nan
| counterfeit rather than Divine word But
! il did not succeed. and why IL was seen
superior to all natural systems Of ethics, especially III
the fact that back OF al precepts and motives, II miro
| duces "A divine personality, 10 whom tho obedience Of
man l. du Instead - following tue as" lEht
Of hs school Of theorists. the English mind "a" thIs
and turned To the word of GOD with renewed faith.
lbbon has told Us. with matchless art, The story OF
the manner in which the Church saved Christianity, III
the duy when tAe invading h0rdes OF central Europe
swept mo destruction all thst power, prestige and mag
/ nifcence which gorifed the Roman Empire
But thai brilliant vet erraic historian hss not tod u.
what 10 was that saved the church, and gave 10 II
such great influence In tGat fearful crlsls. That
inherent prcseTvaiIve force which the OF the sccp
tic could not Sec other than the divine truth
embodied Ia the Christian system. IL was Christianity
itself which neFved the Church for her difficult task
ana which protected Christian Rome while Pagan ROME
Was uerisuIng The lie OF Europe personal, social and
civil has decsively SNAPPED by the Christian
ideas aud mu Than by all othrr forces Tue bes
life of Europe to-day IS that which has been decslyely
shaped by the doctrines and spirit u pure as dstH
gushed from f0rmalzed and degenerate Cniistanlty
N A. mOusrrous conclusion therefore, 20 that all nj
best aud and most potential Things In the MS
tory Europe only bur OF our own continent anc
| people are derived nom the fundamental dream or
Galilean peasant It's system given 10 man by Goi
hlmself for his restoration faith and love 10 the
! Divine image and fellowship t0reycrnOre The motor
that he VINO his thinking by the standard OF h
Blble NAV no longer philO-OphZr, but that he rathe
| covenants 10 do more thinking and 10 become th'
| bondslayo of an assuming dOgma, IA satanic lie
/ philosophy DY "A purple POne or Rome Christianity
| has nothing 10 fear from philosOphizng.