Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-23
THE CHURCHES.

held during the past week in most OF the Guy
churches are announced to continue each
evening during the present week. Ihsse
services have continued from the previous
union meetirgs, with large attendance and
dsep interest. Nest of the churches were
well filed Yesterday and last evening, ahd the
usual services were held. Rev. Ii. G. Ben
son. Presiding Elder, preached last evening at
the Kingsley NJ. E. Church, and Rev. W. A.
Finley, d. D.. President of the Pacific Meth
odist College at Santa Ress, preached morn
ing and evening at the Seventh Street III. Z.
Church.
AZ the regular service on Friday evening
last, Rabbi Bloch preached at the Synagogue
on Sixth street upon the subject of
religious convictions, using for his text
Exodus vi II: "And Moses spoke before
the Lord saying, Behold the children of
Israel have not hardened unto me how then
shall Pharaoh hear me, whereas | am Of uncir-
cumcised lips" The speaker said In perus-
ing this section of sacred writing prescribed
as the Lesson for this Sabbath, we cannot fail
to recognize therein striking illustration of
the very condition of religious affairs in our
own dsys. Aud the very means suggested
DV God to Moses to convince Pharaoh aud the
might, too, serve Us to find the proper method
TO carry religious conviction to the mind of
the people. Our greatest task is to overcome
doubt, to cure skepticism and to establish
religious truths, doctrines and precepts be-
yond the possibility of dispute. Moses hesi-
tated to accspt his mission, because he ad-
mitted his inability to carry out the divine
charge, pleading the defect in his speech.
Aaron, who was more eloquent, became his
associate, who. by the force of argument, was
to convince Pharaoh and the children of
Israel OF his authority to liberate, while
Moses was to perform the visible signs-the
wonders-as a more tangible evidence of his
mission. Thus we possess, since time i'm
memorial, the very means by which
we may succeed to carry religious
conviction to every heart, viz: logical
argument or the power of language. and Sec
ond, visible signs or tokens as we find them
still in our ceremonial observances. When
we cannot succeed with the one we must re-
sort to the other. So did Moses fail in the
first instance, and therefore caused to employ
the visible signs Throwing down his staff, it
is changed into serpent, and grasping it
again it becomes as before. steff in his hand.
As long as the reasoning faculties OF
the people are weak and barren of
productive thought, the sublimest teach
ings of religion, in their abstract
ideal, must remain unperceived, and conse-
quently disregarded. Therefore we perceive
in the first stage OF the religious development
the necessity Of conveying her teachings by
means of ceremonial observsnces. AS long
as these forms fulfill their object, to be what
they were intended for, for educational pur-
poses, staff in the hands of the inquirer,
instrumental to convey living thought, Ger.
emGnies are the lawful means to prepare the
mind for better conception of the religious
teachings. Still, whenever this staff is cast to
the ground, below the level of the religious
standard, it produces a superstitious effect, it
turns before cur eyes into a dangerous SER
pent, whose movements must be timely
checked lest it viii poison tne popular mind.
| a similar illustration is found in the his
tory Of the brazen serpent. And so it was
| found indispensable at all times to clad the
sublimest OF religious teachings in certain
forms to make them acceptable to the popu-
lar mind. Yet as soon as these had produced
the desired effect, to ripen the maturity Of the
mind when, as staff which at one time
bloomed and even ripsned fruit, could be dis
pensed with, it was laid by as an evidence of
! their tinely usefulness. Even priesthood
and sacrifice, for such long time distinct
| form of worship and q carefully observed
statute, were dispensed with, not because the
Romans destroyed the temple, but because
| the religious convictions of the masses had
Frightened TO more ideal conception. This
process of gradual development is percspti-
| bic in the history of all Religions. Judaism
| in itself has never changed; we are not diyi-
| ded in sacts. But it is the method employed,
which required from time to time to be fitted
to the requirements Of the day, j. e.. in ac-
cordance with the standard of popular
mental culture. Thus in our day, where
education and enlightenment prevails, It'll no
! tl,-
carry out the system of old in its ceremonial
application. Literary value, plain and log
ical argument, must take its place. So much
| the better for the cause of religion-for it
will come thus to pass-that she must stand
or fall upon her own evidences. 1t is GER
! tainly sad condition of affairs where virtue
can only exist by force of promised heaven
and sin is dreaded because of the threat Of
| hell fire aud birthstone. The highest stand
ard of religious excaIlency is certainly where
| goodness is accomplished for goodness sake
| and where wickadness is shuned as an evil.
| Where a true and noble moral feeling pre-
walls where virtue is honored in manhood,
/ there already is heaven on earth, and the
| force of the staff becomes superfiuous Re
ligien will celebrate her greatest victory
| when in her moral teachings she will be ena-
bled to speak to and to convince the masses
by the mere facts ef her moral teachings.
THE THREE CROSSES.
| At the Calvary Baptist Church Rev. J. @
| A. Henry preached yesterday morning upon
"The Three Crosses," speaking from the
words, "Thera were there three thieves
crucifsd with him." The speaker said that
the cross of Christ was SO many sided that
though it had furnished the theme cf the pu!.
pits for more than fifty generations, it was
still the power of God and wisdom Of God
unto salvation to everyone who would re-
ceive. Attention was called to the relation
OF the cross of Christ TO the crosses CT the
malefactors between whom he was crucifed
To the rabble they were all alike, save as
they distinguished the superscription, "This
is Jesus, King of the Jesus ;" but how differ.
ent in the mind Of God and how Individual,
that influence of each upon subsequent time.
The cross on which Jesus died was the cross
of the atonement, and as such illustrated the
terrible reality; the crimiuality and the
penalty of sin. Who can look long upon
that tragic scene and not behold the dire dis
order, the dreadful guilt, the frightful doom
the great doctrines of expistion-of yicarious
suffering. He died for me"-he bore my
sins in his own body upon the sccursed tree
he took my place he is my substitute. But
this cross reveals perfect redemption, q
finished atonemen5. at is finished" he
said, the worlds redemption is complete no
more there remains an Offering for sir. He
has offered himself and for all. The cross OF
Christ is significant of his finished WORK, by
faith in which the vilest may be saved.
The cross of the penitent thief was the
cross of salvation. The dying thief was
saved What saved him? 1t was not his
profession mere Righteousness will save no
man. 1t was not his own neral goodness
| he was thief-a railer. He acknowledged
that his sentence was just II was not his
feelings that saved him ; had he waited for
proper feelings death and hell would have
overtaken him. Neither was it the ordinance
of the church that saved him-baptism will
save no man; neither the sacrament of the
Lords Supper. But his faith saved him; he
| believed that Christ was sinless. This man
| hath done nothing amiss," said he !; ne be-
| lieved that j esus was what he claimed to be,
a personal savior. He confessed his faith.
"That if thou shalt c9Gfess with thy mouth
| the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe il thy
heart that God raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
The cross of the inpepitent thief was the
cross of condemnatioR. He was nos save :
he died railing snd disappearing. Oh, the
! horrors OF the second desth What was 1t
that condemned him? L. was not original
sin it was not the voluntary appropriation
of that sinful nature it was not his former
sin not the result OF previous wrong.doing
not because he was thief, or blasphemer
not because he was eternally reprobated /;
I fa al