New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

THE PHYSICAL CAUSE OF CHRISTS DEAIH.-
4 writer in a recent number of The ChUrchmdH
attempts to summarize in the space OF snort
notice the leading theories which nave Dech au-
vanced respecting the physical, not the tneo-
logical or metaphy steal cause OF Chilst
speedy departure from life after temporary
suspension in full health upon the irons oil his
cross. Among those that have wrltten on the
subject are Anthony Bynaeus, who died ABOUT
a. ID. 100, and William Stroud, NJ -, the
second edition of whose treatise was published
as late as ISL According to the latter writer
many explan2t tons have been offered regarding
the cause of death He himself mentions the
four principal theories. One IL that divine
compassion pitifully shortened the Saviours
sufferings as He himself said It sometimes
shortened the course of time Matthew XIV,
22). Another is that a state OF nervous ex-
haustiOn was followed by such collapse rs
frequently occurs in the cholera and other VIC,
lent diseases, and that this fastened His END
with irrepresslble rapldity Yet another, thal
He died OF the wound inflicted in the region OF
the heart by the Roman soldiers spear And
still another (Which Is DR.. Stroud's) that lie
died of an actual heartburst, the result OF un.
told and unreasonable agony. AS to the flrst
theory" the writer iii The Charchmdn says, u" 1t
j. abundantly clear that our Lord dld not eX-
pre from involuntary or outside causes-out-
side, that is. of His personal consent and Will:
He distinctly claimed The highest attribute OF
divinity: self-exstence. His self-existence, as
lie said, was precisely Ike, was, IN 1acl tne
claiming such an attribute He offered proof
of His positive divinity and OF his DIVINE
Supremacy, higher than which the blDie mas
never ascriDed to the great and lntIdDIe /
Am The second theory represents our saw
tours death as the mere issue OF physical ex-
haustion. QuestiOness He was physically
over borne He sunk under the weight OF Ills
cross. lie accepted indeed few drops OF
vinegar to moisten His parched lips; but
stupefying draught, which might have rem
dered Film insenslbe, He instantly rejected.
The pains of crucihxiOn did not at all Affect lis
self possession. All goes to show HIS entire
fortftude serenity and Sclt-pOssesslon TIL the
supreme moment, when He exclaimed My
God. NV God, why hast Thou fOrsaken Ne :
That was the acme of His agony; lie uttered,
one Wailing cry, bowed lis head, and expired.
But for such crisis it might have been neces-
sarv 10 crush His limbs, as well rs those OF Ills
lingering fellow sufferers. The third theory,
that His death was the consequence OF a ruth
less wound by a soldiers spear, Is the result Oh
n miscOnceptiOn and mlstrans lauon. ~.
John is the only evangelist who describes the
soldiers wilful act. But he was preseht When
il occurred, was a close observer, and could not
be mistaken about conduct at once bold and
Dalpable. Nevertheless, 1t Is maintained that
the soldier actually slew his victim. AND, as Is
too often the case, we owe the ldea 10 the las
tldiousness or self-concet of a protested critic.
Such an authority insists upon changing con-
junction. and reading for instead ol on IN the
language. but one OF the soldiers pierced Ills
side; 1t Is an instance among hundred IN
Christian Scripture where very slight change
in phraseOlOgy may Issue IN serious c0nSe-
Quences The fourth theory is that OF Dr.
stroud himself-vIZ., that our caVlouTs uplited
cry and Immediately dropping head were owing
TO an actually bursted heart. lie brings Tor
ward abundant and even throngng testimony
To show that agony, which Is n conflict between
pIofound emOtOns-such as often occurs III
Tower or in a very acute degree between ones
feelings and his judgment, his hopes aud his
disappOiutments, his faith and his apprehen,
sions-bas often produced this singular and
fatal issue and he explains Is operation Ike
genuine medical philosopher
THE REVIVAL SPIRIT or TIE METHODIST
CHURCH.-In the course of an address dellv-
cred before the General Conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church south, by the
Rev. Dr. II. Is. Ridgaway. fraternal delegate OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church. the speaker
declared il 10 be a matter for profound thank
fitness that neither branch had found occasion
to change the doctrines. common TO both;
!. The old cardinal points" he said, OF n full
and free atonement for every SINNER, present
saving faith for every penltent, direct WIT
ness of the Holy SpiIIt TO adoption tor every
believer, and an entire sanctlncatlOn from SIN
for every hungering and thirstlng child Of
God, are still maintained III the preaching and
literature of the two Churches. And while
these are held, involving as they do the eiii-
cheney OF MethOdsm As a saving power, there
MethOdism with Us Is still n revival
Church Our affairs yet blaze with the pcnte-
coStal fire, and the salvation o. sinners l. re-
garded as the paramount work or the Church.
We are becoming not only n numerous, but
wealthy and cultured, people. schools, colleges
and theological scmlnaTles are rapidly multi
plying among Us. Taste Is suggesting, and
wealth Is supplying our people with more
vaned means OF refinement ana enjoyment
IL NAV be remembered that history affords
numerous instances-as, for example where
the sturdy Nandals of the North were trans
planted 10 the luxurious shores Of Alrlca-that
it only requires two generations OF people
reared in soft and needless sclf-indulgence to
relax the sinews of the hardest race AID so
we are guarding against the decadence of the
aggressive revival spirit amongst H.. The
wisdom of the first organizers OF the Ron an
army j. seen in that the soldier was furnished
with weapons and armOr Tor the hand-tO-hand
conflict Of battle. GlbbOn tells Us that, under
the Emperor Gratian, the army, enieebed 10y
luxury, abandoned the Wclghty helmet ana
cuirass; the heavy weapons OF their ancestors,
the shOrt-swOrd and the plum, which had sub
ducd the world, insens;bly dropping from their
feeble hands and with their dlSuse set IN the
rapid dislnteeratOn and fall of the mighty en-
pre-. We are convinced If the spirit or our
COLLEGIATE and theological training OF orr
social culture shall be 10 cause lis lnsonsihly TO
droD from our grasp the old weighty, sturdy
wrapons of the mOuTners bench, the hand-tO-
hand grappe with souls instant conversions,
immediate fruits under the word, ana 10 lall
back into long-range warfare with impercep-
tible and insensible results and indefinite wait
ing. then will our decline speedily set il and
orr mower will soon leave lis and spiritual con-
0nests will be matters OF the past. We feel
mat the srlrest way of keeping the vast soldlery
of cur Church from tampering with their
swords and 50 spelling their temper is to keep
Them all alive and active in their use. Nothing
more certainly saves the theology OF the
Church from perversions than its ncessant APP
Dlcation in the saving of sinners. The dcllv-
erance of despairlng souls from death Is the
ever-recurring vindication of its divinity