New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-03
PULPIT THOUGHTS.
ABSTRACTS OF YESTERDAYS SERMONS.
DENYING THE DECAY OF METHoDIsM


The Decay Of Methodism In New-York" In reply TO
recent article In The York Herald. He said In
part Every and then the church hears the voice
OF the aarmst Yet the aarmiss not altogether use
less for under their stimulus we may be reused to dis
prove their dark prophecies You cannot predicate the
advance improvement OF church Its large numbers
OF its prosperity must judge OF its life
in the light Of its spirit Methodism has been defined as
organized reyival as Christianity in earnest as
movement to spread scriptura holiness as missionary
In its organization and revivalist in It's spirit What mas
Methodim accomplished IN the direction Of It's nspira-
ton II has touched every nge ecclesiastical organiza
ton In Christendom It saved England nom Deism
and America from Atheism. You couldn't shoot with
long rifle through every church in the city without
endangerfng among It's prominent members, the LIE or
ex-Methodist- you good marksman. II lie the
same with tho pulpits At the Fifth Avenue Baptist
Church. Dr. Armage preacheSa Methodist preacher for
several years At the Central Congregational and the
Union Central Presbyterian Church are expastOrs Of
this church. At Holy Trinity Is a who served his
probation Methodist AT the Church of the Messiah
find man who received the JUNCTION and power with
which he electres his audiences even In the cold light
of Ratlonallsm from Yorkshire Methodist father and
mother and who preached in a Methodist pulpit
IN America. One OF the leading COngre
gational churches is filed by Methodist
local preacher The Herald tasks us with abandoning
CHURCHES in parts OF the cities This explained by
the constantly changing character OF tue wards OF the
city and in some by changes in nationality do
not consider the Judgment Of the who have estab
lshed churches to be lnfable in OF oca
ton. In the Ninth and Fifteenth Wards for instance,
two weorganized strong churches would do more good
than the six there and 100000 money woud he
released to be used in spreading the gospel would give
the Church Extension Society mandatory authority over
the location OF every Methodist Church in the city
II you ask whether Methodism is acting up the full
have over churches the city but they are not
half full WthOur thousands ofmembers Onehalf
more than Journalists From New-York an influence can
be sent which could only be rvaled by radiang
influence OF Rome in the days OF the Empire We have
this conception In our mind when talk OF the oppOr
tuuity Of the Church"
THE HEALING POWER OF FAITH.
The Rev. II. s. Earl Of Southampton, England,
preached in the Church Of the Disciples In West Fifty
sxtht in the morning. taking for his theme the story Of
the who bad the palsy and who carried into the
presence Of the Healer by four of his friends The
preacher spoke first of the strong hold that Jesus.
teacher had the people and especially the
people, why was this Z" he asked. The text says
He preached the Word unto them this found
the great OF Lords power and popularity. In
doing this he was the commission he received
his Father Jesus did not deliver scientific liter
airy addresses; did He make political speeches; He
preached the Word. He also perceived with divine In
sight, the thoughts OF those who 10 him. II Is
written that Jesus the faith OF those who brought
this poor paraytic before him. and said 20 the afflicted
man: Thy sins forgiven thee This than
the poor expected. He for the heal
That Is the way the Son of God does ell the time He
docs more and better than We expect He saw their
faith Can faith be scent Yes. lit Is good faith 1t
can faith that cannot he Is not worth
much II Is dead Some OF you asking: WHAT'S faithi
You have in this incident sufficient reply. Study II
about IT, # you will permit Jesus 10 teach you Not all
who present that occasion were friends OF Jesus
His enemies there Their were open 20 see and
their open TO hear something that they could
against Him and his disciples and the{ muImuIed AZ
. hot ntlyI God
spoken The effect proved that Jesus had power TO Tor
give They had assumed that Jesus was only man.
and that being only aman e claimed possess and to
ercisc a divine prerogaye He was guilty Of blasphemy:
Is Jesus diynef This Is a question on which some OF
Jesus Il the Of God. Jesus Is divine Jesus had
forgive, all Who in and faith surrender to Him. DO
YOU make this surrender There "a blessing for you;
man ! Then there Is "A great blessing Tor YOU
JESUS THE ONLY MESSIAH.
" Another Christ" was the title OF the Rev DR. New
mans discourse at the Madison Avenue Congregational
Church His the message Of John the Baptist
frorn his prison Jesus: Art thou He that should
come for anothcri" He said: IL is the mis-
sion OF some men To utter THOUGHTS OF humanity
voice those deep ongng and lackngs which the majority
feel ndstucty. II Is the province OF such 10 speak
with such cearucss such completeness TO wed the
preston forever with the thought. We find such uni
yersa thoughts compressed in the phrases OF pro-
verb and aphorism The Scriptures abound with them
again or Pilates memorable inquiry Of the Jews. What
would ye that should do with this manr the agOnlzed
words OF the Phippan jaier. What shall do 10 be
saved So with these words which John instructed his
disciples To ask the Master Humanity has asked the
same question in all ages since Now John did not pro
pose such question merely for the sake OF convincing
his own disciples OF the Messahshp OF Jesus.
simple so gulees, austere, incapable Of deceit
We must think OF his condition, and then how
natural his doubt from human point OF view. Con-
scous that his preaching had been done under the
urgency OF divine call he could not understand the i'm
prsonment the wrongs which he suffered, nor the heed
lessness OF the nation. With the limited vision OF man
in spiritual matters he doubted the signs OF divine APP
prevail which had accompanied his preaching. and
hestated to believe those which had been manifest
al the baptism Of Jesus All the great characters OF
Bible history subjected TO times of darkness and
doubt human pretcnder to the place OF the Messiah
would have sought by explanation 70 disspate the
fears pontedly expressed in Johns message Christ
the contrary merely Kept on with MS WOk OF chay,
and then said TO the disciples, Tell John what you see
the lame are made walk the blind 10 see. lepers
cleansed the sick made well much as to say
am doing Gods work. be patient Jesus would not even
praise John In the presence OF the messengers but waited
until they gone 1t is this ideal OF Christ which en-
bodies His life known 10 John and the Apostles, TO
which must turn at this day We wond retain vital
Christian tath Recently trom TINS platform we nave
been enlightened To the Oriental conception OF the
Chi'L go Ihee aIJ Nous lels o anu ".V t
with these are such speclous phrases as e
religion of the future the religion OF humanity, the
feugOn OF inc absolute luose Vi lhcsc
novelties should learn from history that western
nation has created religion that all the religions
OF the their origin TO family OF the race aud
that OF all tho religious that appeal widely TO mankind
but has been approved by the common sense OF the
West The Christ which they preach is not the Saviour
It is abstraction meaning charity or advanced
civilization. whatever the relgi0nst chooses 10
put in the place OF divinity 1t is the Christ of history
upon whom must fix our eyes and our faith III lie
has not risen then am willing TO die with Him."
A LESSON FOR THE RICH
zone has need to offer word OF apology" said the
Rev. Dr. John Hall, In attempting to preach such
subject is presented in Timothy W. H. andl9 We
are called upon bring home the lesson, needed
It was needed In the days OF the Apostle. What is
said the ninth applies to those who would be rich
not to those actually TO those who though perhaps
poor are striving specializing that they may be rich. 1t
is easy TO say that thing Is wrong and offer remedy