Morning journal and courier., 1881-01-24
A Fine Discourse.

Bishop Clark ofEhode Island at Trinity
 At Trinity church yesterday, morning and evening, the pulpit was occupied by Bishop Clark of Rhode Island, well known as gift ed divine and ripe scholar. His evening ser mon was based upon Acts 10th, 34th, "God | is no respecter of persons The remark | was uttered by the Apostle Peter, when he l heard the words of Cornelius, the centurion. The speaker, .after the introduction of the line of thought, spoke upon the topic, the fatherhood of God. Could it be, he asked, that the beastly islander living upon human flesh, the naked savage with his tastes de- prayed, the Indian with his bloody rites, the Patagonian, the African, all are of the same blood with the refined, cultivated, civilized man dwelling in the possession of all the con veniences of high civilization, with all the light surrounding him which art, science and lite rature can give? Can it be with the man
 whose worship is fetish worship, who
 adores the rising sun, but whose heart is open to true devotion, who struggles for deliver
 ance from the bonds of sin, can it be that
 God looks beyond the desires by which man tries to look after him and reach the higher
 spiritual life. If under some circumstances
 we find men whose spiritual vision ventures
 on larger scope than that which surrounds
 them, and working the works of righteous
 ness. shall we not hope that the gates of life
 will open to them? So the scriptures assert
 and so the better instincts of our nature tell us it must be. God is father who
 mites and guards that he may save his child,
 and he causes his sun to rise over the evil
 and good, and gives rain to the just and un-
 just Brethren, the heart of God must De as
 large as the universe which he made. He rec
 onciles everything in existence in the unl-
 verse with his mighty purpose do not know.
 Why certain things exist do net know. Why
 certain things are permitted cannot tell
 But then after all we see very httie But
 am certain that God is wholly just and good,
 and with that certain knowledge am con-
 tent to wait the disclosures of the future
 whenever it may be tested. The horror anu
 woe of ignorance, corruption and crime, are
 all parts of one mysterious whole and all VIII
 somehow be turned to the glory or
 God. Our God is consuming nre
 but. brethren, the fire consumes to purify,
 not to destroy. It is fire which consumes
 the dross and iberates the gold, and this fire
 burns everywhere. God did not make the
 world and then leave it to move on by the
 impetus originally given it and to be ruled by
 laws originally impressed upon it. God IS
 imminent everywhere in all things. He never
 withdraws his hands, but rules in space. the
 head and heart of the universe. St. Paul
 tells us that the invisible things from the
 creation of the world are seen by him.
 Dr. Clark related an incident to show the
 effect of Gods sun upon heathen ruler, and then spoke of history's revelations that every where among all nations, even the most be-
 nighted, there was 8 glimmering of religious
 sentiment-a groping after truth; and as Knowledge grew we learned of past systems, and the present old heathen systems that the earliest records corresponded in points
 with our own revelation, as, for instance, re-
 garding the creation. He thought this simi-
 larity might be accounted for by the divine
 Fathers giving light to all the nations. An
 other point touched was that all systems of religion seemed to be purest in their earliest
 teachings.
 He quoted noble examples of high spiritual
 knowledge among the ancients, such as Plato
 and Marcus Aurelius. How could we ac- count for the light which illuminated their
 hearts and minds unless they had been open to divine influence? The speaker, after other observations, said good seed has been sown even though it fell on rocky soil or stony ground He cited the lesson of Cornelius, and said that such as worked righteousness and lived up to the light they had, were not objectionable as servants of the Most High. We might not see the way clear to accept them to our communion, but if they live up to their light we may be sure that God will be very tolerant of their defects. The scrip lures tell us that they come from the north, east, south and west and sit down in the kingdom of God, having on the wedding gar ment, while from the assemblage some will be shut out who are members of the church, because they do not bring forth the fruits of righteousness. There are many men In the community who work righteousness and serve God in other ways than ours, whom God sees and accepts. They are trying to help the poor, bind up the broken-hearted, purify public councils, further reforms, and live lives that Christ would approve were bAOooCeA words ye are accepted. Now can we afford 1 to look down upon those people 1n spiritual pride and arrogance and anathematize them | This the disciples essayed to do when Christ reproved them. The speaker referred to the 39 articles which were the work of most ! eminent body of divines but the speaker hardly thought that the spirit of these arti- cles would be averse to the thought he had advanced, but that where one lived up | to the light they would receive favor from | God. He added that had they lived in the light of the present there would have been no | question but that this sentiment would be en- | dorsed. Brethren, it is not your business to l limit God I think no more damage has been done to the faith than has been done by the bipotry of some of it's professed fol- lowers Do you suppose if Christ returned to earth he would recognize only those who profess his name, who | fight under the same polemical banner, Nothing of the kind. He came down to die not fer one but for many, to save world and reconcile the race to God. That is the \ true light which hghteth every man that | cometh into the world, and the light shineth 1 in darkness and the darkness comprehended | it not.
 1 We must have something of the real spirit of Christ in our hearts. When we \ reach that, our souls will expand.
 | How soon will the day come, if ever, when | the true catholicity of the church will be
 made manifest in Christ, not in an absolute
 oneness of doctrine, but in an interpretation in the church of the spirit of Christ recog-
 nizing all who are pure in heart, all that is done for the glory of God and Christ all that is done to elevate science, art and lit erature when the ministry of righteousness
 is incorporated in the rich fruits of | the gospel of Christ, bringing the kingdoms of the world into harmony with Christ when the church is identified | with every true reform and sanctiies all the pleasure of life with our religion.
 When that day comes infdelity will hide itself in the deepest caves and will be heard no more. Doubt will be wrecked in every part of the earth The islands will be con- | verted and all idols both abroad and among ourselves will be consigned to oblivion. 1 WitL few more passages the speaker closed
 his eloquent, impressive and elegant dis | course Rev. Dr. Harwood, who returned from the council at New York last week, as- sisted in the services.
 West Haven.
 Business is getting to be lively in the | buckle and key shops again. which makes