Morning journal and courier., 1883-06-19
duurusl suh GuurisS.
Tuegday. June 19, 1883.
Dwight Place Church
Life With and without the Bible - HI
 Army.


 Life With and without the Bible - Tne
 Salvation Army.
 At Dwight Place church Sunday morning Rev. T, R. Bacon preached from the text, 97th Psalm, 2nd,verse: "Clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and Judg- ment are the habitation of his throne" The nreacher soid that although our knowledge is exceedingly limited concerning the ways of the Almighty we know that while clouds and darkness surround his throne and we, as it were, see through glass darkly, we feel assured that righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne, and that inscru- table as are his ways we can regard him with perfect trust, knowing that he doeth all things well. In regard to the oft propound- ed question, what is the responsibility or those who do not look at life through the light of Christianity. MT. Bacon said that It was too great question for man to decide. It belongs to him who holds the uni verse as in the hollow of his hand, and man cannot question the good ness and wisdom of God. But this much IS plain, that we who have greater light upon religious subjects than any other people on the earth have great and fearful responsl- bility. Our course is clear, and while the ways of God as to the reward of those who SC advantages are limited are beyond our know!- l. edee his will concerning us is clear, and It stands us in stead to heed what revelation IS saying to us
 The afternoon sermon was from Matthew, 1O-34: saThink not that l came to send peace into the world; came not to send peace, but 0 sword" MT. Bacon said that someone had argued that Gnnk6n these words because they were exact. Iy opposite to his life and teachings Wnst had the gospel of Christ to do with the sword His coming was the beginning o1 the dawn of peace" These words were the words of g thoughtful man. They prove nothing because they mean notnlng. Obrist had always said what we would have ex- nected him to say there would have been nc revelation It is true that his sayings and do | ings from the nativity to the crucifuon were entirely different from what we would have expected from the Son of God. His savings embody nearly the whole of revela Iation, and the words of the text are especial Iy forcible. Subsequent history has justified the wisdom of bis words. It was be- cause of this doctrine of peace that Martin Luther preached justification by faith in him It was this doctrine of peace that caused Christ to suffer the agonies of Gethsemane and Calvary. It caused the early Christians to be persecuted during the first centuries after Christ's advent It was this doctrine of peace that led our fathers to leave theil native land and seek home across the sea Not reace, but sword has been Christ gift to the earth.
 We may hope that the day of religious wars in Christendom is gone forever, yet the spirit of persecution still turks. Within tive weeks we have seen Christian workers boot ed by mob in our own streets!
 Prauolonpa nf fruth to reIgn DY peace on the earth.
 MT. Bacon referring to the struggles oi scientific truths to gain recognizance illus trated the theory of the survival of the fttest" He said we cannot tell to how great an extent this principle may be true but in the conflict of ideas the truth vii always prevail. There is in man natura tenacity to anything which he holds to b' truth A new discovery in science alway | produces @ terrible conflict between the olt ! idea and the new. A new question in phllo ! Iogy will rouse the scholars of the world to fearful contest. Man has in him such ar overmastering passion to know the truth tha theory must be better than the present ont \ in order to be adopted. While theories ar' generally nothing more than theories each al | ways has to give way to the better one and st | the world of thought progresses. There is continual struggle going on be | tween ideas and moral perception. This vii be more bitter ID proportlon to tne aoEahce ment of the age. None of our doctrines cal be entirely true because they are only tn best knowledge of man, which is at best faul | ty. ''Now we know in part.
 The path to peace always lies though con fiot, be it in the church or in the world. D you deplore the fact that theological con
 troversy reigns in the earth? Until the da | of eternal peace comes. and with 1t 8 perfse
 knowledge of the truth, theological contre
 versy is a sign of the healthy growth of trut